THE HISTORY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH MOFFAT, 1884-2022
It was 138 years ago that a wonderful group of dedicated men and women led by the Holy Spirit formed First Baptist Church Moffat, circa August 17, 1884. Record keeping didn’t seem so important then and we can only imagine what took place.
The first names recorded in 1884 were those of Mrs. A. J. Evetts, T. C. Caskey, and Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Wharton. The first Pastor record was Reverend J. C. Cunningham in 1885. Research will show that a church was organized sometime before a building was erected and this gives a belief that the services were held in homes or at the Methodist Church, which is no longer in existence. The deed to the present property is dated December 28, 1895. The property was purchased from Mrs. E. Sykes for the sum of one dollar ($1.00) and other considerations.
The old building was torn down in 1937-1938 and the church now used for our Sunday School was erected. Records we do have indicate there have been countless building committees, adding Sunday School rooms, siding, heating and cooling systems. It was in 1940 that electricity was added and water pumped into the building. In 1952 wood burning stoves were replaced with butane heaters. The year 1953 brought in new theater seats to replace benches. In the early 60’s new Sunday School rooms were added. A fellowship hall, restrooms and a nursery quickly followed. A small house was purchased from Paul McLaughlin in 1965, which provided the congregation with a kitchen and storage space.
In 1978 the church underwent another phase of remodeling that included a new baptistery and choir lift, which resulted in the first appearance of a choir dressed in robes and collars comparable to much larger churches. The purchase of the Hamilton property as a part of the plan for expansion took place in 1979. The Spring and Summer of 1983 were busy times for the men as they built a new fellowship hall, which was dedicated on August 7, 1983.
The year of 1986 proved to be very successful for the church family. In April, the Building and Grounds Committee went to work getting cost figures, looking at different churches in our area, making plans and discussing the ways to raise money for a new sanctuary. In July, a special building fund offering was made and this enabled the construction to begin with much of the work being done by the men of the church. Everyone worked diligently in different ways to raise money for the building – a cookbook was printed, bake sales, yard sales, a barbeque, and along with a lone – a dream became a reality.
On December 7, 1986, the church was dedicated with an estimated 170 people attending the morning service and about 150 for an open house service in the afternoon. A special event took place on October 30, 1988 with a note-burning service for a debt-free congregation.
The church continues to stand strong to this day and service those same great men and women who have made the church what it is, their family, and new faces throughout the community.
We would like to think that we are much like that same truly wonderful group of dedicated men and women of over 100 years ago, and that we are led by the Holy Spirit to worship and praise our Lord in this place.
For those interested, there is a display in the foyer showcasing information, photos, and physical items associated with our church history.
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
1 Corinthians 3:6
