First Baptist Church commemorates 100 years of service

Southwest building of historic church to be demolished for renovation

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

The First Baptist Church in West Memphis turned 100 years old this past week and the congregation pulled out all the stops to celebrate their long history of worship and service in the community.

The festivities kicked off on Friday evening with a banquet in the Family Life Center’s gymnasium. Over 390 current members, former members from out of town, and special guests gathered together to commemorate this special occasion. The gym was beautifully decorated with a podium adorned with illuminated numbers “100”, candles, and lanterns. Rev. Daniel McCrosky, a former West Memphian who now resides in Atlanta, took the stage as the guest speaker and shared inspiring words with the crowd.

On Saturday, church members participated in a “Legacy Hour” in the sanctuary, where former ministers and missionaries shared stories of how ministries that began at First Baptist have impacted the world. Guided tours were also offered to showcase the changes that have taken place in the church buildings over the years.

The celebration continued into the evening with a special centennial service that

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included a memorable sermon and music. The highlight of Sunday morning worship was the Centennial choir, made up of 55 present and returning members, performing under the direction of the church’s music minister, Johnny Coggin. Guests were treated to special music by the _ve-member singing group, This Hope, all the way from Atlanta, GA.

Following the service, the congregation gathered outside for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of a demolition and renovation project on the older southwest corner of the church. The excitement was palpable as they looked forward to the next chapter in the long history of First Baptist Church in West Memphis.

Members of First baptist Church celebrate 100 years of service as they break ground on the largest renovation project in the church’s history.

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