Church History 1940 - 1959

The records of minutes of the First Baptist Church through the years from 1921 until 1954 have been lost or misplaced and are not available, but it is believed that First Baptist Church has been affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and cooperative program since 1929, or as soon as the present structure was built. A percentage of money, 10% at present, from the general fund was and is regularly channeled through the cooperative program for missions, schools, hospitals, and children's home.

Mr. Weeks was the first Sunday School Superintendent. Revivals have been held once or twice a year since the church was built and Bible School held each summer.

The W.M.U. (Women's Missionary Union) was organized in the early 1940's, later the G.A.'s (Girls in Action), Men's Brotherhood, Boy's R.A.'s (Royal Ambassadors) and Sunbeams for little children, now called Mission Friends, Pioneers and Crusaders.

About 1950 the church purchased the home just north of the church for a parsonage.

In 1954 plans were made and approved for a new educational building, a two story structure to be added and attached to the west side of the church building, and a baptistry installed back of the choir between the new addition and the auditorium. The new facilities included assembly rooms, class rooms, and bathrooms.

It was paid for by donations and a bank loan on the church property. Also, each church family was given a small wooden bank in the form of a church, and was put in the bank a penny per day, per meal, per person in the family and taken to the church each month to pay on the new educational building. Clifford Palmer was the pastor at that time.

Wednesday night prayer services were started in 1954 and have continued through the years.

In 1955 the lot across the street in front of the Baptist Church was purchased for a parking lot. In 1959 the church voted and approved to insure church property and equipment valued at $5000.00.

March 1959 clothesline poles and lines were installed in the back yard of the parsonage.