Santuck Baptist Church, Wetumpka, celebrated its 125th anniversary Sept. 21 with about 650 people in attendance. Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, spoke along with former pastors Arnold McRae and Lennie Howard. Jim Jackson also made a presentation on behalf of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission. The Santuck drama team provided a historical look at the 125 year journey of Santuck.
After the service, a covered dish luncheon was served and a memorial tree was planted.
On Sept. 28, 1878, founding church leaders met to organize Santuck, then called Missionary Baptist Church. The church met in a schoolhouse near the Santuck Post Office. Just over a year later, E.C. and J.J. Lee gave the church the deed to about one acre of land on which to build a church. This original sanctuary was used until 1910 or 1911.
When Santuck’s Sunday School program began in 1902, 43 members enrolled in the classes. By 1967, the program had grown to include 58 members. During this time, baptisms took place in a nearby stream, lake or another church. Then, in 1968, Santuck completed a building program that included, among other things, a baptistry.
Today, membership is more than 1,500 and weekly attendance is at 500. Santuck, which called its first full-time pastor in August 1982, now includes six ministers and three secretaries.
It was also ranked in the top 3 percent of growing churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. Morgan Bailey is senior pastor.
(TAB)
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