History Of First Baptist Church

 

In the early 1940’s, God had begun to establish his work in the hearts of his people in Spring Lake. Three women, Mrs. W.L. Swain, Mrs. Julia Starling, and Mrs. Maude Thompson, talked and prayed about the great need for a Baptist work in their community.

By November 1943, their first cottage prayer meeting was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Price. The service was led by Richard Smith. As more meetings were held and attendance grew, the idea of organizing a Baptist Church was born. Those attending the prayer meetings were encourages by Rev. C.R. Johnson, Pastor of 2nd Baptist Church in Fayetteville. He helped them to obtain permission from the Spring Lake School to hold services in their auditorium.

 

The General Secretary of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, Dr. M.A. Huggins, was asked to meet with the prayer group to determine the possibility of establishing a permanent Baptist work in the Spring Lake Community. After meeting with them, Dr. Huggins encouraged them to move ahead with their work and later sent a religious census to be conducted in their area. On the recommendation of Dr. Huggins, Rev. C.S. Waters, then a Senior at Wake Forest College, came to help with the new work. In the beginning of 1945, the prayer group had grown to a sufficient number and were ready to constitute themselves as a church and purchase property. In March, they purchased the USO building from the government for $5000.00, with the Baptist People raising 3000.00 of the sum and the remaining $2000.00 being given by the North Carolina Baptist State Mission Board. This historic first building is the present church office.

 

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By March 1954, a new educational plant with a temporary sanctuary on the ground floor was constructed. First services in that building were conducted in July 1954. Rev. J. Everett was pastor of the church at that time and remained pastor until his retirement from the active pastorate in June 1960.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In November 1960, Rev. J.P. Johnson became our pastor. In 1963, the church adopted another building program of which the ground floor was completed and is used as the church nursery. Work on the main sanctuary began in 1977 and was completed while Rev. Lindsay Morton was pastor and was dedicated on September 11, 1983.