Church celebrates 170 years Sunday

Fellowship Baptist Church is celebrating 170 years this Sunday October 26, 2014. Pastor John Outlaw, who has been the pastor of the church since 1994, holds a couple historic photos. He holds a picture of Rev. Alonzo L. Prisoc who was Rev. from 1899-1900 then 1906-1911, left and a picture of the church and the congregation from the 30's. The membership of the church is around 200.

The Rev. John Outlaw said he will be wearing his cowboy boots to church this Sunday. In fact, many members of the congregation will be dressing up in period costume to celebrate the 170th anniversary of Fellowship Baptist Church, one of Marion County's oldest churches still in existence.

Sunday's celebration is free and open to the public. The 10 a.m. service will include special music and a drama depicting many humorous and tender moments in the early days of the church.

Someone will represent John Tucker, one of the founding pastors, said Outlaw. And we'll re-enact some of the more comical things that took place back then, like when the hogs got under the church. That's my favorite little story.

Outlaw said the church has stood on the same 10 acres since the raising of its first building, constructed out of wood planks, in 1844. The initial congregation had 21 members, he said.

It was a church before Florida became a state in 1845, and before the Southern Baptist Convention was formed that same year, Outlaw said. The first building was destroyed by fire in 1860, the same year President Lincoln was elected. They stayed without a building for 25 years and met in homes or wherever. Of course, that was during the time of the Civil War and then the American Indian wars.

In 1885, the congregation built a second sanctuary, but it also was destroyed, probably by fire, Outlaw said.

We know that the one they had prior to 1948 was a shotgun-style building, he said. In 1948, they built the previous worship center. We remodeled it last year and use it for Sunday school space, youth ministry and our food ministry that provides for people in the community.

Outlaw, who came to the church 20 years ago, said the current 225-seat multi-purpose worship center was completed in 2004. About 140 people attend the church.

Even with the new construction, the aura of history prevails, Outlaw said.

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Church celebrates 170 years Sunday