Soon after the town of Gum Creek (later Jacksonville) was established in the mid-nineteenth century, churches of several denominations formed. The congregations shared a single building, which was also a schoolhouse, each denomination utilizing the structure once a month. Gum Creek Baptist Church was founded in 1867 under the leadership of Jessie M. Carter. Five years later, the international-Great Northern Railroad bypassed Gum Creek by two miles, and most people moved to a new townsite along the tracks. In 1870 under the leadership of William David Burnett, Gum Creek Baptist Church was renamed New Hope Baptist Church. In 1897, the Leinback and Bolton families conveyed one acre, about one mile northwest of the original building, to serve as a new school site (now the northeast corner of FM 747 and CR 3202). Local officials agreed to allow New Hope use of the new site for gatherings. J.N. Earle, D.Y. Morris, J.l. Fulton and M.W. Grimes built a one-room schoolhouse and church. The 1897 structure was later enclosed by additions. The school eventually built its own building to the south, but was abandoned after consolidation with Jacksonville Independent School District in 1973. The church served as the center of the Gum Creek community for those who had not moved to the new Jacksonville townsite. Annual August homecoming services included an outdoor meal, sermons by former pastors and baptisms in Gum Creek, and later, Lake Jacksonville. Notable leaders include Perry Holliman and Oran B. Martin. For over 150 years, New Hope Baptist Church has served spiritual needs in the rural Gum Creek community. (2023)