Mableton First Baptist Church

1950

Rev. T. H. Howell served as pastor with the leaving of Brother Knight in 1950. During that time the old pastorium was sold and one was built on Clay Road. It was first occupied by Rev. Hugh Widick and family who joined us in August 1955.

In a called Conference, September 28, 1952, Miss Martha Hendrix was elected as church secretary. (Believed to be the first church secretary.)

In September of 1957, grading was begun for a completely new auditorium and Sunday School space. Frank Widincamp, Sr. was chairman of the Building Committee. This was financed by a bond sale and the first floor only was constructed, being occupied as a temporary sanctuary in July 1958. It also contained restrooms and a new Intermediate Department. In addition to the construction of the first floor of the building, much progress was made in Sunday School and other areas of the Church during the ministry of Brother Widick, including purchase of property across Church Street for additional parking space.

Church buildings at the end of the 1950's

This photo made by Gene Barber in 1966 shows the buildings of Mableton First Baptist before the new construction began. Gene's 1964 Buick is shown in the picture. The red brick church which was started in 1932 is on the far side and can be identified by the peaked stained glass windows on its sides. It faces Church Street. Behind it is the brick educational building which is thought to have been built in the early 1950's. The smaller brick building behind it was usually referred to as the Scout Hut. To the left is the one-story brick structure which at this time housed the sanctuary. Sara Payne remembers that they had added a baptistry at some stage in the red brick church and that there was no baptistry in this one-story sanctuary. She remembers them going back to baptistry in the red brick church when needed.

This is a picture of the 1957 Sanctuary on a snowy day in 1958. It served as the sanctuary until the 1966 Sanctuary was built, when it was converted to a fellowship hall and kitchen. In 2012 it serves as the office suite.