The earliest known reference to Hickory Grove Church of Bucklesberry is a church letter submitted to the Bethel Free Will Baptist (F.W.B.) Conference in 1841. Historically significant, this letter confirms Hickory Grove was organized as a church congregation by that year. Although associated today with the Methodist denomination, the 1841 church letter also provides undeniable proof that Hickory Grove has not always been a Methodist work. Without question, the church's origin is indisputably F.W.B.

The exact year that Hickory Grove Church was established remains uncertain. Nonetheless, historical records available online, not readily accessible until recently, confirm that it was organized as a congregation about two decades before the construction of its building in 1860. The definitive evidence, buried deep in various church conference meeting minutes, indisputably indicates Hickory Grove had formed as a church assembly by 1841.

A church is formed, established, and founded when a group of people organize for the purpose of meeting together for worship. Although a permanent place to assemble is a goal for most fledgling churches, a building is not required for people to worship. Further, the year a church erects a building does not necessarily align with the year it is organized.