In the mid 1880s, Alaqua Baptist Church was established as a "Bush Arbor" by a small group of homesteaders longing for a place to worship. Some time later, the name was change to Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church – perhaps because of the location of the first 3 acres deeded for the school and preaching house in 1903 by John "Grandpap" Stafford, along a ridge that runs around this community. Since the early church/school were the cultural and social center of the community, the events and affairs of both were often intertwined. Christmas and Easter programs, box suppers, singing schools, singing conventions and end of school exhibitions were some of the community activities of this early church-community.

The first structure was made of logs and was used several years before a building of rough lumber was dedicated in 1915. It boasted a rived roof; glass windows were added 7 years later. Sometime later another sanctuary of lumber was constructed at the same location.

In the late 1940s, members donated trees, hauled logs, cut lumber and provided the labor for a two-storied addition which housed some classrooms and space for a fellowship area. In the 1960s, as more space was needed, an "education wing" was finished – complete with bathrooms. (The kitchen was probably added in these years since there was "running water" inside the building.) A front porch was added and a baptistery installed during those years with members continuing to supply free labor. Other improvements during the next two decades included adding: brick veneer on the sanctuary, a steeple, padded pews, a covered pavilion, fluorescent lights, central heating and air conditioning and stained glass windows. The vision for a larger building was also taking shape, as the Pleasant Ridge Family was growing…

Ground-breaking services for the newest part of the present-day U-shaped structure took place in June 1990, as a part of our Centennial Celebration. The church entered the "Challenge to Build" program to finance the addition of over 9,800 square feet of space which included a new sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, classroom space and a church office. One more time, the church members gave of themselves to provide the finances and the labor for the major part of the work, though sub-contractors were hired for many of the more specialized jobs. Volunteers, organized through the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, also worked with the members, laying brick, hanging drywall and doing electrical wiring.

Dedication services for this newest addition were held in June 1995. The new construction project had cost approximately $203,000 including furnishing; just one-third of the cost projected to professionally contract the project. Six loans were made during that time totaling $70,700; they were all paid-in-full by the end of January 1997. A Note-burning Service held the following month was a time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving to the Lord, our Provider.

Members again donated time and labor to refurbish the preschool department in the late 1990s. During the 2000s more remodeling occurred which changed the old sanctuary from a large activity room to five classrooms, two bathrooms and a prayer room; this time contractors were paid to do the work.  An automatic sprinkler system was installed to keep the shrubs and lawn watered. Following Hurricane Ivan in 2005, metal roofing was put on all the church buildings.  In anticipation of new staff, the parsonage was updated in 2007 and a playground for children was added to the  property in 2009.

When Pleasant Ridge was first formed, a roving or circuit-riding preacher conducted services once a month on Saturday and Sunday; and at some point during the weekend he would moderate a business meeting.

Bible study classes were conducted under the trees in the yard and "Sunday School" was officially organized in October 1926. About 1948, the church began meeting twice a month for preaching, they also started having annual Homecoming services. The 1950s brought WMU (Women’s Missionary Union) and Training Union (Now it's called Discipleship Training.) to Pleasant Ridge; and in 1956, church services began being held every Sunday of the month.

The pastors who served at Pleasant Ridge were considered bi-vocational until the early 1980s. (That simply means that they also worked other jobs to support their families-besides just pastoring.) With the growth of PRBC's membership and the community, the need for a full-time pastor was realized. After all, that small group of homesteaders who longed for a place to worship was growing. Our current resident membership is about 300.