First Baptist Church of Morganton to celebrate 50 years at W. Union St. location – Morganton News Herald

The congregation of First Baptist Church of Morganton is getting ready to celebrate a milestone.

Exactly 50 years ago this Sunday, the church held its first service in its current facility at 502 W. Union St.

First Baptist Church has a 138-year history at three different locations downtown, according to the Rev. Dr. Tom Bland, the senior minister. He updated a written church history originally compiled by church members Maud Patton Anthony, Stanley Moore and Samuel Freeman.

The history recalls that between eight to 12 residents organized what was originally called Morganton Baptist Church in 1879 and opened a facility on the corner of North Sterling and Queen Streets, where the Northwestern building now stands. Members met there, eventually calling it First Baptist Church, until a fire destroyed the building on Dec. 13, 1893.

Members received an outpouring of support from the community after the fire, with the local Presbyterian, Methodist and Episcopalian churches offering use of their facilities until a new church could be built.

The congregation met at the Burke County Courthouse from 1894 until a second church building was completed on the corner of South King and Meeting s treets and dedicated on July 14, 1895. It was described as a brick, Gothic-style building, and cost $6,526.70 to construct. The history records that the pastor at the time, the Rev. Robert Logan Patton, and church co-founder Miles Pinkney Hildebrand both mortgaged their homes to pay off the churchs debt the day after its dedication.

Church membership skyrocketed in the early 20th century, going from slightly more than 200 by 1900 to 306 in 1908. The congregation responded by constructing additions to the church building and sending members to plant Second Baptist Church, which eventually became Calvary Baptist Church.

Even these measures couldnt prevent the church from outgrowing its second location, so members began purchasing properties on W est Union St reet in the 1950s under the leadership of deacon chairman R.O. Huffman, with the goal of constructing a larger facility.

The Pearson, Kistler and Milner properties make up the land on which the current church now stands. The Pearson home was demolished to make room for the new sanctuary, but the historically significant Kistler home was retained as a parsonage for the Rev. Rufus Knolan Benfield Sr., the pastor at the time, and his family.

Benfield recently had been called as pastor specifically because he had overseen construction of a new facility for First Baptist Church of Hickory while serving as pastor there.

Church member Bonita Leary, Benfields daughter, was a college senior when her family made the move from Hickory to the Kistler home in July of 1957. She was married the next year at the former FBC location, and her wedding reception was held in the home.

In 1956, I remember sitting at the dining room table while the pastor search committee was in our living room, and I overheard the conversation where they asked Daddy if he would come and serve as pastor (at FBC in Morganton), Leary said. His response to them was, I cannot come unless you will allow me to insist that the churchs mission giving must not drop while theyre raising money to build a building. That was a condition of his coming.

She said her family found some interesting artifacts in the Pearson house before it was torn down, such as an elaborate doll-house that is now in storage at the History Museum of Burke County.

She mourned the loss of what was believed to be about 200-year-old magnolia trees on the property, which had to be removed during construction.

The current church was designed by architect F. Arthur Hazard and built by the W.R. Patton Company. Groundbreaking for the church took place on Nov. 22, 1964, with construction coming to completion in 1967. An elaborate three-manual Reuter pipe organ was designed by Dr. H. Max Smith and installed in the sanctuary that same year, thanks to a donation by Minnie Huffman Reddish. In addition to a sanctuary, the church included a three-story education building.

Church members worked diligently to pay the debt for the church building, which totaled more than $1 million, within five years of the buildings completion. The church held a note-burning ceremony on Jan. 9, 1972.

First Baptist Church has seen many changes both to its facility and the congregation over the ensuing 50 years. A chapel was added in the 1980s, which finally connected the education building to the Kistler home, which members were using to hold Sunday school classes after it was no longer used as a parsonage. The chapel showcases beautiful stained-glass windows from the former church at South King and Meeting s treets.

Leary said she always sits on the right side of the chapel, because thats where the Kistler homes sunroom used to be. She said it connects her to many fond memories of sitting with her family in that room.

That sunroom was one of our familys favorite places, Leary said. Thats where we always had the Christmas tree and where we sat at night. Thats where David (her husband, the Rev. David Leary) and I dated.

A commercial kitchen and fellowship hall were added to the rear of the Kistler Home, and a carillon was added to the steeple in the 80s as well. A carillon is described as "a set of stationary bells hung in a tower and sounded by machinery."

Recent renovations include the construction of a youth suite on the top floor of the education building, the installation of an elevator and updated rest rooms in the Kistler home and construction of a columbarium, a vault to store peoples cremated remains, on the grounds of the front lawn.

Two congregations grew out of FBC in the late 20th century: the First Baptist Deaf Mission, which meets for worship in the chapel, and a Hmong mission that led to the founding of First Hmong Baptist Church at 301 Walker Road in Morganton.

FBC took its ministry into the community in 2004 when it established the Mimosa Christian Counseling Center, a professional mental health counseling facility with a Christian focus that tries as much as funds allow to offer reduced-cost treatment to those in need.

The church invites the community, especially former church members, to join them in recognizing the 50th anniversary at its 10:55 a.m. worship service on Sunday. Leary will share her memories of the transition during the service. Bland said he will reflect back on the past 50 years in his sermon.

In my message, I will attempt to point out some things that have changed since 1967, but also indicate some things that havent changed, including the lordship of Jesus Christ, Bland said.

Visitors will be able to study the many historical photos and artifacts collected by members that are currently on display in the Kistler home and the hallway between the chapel and the education building.

This is a church that prizes its history and is grateful for all the ways in which the Lord has blessed this church, and I believe, made it a blessing in the community and throughout the world, Bland said. We hope and pray, if God sees fit, that well have at least 50 more years on this site.

Former pastor, the Rev. Dr. Bob Shepherd, said the service is a chance to remember all those members who kept the dreams and visions of the church going for more than 100 years.

First Baptist Church has had a significant impact on Morganton and Burke County, Shepherd said. I encourage all those who lives have been touched by the church to come and celebrate those who had the foresight to relocate to this area and made these facilities possible.

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First Baptist Church of Morganton to celebrate 50 years at W. Union St. location - Morganton News Herald