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On September 9, 1876, a group of men and women from Oglethorpe Baptist Church came by foot and by wagon and by horseback to a small schoolhouse that sat on the present site of the Whitewater Baptist pastorium. In true missionary fashion, these people reached out to start a new church in the area, just south of Whitewater Creek, on a stage and wagon route from Reynolds south to Oglethorpe by way of Lanier.
The founding members resolved to meet the second Sunday of each month, holding their conference meeting on the Saturday before. Just 10 months later, the people drew up their Articles of Faith and church covenant, and Whitewater Baptist Church was constituted on July 14, 1877.
For eight years Whitewater met in the schoolhouse until the Lord led them to build their own church building. The minutes from September, 1884, report, “Putting our trust in the Lord Jesus we will now unite our means and efforts and endeavor to build us a house for the church…”
Land was donated by Frank Martin and work was begun on the one room wooden structure of about 1400 feet.
Completed the following September, 1885, the church had two doors, the one on the left for the men, and the one on the right for the women. It was used for both the worship service and the SUnday school, which was held in the afternoons. Wire was strung and heavy tan curtains hung to divide the room for the classes. Wooden columns further divided the room and gave support to the building. In 1921, the church was the first building in the area to have electric lights, after the dam and bridge were completed across Whitewater Creek.
It was during the 1920’s the Mrs. Lillian Gresham led the church to have morning Sunday school classes, and when an active Baptist Young Peoples Union was started. In 1928, Mrs. G.T. Ivey started the Women’s Missionary Society.
As these changes brought about growth, more space was needed, and right before World War II, during the pastorate of Rev. Carl Ayers, the church was remodeled, with an addition of 1000 square feet. Then in 1953, during the pastorate of Rev. Arvie Thornton, the men of the church used lumber from the church property to build an 1120 square foot addition. Not long after that, the artesian well that flows at the church was drilled, making an always available water fountain. It still serves as a meeting place for members before and after services. In 1963, under Rev. Homer Fowler, the church added a concrete block building to the back of the church; it served as the fellowship hall. In 1977, during the pastorate of Rev. Donald Brett, a unifying structure was built, adding more Sunday school rooms, a fellowship hall, kitchen, offices, music room and restrooms. The concrete block building was converted into Sunday school rooms, and the former wooden building that was replaced by the new addition was sold and moved to the Macon County Gun Club.
The new 3000 square foot addition was dedicated during the church’s 100th birthday, July 1977. Much had changed at the church during its first 100 years. The pastorium, built in 1937-38, was enlarged and remodeled. A baptistry was added to the sanctuary, bringing baptisms indoors rather than out in Whitewater Creek. And the privy was no longer in the woods out back, but was accessible from the inside, unlike the first indoor bathrooms, which had to be reached through an outside door.
The church grew and was active in missions, particularly through the Brotherhood, formed in 1951. Several men and women from the church have participated in volunteer mission projects in Central America. Rev. Homer Fowler and Rev. Ray Smith were both ordained at Whitewater. The music program flourished. By 1986, the church was remodeled again, adding stained glass windows, chandeliers, a vestibule and steeple. In the early 1990’s, white vinyl siding was added.
In March of 1994, Rev. Kevin Cone came to Whitewater Baptist to begin his pastorate, and was ordained by the church on March 27. In July, tropical storm Alberto came, the rains started, and the Flood of 1994 hit middle Georgia.
On July 6, 7, and 8, the church was inundated with water from the overflowing Whitewater Creek and the backed-up Flint River. Flood waters crested at 11 p.m. on July 7, and reached a height of 51 inches inside the sanctuary and fellowship hall and 47 inches in the pastorium. The lower Sunday school rooms were completely flooded. Before the waters rose, members and many volunteers met to remove the pews, organ and pianos, air conditioning unit and the pastor’s belongings. However the church lost a good deal of furniture, sound equipment, office equipment, music and materials. As soon as the flood waters receded, the congregation began the process of cleaning up and deciding what to do. The Oglethorpe Baptist Church opened their doors for services, and the Oglethorpe Seventh Day Adventist Church allowed the congregation to meet every Sunday in their church. Donations poured in from all over--friends, neighbors, churches, even people who had only just heard of the church, Soon the congregation began making plans to refurbish the lower Sunday school rooms, fellowship hall and pastorium, with a few improvements. A building committee was appointed, with Hudson Whatley, chairman, Cheryl Dorsey, Billy Kelley, Gene Simmons, and Tony Tarrer serving. Through the work of many members, particularly a group of retired men who dubbed themselves “The 9 to 5 Crew,” the congregation was able to move pews back in to the fellowship hall for services in October. The building committee began meeting and decided to step out on faith and recommend that the church renovate the sanctuary, turning it into more Sunday school rooms, a choir room, office space, restrooms and storage space, and build a new, state of the art, 240 seat worship center. On September 17, 1995, in a unanimous decision, the church voted to accept the committee’s plan. Chairman Hudson Whatley was notified of the vote in the hospital, where he would die from leukemia just one week after learning of the church’s positive decision.
Under the direction of Tony Tarrer, members began working on renovating the sanctuary, and the following summer, the people enjoyed use of their new space. Then, on August 4, 1996, ground was broken for the new sanctuary.
Excitement ran high for the next year as members closely watched each phase of construction being completed by Larry Hall’s construction crew. The building in progress became a popular meeting place for the congregation following worship services. The stained glass windows and chandeliers were relocated from the old sanctuary, as was the steeple during one afternoon that drew quite a crowd to watch the event.
Final preparations were made and expectations were high for the first service in the new worship center. Victory Sunday, July 13, 1997, dawned bright, three years after the biggest test to the church’s faith. The church was packed as the choir sang the opening chorus, and later as the church family celebrated together with a fellowship dinner. It was a time of celebration, and a time to remember all who have gone before and all who have helped since to build a legacy of faith at Whitewater Baptist Church.
Now, almost a decade since Victory Sunday, the church is striving to continue the Lord’s work in the area. The three year loan on the new worship center was paid off in two years. An Awana Bible Club for children was begun in 2000. A youth pastor, Rev. Andy Blankenship, was hired; this is the first time the church has had more than one pastor. He joined Rev. Matt Johnson in ministry at Whitewater.
And plans are being made to write the next pages of the church’s history. Hearkening back to the founding members, in true missionary fashion, plans are being made for Whitewater to begin a new mission church in the area, so that the legacy of faith may continue, and the name of the Lord may be glorified.
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