In the 1820s, some Baptist churches split over whether to support missionary work. A group called Primitive Baptists believed in predestination—that God had already chosen who would be saved, so trying to convert others was against God’s plan. They claimed to follow the original church from Bible times and became known as "Old School" or "Primitive Baptists."

In West Virginia, there are four main types of Primitive Baptists, including a rare group called Primitive Baptist Universalists. They believe everyone will go to heaven after the Resurrection and see hell as a kind of suffering in life from being apart from God—not a place people go after death. Some people call them "No-Hellers."

Primitive Baptist churches are mostly in McDowell and Greenbrier counties, and a few nearby states. They don’t keep official records, but in 2000, there were about 36 Primitive Baptist churches in 15 West Virginia counties.