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History of First Baptist Church
First Baptist was started in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Issac in 1944. The first sermon was delivered by Pastor McTier. The second service was held four weeks later to discuss the possibility of securing land to build a church. A drive was started and $100 was raised toward the purchase of the land. Regular services were held at the home of the Issac's until the church was completed.
Pastor J. S. Odom was the first pastor to serve the First Baptist Church and he served until his death. In 1960, Pastor O. L. Morris began his tenure as pastor of First Baptist Church. Under Pastor Morris' leadership the church made considerable progress. The membership increased and may additions and improvements were made to the church which was then located on Washington Street.
Urban Renewal came through in 1973, and the city purchased the land and church on Washington Street. The church later purchased land to build a new structure in the same area on the corner of Second and Garmon Streets (present location). Plans and immediate action for the new church soon began and the groundbreaking service was held April 7, 1973. The pastor and members were granted permission to hold regular worship services at the Tiger Cage Recreation Center until the new church was completed. Services at the center were terminated during the month of February 1974, as the new church was completed. The first service in the new church was held on the second Sunday in March of that year.
On December 7, 1980, Pastor Josh Benson Kirvin, Sr. began his service as pastor of First Baptist Church. His first sermon was "To Whom Shall I Go?" from John 6:68. During Pastor Kirvin's first year, two additional buses were purchased, the church sanctuary was insulated, land in front and back of the church was acquired and a Boy Scout Troop was organized. Also one hundred new members were added to the church family.
During the 1980's there was much growth within the church family. In 1982 a Girl Scout Troop was implemented. In 1983 the main sanctuary was enlarged. The First Baptist Church Norman Memorial Scholarships were established and awarded to deserving high school seniors. In 1984, Children's Church, known as the Children's Hour of Power was begun. A Singles and Couples class was added to the Sunday School Department. In November 1984 Minister Robert Sayles was established as the Minister of Education. In 1985 the congregation had grown to approximately 300 members. In 1989 the first Father and Son Banquet was held at the church.
During the 1990's there was continued growth in membership. To accommodate the increased membership, activities, and new programs, sixteen acres of land were purchased to be used as the future site for the Family Life Center. In 1992 "The Meals on Wheels Ministry began under the leadership of the Ushers. In 1994 the Ladies Discipleship Class was formed under the leadership of Dorothy Conyers and Sammisteen Harris to identify the needs of the women of the church and to provide strategies and programs to meet those needs. There were also various special occasions and activities as part of the 50th Anniversary. There was an Anniversary Banquet and the ground breaking ceremony was held for the new Family Life Center. In 1998 the New Beginning Childcare Center was open under the direction of Cynthia Wells. The Faith and Families Ministry was established under the direction of Tiena Fletcher to reach out into the community to assist families with day to day needs and situations. In 2000 the 20's and 30' Ministry was reformed under the direction of Karen Williams after having its original beginning in 1997. In 2000 we had grown to 600 families.
In October 2001, Pastor Kirvin hired Minister Gerald Flowers as the Director of Ministry Development and under his leadership FBC has been able to take its ministry operations to a higher level of excellence. We became the first African American church in Houston County to start the AWANA Club International; a youth ministry designed to reach all children for Christ. We have become a major distributor of the Angel Food ministries in the Middle Georgia Region providing quality food to all people at an affordable price. It has been our commitment over the years to go the extra mile in ministering to each individual family. For Sixty-Five years the Lord has been faithful to bring thousands of visitors to our church campus-many who now call it "home."
The New Beginning Center
The vision started in 1990 with an
idea to better serve the community through the development of a
vehicle that would not only manifest our expression of praise to
the Lord but would visually capture the communities.
The vision started in 1990 with an idea to better serve the community through the development of a vehicle that would not only manifest our expression of praise to the Lord but would visually capture the communities.
The groundbreaking service was held Sunday, June 5, 1994 for the New Beginning Center. Many groups were formed to assist the Building Coordinator, Mr. Donnie Fletcher. In anticipation of the upcoming move to the newly constructed building in February of 1998, an Entrance Planning Committee was established under the leadership of Joseph Brothers, Sr. They promptly began preparatory plans and work for the dedication service, ribbon cutting and open house on March 29, 1998, and a dedication banquet on April 4, 1998. A "Name the Building Contest" was held to select the name for our new building and a "Logo Contest" was also held. The names and logos submitted were collected and then presented to the church family for voting. The winning name for the building was "The First Baptist Church New Beginning Center" which was submitted by Janice Nelson, and the winning logo was submitted by Robert Davis.
During 1998 we moved into The New Beginning Center (NBC). In April the offices of Pastor Kirvin and the church secretary were moved from the church building. Sunday 8 a.m. service, Sunday school and Wednesday night bible study were all moved into the NBC while the church was being renovated. Our first summer basketball league was held under the leadership of athletic director, Willie Hill. Many local church teams participated during July and August.
This edifice was designed to alter old church myths that the church is only a place of worship. This building brings forth a sincere desire to carry the mission of First Baptist Church to the community. This has been aggressively delivered through educational enrichment programs, competitive activities, study of the biblical principals and practices, and community development groups.
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