OUR HISTORY
The church bell, the original pulpit Bible and two original pews remind us of our beginnings. A Warranty Deed dated September 25, 1909 signed by the trustees for the purpose of building a church on a lot at Pine and 3rd Street was bought from Jasper Cumberland Presbyterian for the sum of $50.00. A church owned by the Presbyterian had burned on this lot.
October 24, 1909 the church was organized by a council for the purpose of organizing a Baptist church. With the help of Pleasant Hill Church (Baptist Hill) and First Baptist Church of Charleston, Tennessee, 34 people presented themselves for membership, and that day, First Baptist Church, Jasper was born.
A loan dated March 23, 1910 was duly authorized by the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and advanced First Baptist Church of Jasper $200.00 for the purpose of building a house of worship. First Baptist duly organized and in union with the denomination was accepted to receive the loan. The Home Mission Board continued to give and loan First Baptist the means to build and operate.
The church did not meet regularly for several years. It met sometimes on Saturday night and once a month on Sunday, as the pastor, TJ Smith, was also pastor of a church in north Alabama. The church met in the old Primitive Baptist Church building located on 5th Street until the white church on the corner of Pine and 3rd Street was built. The total cost of the completed white church was $2,050.00.
By June 1921, the church was holding worship services twice a month. Not a lot is known about the years between 1925-1943, Church minutes are not found. On June 17, 1945 a special anniversary program was held. Church membership had grown to 411 people and was averaging about 307 in Sunday School.
On June 21, 1948 the church purchased a small lot on the left side of the church to build its first education building. In 1953 an addition was made to the educational building. In 1955 our current children’s wing was started and it took the men of the church about 18 months to finish the project.
1958 saw the church realizing a dream as it purchased the house/lot adjoining the church and also the large lot where the present paved parking lot is. The total price for these two properties was $7,800.00. In January 1961 the heart and spirit of Jasper First Baptist Church began making plans to build a new sanctuary. In a business session on November 28, 1962 a new church auditorium was approved. The building cost was $53,900.00 and the amount to borrow was $45,000.00 for 10 years , payments were $500.00 a month. July 1963 the building was finished and the first worship service was held. The old white church continued to be used for Sunday School until it was torn down in 1967.
The church continued to grow and the need for enlargement of facilities was a continuing need. On March 1, 1967 a business session decided to build a new 2 story annex joining the present educational building with the sanctuary, new heating/air conditioner in the present educational building and brick veneering. The new building was dedicated on October 15, 1967. In August of 1974, the church purchased the lot behind the children’s wing for $5,000.00.
On October 31, 1976 the church accepted the bid from Church Builders System of Nashville to construct our current educational building that houses adult Sunday School class and offices. Plans also included a new roof on the existing building, new steeple and additional lighting in the sanctuary. The total cost of all this was $169,384.00.
In 2000, the church added an additional building on the back of the sanctuary called the Ministry Center.
From 1909 the small white frame church with 34 charter members has grown into a spacious brick building with more than 800 resident members. God has richly blessed First Baptist Church. Many fine people have served in this church through the years; pastors, teachers, musicians, deacons and members. Hard times and good times have been a part of its history. Through it all its faithful members have remained dedicated to the Lord, committed to the missions; and the church remains a testimonial to God and His glory. The mission of Jasper First Baptist Church is to love God, to love others, and to magnify the name of Jesus Christ. The vision of our church is to glorify our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, to make true disciples throughout all the nations..
