Twelfth Street Baptist Church in Gadsden celebrated its first 100 years Jan. 18, with a renewed commitment to the legacy of reaching people for Christ.
“It (was) a time of celebration of God’s blessings,” said Richard Trader, the church’s senior pastor. He emphasized that scores of people have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through the work of the church because many have been called out to preach, teach or become missionaries.
The day’s activities began with an 8:30 a.m. open house at Hopkins Chapel, Twelfth Street Baptist’s mission church. A fellowship at 9:30 a.m. at the main church featured an historical display depicting the life of the congregation. The worship time saw the presentation of numerous proclamations — from the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, the city of Gadsden, Etowah County, the Etowah Baptist Association and the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions — as well as participation from former pastors, ministers of music and others. Among those were former pastors Paul Murphy and Troy Morrison.
Following the service, a luncheon for 600 people was served in the Morrison Activities Building on the campus.
Special presentation
One of the highlights of the day was the presentation by Morrison of a painting by the late artist Leo Reynolds. The piece captures the essence of the church’s original site, said Trader.
He pointed out that the church was the vision of three men in particular — W.B. Crumpton, E.B. Moore and J.A. Glazner. The church grew out of the tragedy of a 1903 fire at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, located only a few miles from Twelfth Street Baptist.
In 1904, members began to meet as Second Baptist Church, said Trader. Later, it became known as Twelfth Street Baptist. By June of that year, they were gathering in a structure near Twelfth Street Baptist’s current site.
With 1941 came the completion of the current sanctuary. Twenty years later, a chapel and three-story education building were added under the leadership of the late Pastor Herman Cobb, Trader said.
Then, during Morrison’s tenure, the activities building was constructed, a day care program begun and the mission church — Hopkins Chapel — established in the vicinity of a nearby housing community. The mission church — named in memory of Hampton Hopkins — has an average attendance of 30-40.
Though Twelfth Street Baptist began those many years ago with 65 charter members, it now has a total membership of about 1,700, said Trader.
And while the surrounding community has changed, the church remains in the top five for attendance in Etowah Association, noted Don Young, Twelfth Street Baptist’s minister of education.
“We’re still making an effort to reach people,” Young said.
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