Mount Carmel Baptist Church is located in Buncombe County about six miles north-west of Asheville, North Carolina on Mount Carmel Road which intersects Leicester Highway and Newfound Road. The building stands on a slightly elevated knoll a little way back from the highway. The original church building was surrounded by a grove of oak trees and was a frame structure that conveyed a good appearance with its spire pointing heavenward to make an appearance both picturesque and inspiring to the passerby.

The history of Mount Carmel Church can not be complete without a sketch of beginning and early history of Bethel Baptist Church, the mother church. Bethel Church grew out of the old Newfound Church. Newfound Church being one of the original six churches which formed the French Broad Association in 1807.

Bethel Church was organized and the building erected to supply a large territory which included practically all of what is now West Asheville, Emma, West Buncombe, Sulphur Springs and Dix Creek communities. This church was the only Baptist Church in this large community. As the community lines changed, so did the need for a new church location. The congregation of Bethel consisted almost entirely of the people living west of the church building. Because of this condition, the question of building a new church house for the other communities arose. The people were divided as to the location, some wanting to move the church to a new site, while others preferred to have the church remain where it was. For a number of years this condition continued unsettled.

In 1882 the Bethel Church called for its pastor, Rev. A. I. Justice, and again the question of building a new house of worship arose. It was finally agreed that the new house should be erected on a centrally located lot given to the church by Mr. and Mrs. M.M. Sluder. In 1884 work was begun on a new building. Shortly after this a few members asked for the privilege of maintaining a church at the old site for those who did not wish to move. This request was granted and the church divided, those who remained at the old location kept the old house of worship and also kept the name Bethel Church.

This made it necessary to have a new church organization and to select a new name for the church. The name “Mount Carmel” was chosen. The name Mount Carmel was suggested by “Aunt Prissie” Sluder.

The first meeting at the new church was held in April 1885. The church adopted a Constitution and Articles of Faith and the following were elected: Rev. A. I. Justice, Pastor, J. N. Hayes, Church Clerk, and T. P. Brookshire, F. Sluder, M. M. Sluder, Deacons. There were forty-five character members as listed below.