Philadelphia Missionary Baptist is a well maintained African American church in Stewart County.  It has a thriving congregation as well as a large cemetery with over 200 interments in the cemetery that are recorded on Find a Grave.  Unfortunately, we have little information about the early history of the church.  Small church congregations like this one once dotted the rural landscape and served their communities as central places to gather, worship, celebrate, mourn, and live out life in the country. Oftentimes, churches like this one also served as school buildings for rural students before public education was available to them.  Places like this are so important to help us understand the full picture of Georgia’s history. And while we don’t have the whole story of Philadelphia Missionary Baptist yet, we think it is important to hold this place in hopes that more information will emerge. If you know anything about the history of this church or the community of people it served, please comment below.