The Greater Bradley District Association was organized in 1874 when Black Arkansans were establishing churches less than 10 years after the end of the Civil War. Freedom was new to many of them, but they hoped to strengthen their ministerial outreach in the southern part of the state by forming an association of Baptist churches. GBDA's first moderator was Pastor Armsted Willis, whose leadership began in 1884.

In 1973, a group of ministers and community leaders purchased the Ouachita County Training School campus as the headquarters for the Greater Bradley District Association (GBDA), an organization of Baptist churches located in southern Arkansas. The alliance was led by Pastor Floyd Osburne Jones and included Deacon Burnis Brazil, Pastor Claude Green, Pastor Fred Lambert, Deacon Ellis Morgan, Deacon Guy Newton, Deacon T.D. Thrower, Pastor Bruce Williams, and Deacon Excell Williams. Their vision gave OCTS a new purpose as a religious center and preserved its place in history for the pivotal role it played in the advancement of a community as the era of segregation in America’s classrooms ended.

A few years after GBDA acquired the campus, Moderator F. O. Jones initiated the creation of a Gospel choir. He appointed Alberta Howard Momon, a well-known pianist and music teacher, to lead the ministry. For the next 40 years under the leadership of Director Momon, the GBDA traveled the nation, sharing the Good News through song. The Choir recorded two albums, visited Arkansas prisons, and sang at GBDA church services and celebrations. Director Momon passed away in 2023, and the choir continues under the musical guidance of Director Sandra Salley-Lambert.

The new campus and the choir, with God's grace, led GBDA into an era of growth. Over the years, the association's membership grew and reached its zenith from the 1980s through the turn of the 21st century when 50 churches were affiliated with GBDA.

Today, Pastor Verna Thompson serves as the GBDA Moderator. There are 27 churches in the alliance. Through new programming and sustained community involvement, GBDA maintains a strong presence in southern Arkansas.