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First Baptist Church of Deep Run, NC
History Timeline
Fall 1949 A group of people met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Preston Harper to discuss organizing a Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. & Mrs. Mark N. Smith, Mr. & Mrs. Redding Williams, H. A. Thompson, Mr. & Mrs. Preston Harper and Rev. Howard G. Dawkins. Mr. Mark said that a Baptist church was one thing he wanted to see before he died. Mrs. Estelle said her beloved mother had prayed for a Baptist church in Deep Run.
Jan. 13, 1950 A small group met in the Deep Run School and decided to purchase land immediately and build as soon as funds were available. They named the church “The First Baptist Church of Deep Run, NC. Officers of the church and building committee were elected.
Feb. 7, 1950 First Baptist Church of Kinston voted to sponsor the Deep Run church.
Nov. 8, 1952 Decided to begin construction of the church building. Roy L. Wooten from First Baptist Church of Kinston was given the job of getting materials and supervising the building.
Jan. 17, 1953 Ground breaking was held for the new church, attended by a group of interested people of the community. (See picture in pictorial history of church.)
Mar. 30, 1954 At a called meeting of interested persons, 25 people expressed intention of becoming members. Church services would be held on second and fourth Sundays and Sunday School each Sunday. A communion service and offering plates were given by Mark N. Smith. Brass floral urns were given by Estelle F.Harper. Pulpit furniture and pews were given by Mark N. Smith and Lula S. Smith. One hundred Broadman Hymnals were given by Lula S. Smith.
We think it is very significant that a beautiful brick church has been erected and paid for before the organization of the Sunday School or the Church. Dr. Earl Bradley of the State Missions Board tells us he believes it is the first time in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention that this has happened. All of us realize that this has been a marvelous achievement and God has wonderfully blessed us.
A pulpit Bible was given by Oliver, Braswell and Lewis Smith.
Apr. 11, 1954 First services held at First Baptist Church of Deep Run. Rev. H.R. Starling, Neuse Association Missionary, preached the first sermon. Nannie Tyndall played the piano for Sunday School and Janie Carol Harper played for church.
Apr. 12-18, 1954 Rev. Howard G. Dawkins held the first revival. Sixty persons united with the church.
May 9, 1954 Our Organization and Dedication Service was held with Rev. W. C. Reed, Supt. of N. C. Baptist Orphanage was the speaker. He said, “Because of the dedication of the church and individual lives to God and His work on earth, may many souls be won for Christ, and may Deep Run be a better place in which to live. Through this church, may God bless this community.”
Mrs. Preston Harper made a motion that the 63 who came by letter or by faith and any others who came within 60 days be accepted as charter members. The motion carried.
May 30, 1954 At 3:00 p.m. Rev. Howard Dawkins baptized 22 people who came forward during the revival. Judy McRorie (Morris), the first to join, was first to be baptized.
May 31, 1954 Mr. Mark N. Smith died at Lenoir Memorial Hospital.
Jun. 2, 1954 Mr. Mark N. Smith’s funeral was the first to be held at the new church. Rev. Richard Whitley held the service.
Jun. 19, 1954 The first wedding was held in the new church. Miss Marie Harper and Mr. Ernie Edward Bunn were married with Rev. Howard Dawkins officiating.
Fall 1954 A picture of Jesus was given by Mr. Tom White in memory of Mr. Mark N. Smith.
Jul.-Sep. 1954 Different preachers filled the pulpit.
Oct. 10, 1954 Rev. Douglas Pruden of Raleigh, a student at Southeastern Seminary, spoke and supplied the church until November.
Nov. 21, 1954 Rev. Douglas Pruden was called as pastor at a salary of $1200.00.
Jan. 23, 1955 Church Deacons were ordained. Dr. E. L. Spivey, State Missions Secretary, preached the ordination sermon.
Jan. 30, 1955 First communion was held with Rev. Douglas Pruden as Pastor.
Oct. 17, 1958 Preston Harper passed away. His funeral was held at the church on October 19 with Rev. Douglas Pruden and Rev. Howard Dawkins as ministers.
Aug. 23, 1959 Rev. Douglas Pruden resigned as Pastor.
Sep. 13, 1959 Rev. Richard Whitley was called as Pastor at a salary of $2,000.00. We rented a house for the Whitley’s in Deep Run.
1960 The church built a parsonage at a cost of $13, 865.00. Mr. Guy Stocks was the builder. The Richard Whitley family was the first to live in the new parsonage.
