First Baptist Church

WORSHIP SERVICES:

SUNDAYS
9:00 a.m. Sunday School
10:15 a.m. Morning Worship
10:30 a.m. FirstKids Worship
5:00 p.m. Student Choir Rehearsal
6:00 p.m. Evening Worship

WEDNESDAYS
5:15 p.m. Fellowship Meal
6:00 p.m. Celebration Orchestra Rehearsal and Children's Graded Choir
6:30 p.m. Student 180 Worship
6:45 p.m. Prayer Meeting & Bible Study for Adults, Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal, and Children's Mission Studies (RAs, GAs, Mission Friends)

HISTORY:

During 1904, the little town of Oneonta -- two square miles -- was the county seat of Blount County and located in Murphree's Valley and began to have growing pains. Within its town limits were small Presbyterian and Methodist churches. The L & N Railroad (known as the Birmingham Mineral Division-East) served Oneonta and vicinity and had begun its development toward Gadsden and Anniston. More families began to move into the valley and the population of the county began to rise. More buildings for churches, to be more centrally located as to the population, became the demand. Murphree's Valley had grown and extended itself from Walnut Grove on the north to Village Springs on the south. The demand came to Oneonta, the county seat and centrally located. A group of Baptists met, solved the problem, brought the church to the people and, according to the records, on the last Sunday in September 1904, or September 25, a group of 17 Baptists met and organized the First Baptist Church of Oneonta, Alabama, as per the follow:

ONEONTA, ALABAMA. 4th Sunday, September 1904. At a meeting called together at the Baptist church for the purpose of organizing membership into a church of the Missionary Baptist Faith and Order, Brother S. O. Y. Ray, a Baptist minister of Birmingham, Alabama, and Dr. W. M. Cole, a Baptist minister of Blountsville, Alabama, were present. Bro. W. M. Cole acted as Moderator; O. A. Steele, Clerk. The following brethren and sisters were received by letter into the full membership of the church:

Dr. F. G. Donehoo
Mrs. F. G. Donehoo
Mrs. Delia Smith
Ms. Emma Smith
Mr. W. J. Harris
Mrs. W. J. Harris
Mrs. James Barrier
Mrs. J. H. Lowry
Mr. J. R. Wooten
Mrs. Annie Wooten
Mrs. Lucy T. Wooten
Mrs. Albert Spencer
Mr. F. J. Duke
Mrs. F. J. Duke
Mr. O. A. Steele
Mrs. O. A. Steele
Mr. G. W. Darden

G. W. Darden was elected spokesman. Articles of Faith read by Bro. S.O.Y. Ray and adopted as read. Prayer by Bro. S. O. Y. Ray. After prayer, Church was declared organized. Conference was left open for further arrangements and the election of church officers or other business.

O. A. Steele, Clerk

"Minutes, Oct. 2, 1904. A church conference was called and assembled. Elected, F. G. Donehoo, Moderator; J. R. Wooten, Clerk. The name of the church shall be nown as FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ONEONTA. J. R. Wooten, O. A. Steele, and W. J. Harris were appointed by the Moderator to arrange for a preacher or see what could be done."

"Minutes, Oct. 9, 1904. Church conference was called by Dr. F. G. Donehoo, Moderator. Report of committee to secure preacher: On motion and vote, Rev. W. C. Branham was called as pastor for the First Baptist Church of Oneonta. According to the records, on April 1, 1905, the church raised by public subscription to the sum of $1530 for the following items: $175 to Emery C. Hall, attorney-at-law for one church building lot; $1200 to W. J. Brock for building and labor; one church organ $60. The newly formed Ladies Aid Society (April 1, 1905) paid $45 on the building debt.

List of Pastors:

Rev. W. C. Branham 1904-1905
Rev. C. H. Yearby 1905-1906
Rev. David D. Head 1906-1912
Rev. John Amos Huff 1912-1914
Rev. John J. Milford 1914-1916
Rev. Luther A. Hall 1917-1918
Rev. Robert V. Locke 1919-1920
Rev. William F. Price 1920-1922
Rev. James Dee Pickens 1923-1924
Rev. J. Edd Lowry 1924-1925
Rev. Thomas A. Bealle 1926-1927
Rev. John Luther Moye 1927-1929
Rev. C. O. Bodzier 1929-1930
Rev. Leroy Priest 1930-1932
Rev. John Amos Smallwood 1932-1934
Rev. Robert Anderson Tuck 1934-1936
Rev. Benjamin F. Dykes 1936-1945
Rev. Haynie J. Beasley 1945-1960
Dr. George A. Allison 1961-1966
Rev. Kermit M. Gore 1966-1979
Dr. Louis Armstrong (Interim) 1980
Dr. David O. Dykes 1980-1984
Dr. Lawrence M. Phipps 1984-1990
Dr. Jerry W. Batson (Interim) 1990
Rev. Paul Balducci 1990-1993
Dr. Leon Marsh (Interim) 1993-1994
Dr. James "Butch" Tanner 1994-1999
Rev. Dan Sims 1999-2002
Dr. Larry Gipson 2002-Present


STAFF:
Larry Gipson, Pastor
R. Moses Clark, Associate Pastor/Minister of Music
Jim Henderson, Minister of Education
Matt Scott, Minister of Students and College

SUPPORT STAFF:
Belynn East, Financial/Music Secretary
Joyce Payne, Office Manager/Education & Children's Secretary
Andrea Towns, Pastor/Youth Secretary
Tammy McMinn, Children's Coordinator
Amelia Foshee, Student Ministry Intern

MUSIC STAFF:
Deborah Beason, Pianist
Charlotte Langner, Organist

CDC STAFF:
Beverley Blakely, Director
JoJo Holt, Assistant Director

FACILITIES STAFF:
John Hedricks, Building Superintendent
Rita Clowdus, Custodian
Tommy Clowdus, Custodian

FOOD SERVICE:
Shirley Marsh, Kitchen Director
Maria Gutierrez, Kitchen Assistant