Bethany Baptist Church, Phenix City, celebrated its 50th anniversary Oct. 14.
The Russell Baptist Association church decided to mark the occasion with a weekend’s worth of celebratory activity. On Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 the church held barbecues to which the community was invited. Oct. 13 also featured a car show and an auction that benefited the church’s building fund.
On Oct. 14 the church held a special homecoming-style service, Pastor Jimmie Hobbs said. Bethany’s praise team and early service choir, Voices in Praise, performed an hour-long singing. Alabama Baptist Historical Commission representative Calvin Milford presented the church with a plaque in the worship service that followed, and former pastor Jack Wallace shared a message from Nehemiah.
Afterward the church held a fried chicken dinner in the fellowship hall and under tents outside. Hobbs said about 200 people attended the service.
“There was tremendous excitement,” Hobbs said, reflecting on the spirit of the weekend. “All our folks are looking with great anticipation to the future.”
Phenix City is experiencing a great amount of growth, and Bethany Baptist wants to position itself to minister to the growing population, Hobbs said.
“We’re right in the middle of a great harvest field,” he said. “We’re trying to be a light in this community, and to grow with this growth to meet these people’s needs spiritually, physically and emotionally.”
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