Nov. 26, 1960 Rev. Richard Whitley resigned effective Jan. 15, 1961.
Jan. 15, 1961 Salary of Pastor was raised to $2,235.00.
Mar. 4, 1962 The church voted to secure a full time pastor.
May 25, 1962 The church called Rev. R. H. Lineberger to be our first full time Pastor.
Jun. 1, 1962 The church voted to raise the Pastor’s salary to $4500.00: $3000.00 regular salary, $1200.00 expenses, and $300.00 Annuity Board.
Jul. 1, 1962 Rev. Lineberger began his service as Pastor of our church.
1965-1966 A major renovation on the outside front and inside of the church was carried out. Mr. Guy Stocks did the work. A new steeple was given by Mrs. Estelle Harper to replace the first steeple that had been struck by lightening. The new one was larger. A beautiful landscape picture was given to the church to go on the walls of the baptistery by Ellen and Herman Tyndall.
1966 A silver urn was given by Leurah Stroud and her GA’s.
Apr. 1972 Rev. Lineberger resigned as Pastor.
Oct. 14, 1973 Rev. Douglas Holland was called as Pastor.
Oct. 13, 1974 Jimmie Williams was licensed as a lay minister.
1975 Piano and organ lights were given by the Smith Family in memory of Durwood I. Smith.
Nov. 7, 1976 Rev. Douglas Holland resigned as Pastor.
Nov. 13, 1976 Mrs. Lula S. Smith passed away. The church lost a great supporter. Rev. Douglas Holland preached the funeral services.
1976 Hymn books were given in memory of Calvin Taylor by his family.
1976 An organ was given in memory of Mrs. Lula S. Smith by her children and the church.
Apr. 1977 Rev. Bailey Elmore was called as Pastor. His family moved into the parsonage on Easter Monday.
1977-1978 Pastor’s salary was $11,000.00.
Mar. 12, 1978 Jimmie Williams was ordained as a minister with Rev. Douglas Holland preaching the ordination sermon.
May 20, 1979 We observed our 25th Homecoming Service. Rev. Bailey Elmore was the pastor.
Oct. 26, 1979 Mrs. Estelle Harper passed away. Her wish for the church was a Fellowship Hall. Rev. Bailey Elmore and Rev. Douglas Pruden preached the funeral.
1980-1981 We built a fellowship hall. It is a 2304 square foot structure.
Dec. 1980 Rev. Bailey Elmore resigned.
Sep. 1981 Rev. Larry Hutchins was call as Pastor.
1982-1983 Pastor’s salary was $15,400.00.
Jul. 1983 Rev. Larry Hutchins resigned as Pastor.
Oct. 1983 Rev. Bobby Hunter was called as Pastor.
Dec. 11, 1984 The first couple to have a baby while serving as our Pastor was Bobby and Denise Hunter. They had a beautiful daughter, Brittany.
1984 Nell S. Sutton gave the church a beautiful cross-stitched picture of the Lord’s Supper. She spent many hours on this project.
1984 or 1985 Stained glass windows were placed in the church. (See plaque in the Vestibule.)
Feb. 17, 1985 Vance Williams was licensed as a lay minister.
Dec. 31, 1986 A hearing aid system was given to the church in memory of A. R. Munn by Mrs. Cora Lee Munn.
1986 A brass communion service was given by Vance and Evelyn Williams. A brass urn was given in memory of Sue M. Jones by Floyd B. Jones III.
Mar. 27, 1988 Rev. Hunter resigned as Pastor.
Apr. 3, 1988 Bobby and Denise’s second child, a son, Luke, was born on Easter Sunday. We now have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in our Church.
Sep. 1988 Rev. Dennis Murphy was called as Pastor. He and his wife Janice had two sons when they moved here.
Oct. 1, 1988 Rev. Murphy began his work with us.
Dec. 9, 1990 James Tyndall was ordained as a minister by our church. Rev. James T. Layton preached the ordination sermon.
Dec. 31, 1991 A daughter, Lauren, was born to Janice and Dennis Murphy.
Aug. 29, 1992 The youth of the church gave a new pulpit Bible.
Feb. 1994 Rev. Dennis Murphy resigned as Pastor.
Sep. 1994 Rev. Gene Martin was called as Pastor. His wife Marge, his daughter and three grandsons came with him.
1995 Pastor’s salary and reimbursements was $17,623.00.
Apr. 21, 1996 The family and friends of Elizabeth H. “Lib” Williams gave the Church new sanctuary and outside light fixtures in her memory.
