HISTORY OF OUR CHURCH

            “History”, wrote Carlyle, “is the lengthened shadow of a man.”  Religiously, as someone else has said, “History is His story.”  The history of First Baptist Church, West Columbia, is an illustration of both these definitions.  It is the story of God’s dealings with the Baptists and others of West Columbia--a beautiful and wonderful story, altogether worthy of being treasured up by all lovers of God and of His friends.  We are never to forget the meaning of Isaiah 51:1-2: “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.  Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you.”  We ought not forget past history.  Let us tell the story to our children, and to our children’s children.

            The history of the First Baptist Church is a story of struggles, joys, defeats, humor, disappointments, pathos.  It is a story of vision, strength, prayer, trust, undaunted faith in Christ.  It is a story of revivals, backsliding, witnessing, teaching, preaching, giving.  It is a story of babies, young people, dads and moms, grandmas and grandpas.  It is a story of preachers and their wives and children, of deacons, Sunday school and training union workers, the Women’s Missionary Society.  It is a story of money and lack of it.  A story of romances and weddings.  A story of funerals.  It is a story of grandeur and splendor.  Learn it.  Tell it.  And thank God for it.

            Other Christians, the Presbyterians and the Methodists, had established their churches here before the Baptists got busy.  Baptists are sometimes terribly slow in “possessing their possessions”.  But it seems that the Baptists had been having Sunday school and worship services at Texas Camp prior to the organization of a church in West Columbia.  At last, one winter evening, January 7, 1920, eight Baptists met in the home of Mrs. A. T. Clampett for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church in West Columbia.  Besides Mrs. Clampett, Dr. and Mrs. A. F. Peters, Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Simpson, Mrs. Mary Vinson, Mr. Vincent Freeman, and Mr. A. P. Bird were present.  Bro. Freeman, an ordained deacon from Danville, Kentucky, was made chairman.  He read the scriptures and prayed.

            Those eight immortalized themselves that night.  Look at the foundation they laid for our present church.  Look at the monumental things they did that night.  They gave the church its name; The First Baptist Church.  The right kind of name means alot.  Let us hope that the church will never be like the church described in the Book of Revelation--having a name to live, but dead.  The second thing those Baptists did that night was to position themselves doctrinally; they adopted the New Hampshire Confession of Faith.  It stated in simple and brief words, with Scriptures, the beliefs and doctrines generally held by Baptists.   

            The third thing those eight men and women did that night was to adopt a Church Covenant.  They adopted one generally favored by Baptist churches.  It is an agreement between members.  They agreed that night to live up to the Covenant.  The church made it clear in those days that whoever deliberately decided not to follow the Christian standards set forth in the Church Covenant were not in fellowship with the church.  Not anybody and everybody had a right to belong to Christ’s Church.  Those who use the church to camouflage their sins are hypocrites and ought not to be recognized in the church as brethren.  The New Testament, our only creed, is very clear on this matter.  Those eight men and women did all that is humanly possible for a church to do to organize a New Testament church of regenerated believers in Christ who seek to follow Him.  That there have been many weak members, and others, who perhaps, were plain hypocrites, is no basis for condemning the whole church.

            The organizers of the First Baptist Church began right.  They were led by the Spirit of God.  West Columbia today is so much better because of the intrepid Christian faith of those pioneers.  Let us not forget our Church Covenant.

            The fourth thing they did that night was to elect a church clerk.  They chose Mrs. Mary Vinson.  Apparently it was a temporary selection, for her name does not appear on any but the minutes of the first meeting.

            The church did not call a pastor until May 1920, when they called Rev. C. W. Alexander.  He succeeded in erecting the first building, under very trying circumstances.  there was bitter opposition to the Baptists in this small gulf coast town.  No one would sell them a site for the building.  Finally, they leased a dead end street from the county, 36x100 feet, for fifty cents per front foot, payable annually.  Opposition grew and an effort was made to have the county break the lease.  Failing in this, the opposition served notice that it would be dangerous business for anyone to start a building.  However, we know that God’s power is greater than all the earth and soon this committed and determined group of people started work.  While the builders worked, one man sat on his horse with his gun in hand.  He announced, “You fellows do the building and I’ll do the shooting if necessary.”  God prevailed as He always does.  The building was completed and no one was hurt.

            First Baptist Church West Columbia was established and became an integral part of the community.  When the town was almost destroyed by fire in 1922, the church was used for a store and a post office while the town was rebuilding.  How like God our Father to show His love to those who oppose Him.

            From our humble beginnings to out humble present, God continues to use His church in West Columbia to spread the Gospel.  The Word of God is boldly proclaimed today not only from the pulpit and in the classroom, but also through the lives of untold numbers of God’s children in their daily lives.  “The gates of hell will not prevail” against the Lord...thus saith the Lord!