The founding members of Bethel Association’s Shiloh Baptist Church would be greatly pleased if they could see what the fruit of their labor has produced establishing their church 175 years ago.
And in celebration and acknowledgement of their church’s rich history members recently had 10 leaded stained glass windows, each depicting a scene from Jesus’ life commissioned for their church’s important septaquintaquinquecentennial anniversary.
Shiloh was established in 1827 by a small group of Baptists on a hot July Sunday. The one-room building made of logs and rough-hewn lumber was in the southern part of Marengo County in the Shiloh Community. These early Baptists offered to share their house of worship with their Presbyterian neighbors and for a time the church was called Union Church.
In 1840, the church relocated to another site a mile away and at the same time it was admitted into the Bethel Baptist Association. Two years later it made its third and last move to a location three miles away. Since the building was erected on its present site in 1842, Shiloh has been a bulwark in Marengo County.
Throughout the years this historical church, located in present-day Dixon’s Mill, has helped to establish seven other Baptist churches in the community. Four of these churches are active in the Bethel Association: Union Grove Baptist, Dixon’s Mills Baptist, Bethlehem Baptist and Wayne Baptist.
In keeping with their church’s historical heritage, more than 250 members and guests from Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi and Texas celebrated the church’s anniversary this past July with a two-day event.
In addition to their stained-glass window dedication, the celebratory weekend included musical guest performers leading the congregation in old-fashioned gospel singings. A 30-year reunion group of Shiloh’s youth choir presented a performance of “The Circuit-Riding Preacher.”
One of the highlights of the two days was the storytelling of Kathryn Tucker Windham, well known Alabama writer and entertainer whose grandfather, J. Lee Tucker, served as pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church on three different occasions in the late 1800s.
Many church members chose to dress in period clothes similar to what their ancestors would have worn, while other members traveled to church in horse-drawn buggies and a wagon caravan.
Numerous state Baptist dignitaries and former pastors were recognized during the service, including the church’s oldest pastor, 101-year-old John K. Jones. Among guest speakers was Gene Walley, director of missions for Bethel Association.
Crafts and cooking were also part of the first day’s festivities. Member Eva Grey Stephens gave quilting demonstrations and displayed quilts that were handmade by her mother. Brenda Martin made corn-shuck dolls for the children and members Henry and Margrie Jones cooked Brunswick t=stew in a black pot over an open fire.
Pastor Kenneth Fields accepted a framed commendation from the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission of the church’s 175 years of faithful service.
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