County of church: Etowah County
Location of church: S. 5th St. & Walnut St., Gadsden
Phone: Phone: (256) 547-6828
Fax: (256) 547-8464
Pastor: Mat Alexander
"Gadsden wasn’t much more than a small village when six people gathered Aug. 23, 1855, to become the first members of the Gadsden Baptist Church.
"This month the church is observing its 150th anniversary.
'“First Baptist Church is kind of a misnomer,” church member Mike Goodson said. “It originally was called Gadsden Baptist Church and was the first Baptist church founded in Gadsden. Fairview Baptist Church is older, but Fairview at the time was not in the Gadsden city limits.”
"At the time First Baptist was born, the city limits of Gadsden covered only 120 acres, Goodson said. “The boundaries were Locust, Chestnut, First and Seventh streets,” he said. “That was the original survey of Gadsden.”
"The Rev. John J.D. Renfroe was present at the first meeting and helped to organize the church. Philip Archer assisted with the organizing by writing the articles of faith for the church, Goodson said.
"According to a history of the church penned by former pastor the Rev. Oscar A. Davis, the six members of the church were A.W. Keeling, Memory H. Turner, Adeline Turner, Joseph Bevans, L. Best and Melissa Cobb. The first meeting was held in what is referred to as “a small academy” on Chestnut Street between Fourth and Fifth streets. There was no pastor for the first eight months of the church’s existence, until the Rev. J.B. Appleton was called to preach.
"The first church structure was built on the corner of Fifth and Broad streets where the Hardin Center is now located, Goodson said. A lot was purchased for $100 from N.N. Thornton. The church was erected in 1860 and the congregation began meeting in the new building. The cost of this first structure was $1,955.83.
"During the Civil War, the city’s population was 400 people, so when on Oct. 20, 1864, Confederate Gens. John Bell Hood, Joseph Wheeler and P.G.T. Beauregard made camp near the Coosa River in an area bounded by Broad, Second, Third and Chestnut streets, the population swelled to around 60,000, Goodson said.
"The generals met for several days to plan Hood’s invasion of Tennessee in an attempt of break the Union supply lines. The men gathered at Gadsden First Baptist, which had become Hood’s headquarters, to finalize the plans. Little did they know that Union Gen. William T. Sherman and his more than 70,000 troops were marching toward Gadsden with the intention of fighting a major battle in the area.
"Sherman came as far as Cedar Bluff before deciding to end his pursuit of Hood, who marched out of Gadsden on Oct. 22, 1864, and later faced a major defeat in Franklin, Tenn.
"During the fall of 1867, Etowah County was carved from several adjoining counties - Marshall, St. Clair, Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb and Blount. Gadsden was chosen as the county seat, and circuit court was held at Gadsden Baptist until the first courthouse was built in 1870.
"As the congregation continued to grow, in 1899 a brick Gothic structure was built on the corner of Seventh and Broad streets at a cost of $7,500, Goodson said. It was this location on March 29, 1908, when the largest Sunday school in the South met. The Baraca Sunday School Class had more that 600 members to attend. Those in attendance gathered for a photograph on the steps of the Etowah County Courthouse, then located at the corner of Fourth and Broad streets.
"The church remained in the Gothic structure until 1926 when the land at the current location on the corner of Fifth and Walnut streets was purchased and construction on a new church building began that summer.
"Church construction continued into the fall. On Nov. 22, a wrong step proved to be fatal for one of the workers. William Vinyard was killed when a truss section that was being placed on a dolly turned on its side. Vinyard, trying to get out of the way, jumped backward and was crushed by one of the brace cords.
"Construction continued on the building without further incidents, and the church was dedicated on Nov. 20, 1927. The Rev. William R. Rigell was the pastor, and he organized the Sunday schools in a march from the old location at the corner of Seventh and Broad to the new location.
"Somewhere along the way, and Goodson isn’t sure when, Gadsden Baptist Church became First Baptist Church of Gadsden. It is assumed the name change came around the turn of the century, when other Baptist churches were being formed in the area.
"The church experienced a period of prosperity and growth during the Davis pastorage from 1942 to 1974.
"A new education building was added in 1955 and named the Century Building. The name was changed in 1976 to the Oscar A. Davis Building.
"Recent pastors include:
• The Rev. Harrell Cushing became the pastor in 1975 until 1978 when he accepted a position with the
Alabama Baptist Association.
• The Rev. Richard Cagle followed in 1989. Cagle later moved to Mobile College.
• In 1995, the Rev. Aaron Johnson became pastor. Johnson accepted a pastorate in Athens in 1998.
• The Rev. James Newell served as pastor from 1999 until 2001, resigning to serve in Jasper.
• The current pastor is the Rev. Bryan Blass.
"Members of First Baptist will observe the 150th anniversary of the church on Aug. 28. An early fellowship will be held at 9 a.m. with the worship service beginning at 10 a.m. A luncheon will follow." ~ The Gadsden Times, By Sharon F. Beck, August 19, 2005