Cottonwood Baptist Church was constituted in 1875 at a time when the community was frequented by Comanche Indians searching for cattle and horses, and in the same year that the Texas legislature carved Somervell County out of Hood County. There was an estimated county-wide population of only 600 by 1880. Six locals: Daniel Shipman, Eliza McElmurry Shipman, Sarah Shipman, Solomon Sutton, Sally Sutton and B.M. McFaddin, founded Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Christ (now Cottonwood Baptist Church). The church then joined the Bosque River Association in 1876 with eight members, but by 1880, it had reached sixty members! When the Paluxy Association was formed in 1880, the church affiliated with the new association, and today is a part of the Paluxy Baptist Association.

Certain distinctives set Baptists apart. With our reformation era predecessors, we believe that only those who repent, believe in Jesus, and make a credible profession of faith are to be baptized, which is ordinarily by immersion. We also uphold the priesthood of all believers, local church autonomy, and a democratic congregational kind of church government; yet, at the same time, we recognize a jurisdiction of authority for a plurality of elders (pastors) who teach, preach, pray, shepherd, and lead the flock with humility and kindness. We resolutely affirm the sufficiency of scripture as the only certain and trustworthy rule of faith and obedience. For a full statement of what we believe visit the "About" page.

Cottonwood is warm and welcoming. All are welcome. Come as you are; leave renewed in Christ. We know that we are both saint and sinner in this life, and that our best works are still mixed with sin and fall short of God's glory, but with God's help, we work to put our sin to death and live holy lives, bear one another's burdens, weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice, and eagerly await Christ's return as we pray, hear the word preached, joyfully sing congregationally, and practice the New Testament ordinances of the Lord's Supper and Baptism. The sweet fellowship at Cottonwood Baptist Church is truly a foretaste of glory divine!