May 1996 Rev. Gene Martin resigned as Pastor.
1996 Total Pastors package is $24,266.04.
1996 Choir loft renovations were made in memory of Bobby White by Lynn White. A new pew was added on a raised platform.
Jun. 1, 1996 Rev. Bobby Belcher came to us as interim pastor.
Nov. 1996 Rev. Bobby Belcher was called as Pastor. Bobby and his wife, Irene, live in Goldsboro.
Aug. 1997 Mr. and Mrs. Braswell Smith and friends gave a beautiful grand piano in memory of their daughter Nell S. Sutton.
Oct. 2, 1998 A P.A. system was given in memory of Idlee Raines by her family.
Sep. 10, 1999 Mrs. Zennie T. Williams, one of the original group who worked so hard to start this church, passed away.
2000 Total Pastor’s package is $26,680.00.
Aug. 6, 2000 A beautiful church sign in memory of Casco and Carolee Sparrow was given to the church by their daughter and her husband, Joyce and Allen Taylor.
2001 Total Pastor’s package is $27,530.00.
Mar. 11, 2001 The parking lot was given in memory of Frank Mellette, John Stroud, Lossie Stroud, Virginia D. Sutton, Ernest “Tom” Taylor, Herman Tyndall and Zennie Williams by family, friends, and the church.
Jul. 8, 2001 Rev. Bobby Belcher resigned due to health problems.
Jul. 2001 Rev. Ken Jones came as interim pastor.
2002 A Memorial Garden was put in place between the church and fellowship hall by Fred and Leah Harper in memory of Mrs. Estelle F. Harper.
Mar. 31, 2002 A beautiful organ was given by Iris Aldridge, friends, and the church in memory of Carl Aldridge.
2002 Rev. Ken Jones resigned as interim. He gave several pictures to the Sunday School classes.
A monument, flagpole, and flags were placed in the south parking area in memory of Elmer B. Smith by his family and friends.
Jun 9, 2002 Norman Davis, Jr. was called as Pastor. He and his wife, Kay, live in LaGrange.
Jul 14, 2002 Our pastor Norman Davis, Jr. was ordained into the ministry.
Summer 2003 An ice machine was purchased and placed in the kitchen of the Fellowship Hall.
Nov. 2003 A new audio/video system with a portable cabinet was installed in the sanctuary.
Winter 2003 A new septic tank system was installed in the church.
Jan. & Feb. 2004 Work was done on the Fellowship Hall. Windows were replaced, porch railings were replaced, the inside was painted, and doors and shutters were replaced and painted.
Jan. 2004 A new door and sidelights for the front of the Fellowship Hall and a new side door were given by Ray and Dot Blizzard.
May 2, 2004 Church voted to begin searching for a Youth Minister.
May 3, 2004 Church purchased 2.5 acres of land from the Brian Harper family.
May 16, 2004 First Baptist Church of Deep Run celebrated its 50th Anniversary Homecoming.
Mar. 3, 2005 Luis Miranda began work as our Youth Minister.
Aug. 21, 2005 Rev. Norman Davis, Jr. resigned.
In a church business meeting the church voted to refinish and recover pews, repair the stage area, paint and replace carpet in the sanctuary. This work took place over the next several months.
Sep. 4, 2005 The church voted to house a family from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina devastated their home in Slidell. The family of five stayed in our farm house for five weeks.
Nov. 20, 2005 The church began meeting again in the newly refurbished sanctuary.
Jan. 22, 2006 The church called Rev. David Fishman as full-time pastor.
Mar. 1, 2006 Rev. David Fishman, along with his wife, Stacy, began their ministry with us.
May 21, 2006 First Baptist Church of Deep Run celebrated its 52nd Homecoming.
Jun. 21-28, 2006 First Baptist Church of Deep Run will sponsor its first foreign mission trip. We have a group of 12, lead by our Youth Minister Luis Miranda, going to Grenada in the south Caribbean.
May 6, 2007 Luis Miranda, our first paid Youth Minister stepped down from his paid position to serve as a volunteer through August 2007
May 20, 2007 First Baptist Church of Deep Run is celebrating its 53rd Homecoming.
Jun. 22-Jul. 3, 2007 First Baptist Church of Deep Run will sponsor its second foreign mission trip. We have a group of 14, lead by our Youth Minister, Luis Miranda, going to Grenada in the south Caribbean.