histgory for the web - Macedonia Baptist Church

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The history of Macedonia
Baptist Church is intricately
woven in the tapestry of the
culture of these beautiful
mountainswhichencompassher.
Time and historical events have
moved her from her simple
beginnings in 1839. Macedonia
Baptist Church is believed to be
the oldest Baptist church in the
county and was organized by
Josiah Carter along with eleven
other members. The church was
constructed of logs and was used during the Civil War as quarters for
soldiers.Eventhebencheswerecarriedoutsideandusedashorsetroughs.
In1942,whentheTVAcameintobuildadam,thechurchbuilding,
beingneartheriver,wastaken.Manyofthematerialsfromtheoriginallog
structure were used in the new wooden structure, complete with a potbellied stove, outdoor bathrooms, and a well for water. Sunday School
roomswereaddedandin1948theseroomswerededicatedtothememory
ofservicemenwholosttheirlivesinWorldWarII.Itwasin1949whenthe
irst Memorial and Homecoming service was held on the irst Sunday in
Junetohonorthememoryofthoseservicemen.
In1957,aftermanyyearsofplanning,thecongregationdecidedto
buildanewchurchandstartedabuildingfund.Moneymadefromthesale
ofcornintheGod’sAcreplanwasdepositedintothebuildingfundaccount.
The government marked trees and contributed the lumber. The men cut,
loggedandhauledtreestothesawmillusingtheirtractorsandtrucks.The
churchwasbuiltmostlybyfreelaborandwas
built at night and on weekends. The Church
was framed, covered and sub- loored when
Thanksgiving came. The ladies spread a
bountiful dinner on the sub- loor and they
gave “Thanks” to God for the many blessings
andtheprogressonthebuilding.Thisdayof
“Thanks” has been observed on the Sunday
before Thanksgiving each year until this
presentday.
OnSeptember9, 1973,Macedoniadedicatedthepastoriumonthe
churchgrounds.Aprivatecontractoraswellasmenfromthechurchbuilt
thepastoriumasahomeforthoseservantsoftheLordwhowerecalledto
serveatMacedonia.
In1976itwasvotedtobuildfourmoreSundaySchoolroomsanda
baptismal pool. That year as Youth Sunday was observed, the guest
speaker was Ray Goff, a young quarterback for the University of Georgia
Bull Dogs. On March 29, 1981, Macedonia Church members were
surprised, but honored as former president Jimmy Carter visited and
worshippedwithus.Thiswasindeedaverymemorableserviceforallwho
attended.
As membership increased, a larger church building was begun in
1995undertheTogetherWeBuild(TWB)Plan.Groundbreakingbeganin
Mayof1995andonMay12,1996,thenewsanctuarywasdedicatedasthe
oldsteeplebellwasmovedtothenewsteeple.Withthedawnofthenew
centuryapproaching,theY2PayPlanwasintroducedtoreducethedebton
the building. As God moved and worked through members, families, and
friendsofMacedonia,notonlywasthedebtreduced;butitwaspaidinfull.
The theme of Y2Pay was “To God Be The Glory” and indeed it was God’s
movingthatallowedMacedoniatoenterthenewcenturydebtfree.
OnEasterSunday2006,thefellowshipofMacedoniaBaptistChurch
celebrated irstandforemostourrisenLord.Itwaswithjoyandthanksgiving that we could worship in our Lord’s house encompassed by the new
beautifulstainedglasswindows.Asyouenterthedoorsofthechurch,you
will note the praying hands asthis indeedis aHouse of Prayer. Flanking
the outer doors, the medallions in the windows proclaim, “Hosanna” and
“Praise Ye The Lord”. The medallions within the sanctuary signify the
WordofGod(theBible),theSpiritofGod(thedove),theKingdomofGod
(the crown), and the Gift of God (the Cross). We pray that these symbols
willbeastandingtestimonyofourFatherandthatthebeautyofthewindowswillglorifyourLordwhoindeedisworthyofpraise!
Yes, this tapestry of Macedonia is as colorful and varied as the
memberswhichmakeupherfellowship;butitisthecommonbondoflove
— the love of Jesus Christ — that
binds her together. The buildings
have been moved, the structures
relocated, and new additions have
been made; yet the church has
remained the same...God’s people
gathered together to worship and
serveourLord,JesusChrist.