How it all began:
The Reverend Andy Taylor coming along the highway, stopped to pray on the grounds of what was then an old roadhouse and forthwith, held a two week revival there late in September 1948 assisted by the Reverend Ray Roberts, pastor of First Baptist Church of Danville. At the end of the revival, Reverend Roberts’ church decided to sponsor what became Willow Grove Mission in the roadhouse quarters.
The new mission was organized on October 3, 1948, with fourteen people at the first Sunday school service. Speakers for the Sunday morning services were sent from First Baptist Church, Danville, until November 1, 1948 when the Reverend Cova Duvall, a student at Campbellsville College, was called as the first pastor.
By June 1949, the Sunday school was averaging fifty people per Sunday. The mission group rented the roadhouse until the spring of 1949, when through the financial assistance of farmers at Willow Grove and many other friends in the area; the congregation was able to purchase the roadhouse. A six-room apartment was arranged on the second floor for the pastor.
The mission held a revival that spring with the Reverend Helm of Springfield as the evangelist. In the fall, another revival was held with the Reverend Joe Disck Estes of High Bridge. By the end of seventeen months, the mission had 42 members.
The first Vacation Bible School had over one hundred children enrolled and averaged ninety in attendance.
Reverend Cova Duvall resigned in September 1949 to attend college in Tennessee. Reverend Kit Yaste of Harrodsburg was called as the second mission pastor.
The mission became a full (self-providing) church in April 1955. By this time, the new Danville highway was being planned. It was decreed that the roadhouse, home of Willow Grove Baptist Church, would have to be torn down. Settlement was made with the church for $32,000, enabling the church to purchase ground behind the roadhouse for a new church building site with a house on the grounds to be used as a parsonage.
In 1995, a near 12,000 square foot addition with a 400-seat sanctuary was occupied. In 2001, the old sanctuary was converted into Sunday school rooms and a small chapel was added. In 2005 more Sunday school space was refurnished in the downstairs of the church.