Edward Gantt, a physician, secured a place in Alabama history in 1820, when he discovered one of the world’s largest and purest veins of white marble in Sylacauga.
That find so impacted the city’s economy that marble operations continue there today. Thus Sylacauga has been nicknamed the Marble City.
One of its churches bears the name as well. Marble City Baptist Church has been serving the Lord for a century now, a fact it celebrated the weekend of Feb. 6–7.
Joey Cochran, the Coosa River Baptist Association church’s minister to students, described the anniversary weekend this way: “Just like God was, is and is to come, our centennial is something like that — what our church was, is and will be.”
A highlight of the weekend was a reunion Feb. 6 of former youth choir members and music ministers. During the 1970s and 1980s, the church’s youth choir traveled throughout the country presenting concerts, dramas and puppet shows.
During the morning service Feb. 7, several former pastors spoke and a commendation letter from Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, was read.
Lonette Berg, executive director of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, presented a plaque.
And Brenda McCain, the church’s key leader for the anniversary celebration, showed an historical DVD she produced.
The church recognized Margie Epperson as the oldest member and Elsie Stewart as the longest tenured member. Current Pastor Michael Trull brought the message.
Marble City Baptist’s average attendance is 260. But that number swelled to almost 400 for the anniversary service.
One hundred years ago — Feb. 6, 1910 — a group of Baptists met in Gantt’s Quarry School to constitute a church.
The 14 charter members selected the name Gantt’s Quarry Baptist Church and voted to meet monthly for services.
The “little Baptist church,” an affectionate name given to Gantt’s Quarry Baptist by the community, made a decision in 1911 to start fund raising and construct its first house of worship. Five years later, the church dedicated the facility debt free.
In 1927, under the leadership of Pastor W.A. Wiggins, the congregation began holding services every two weeks.
The first pastorium was constructed in 1939. Continued church growth during the 1930s and 1940s led the congregation to construct additional Sunday School rooms in the 1950s.
The church’s location near marble quarries proved to be less than desirable though.
As a result, Pastor James Vanderford, who served from 1959 to 1963, guided the congregation to relocate, and it broke ground for a new facility in 1960.
One year later, the church dedicated the building at its current location on Quarry Road.
In 1968, the church changed its name to Marble City Baptist.
Almost 10 years after that, a new family life center was dedicated.
Another building program is in the church’s future.
“We are going forward with plans for building a new facility at a new location,” said Willodean Minor, a member of Marble City Baptist for more than 50 years.
Recently the church purchased 12 acres of land near U.S. Highway 280.
“I would like to see us pay off our debt on the land, then begin to build and relocate there,” Trull said.
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