First Baptist Church
Hudson

Transcribed from the Caldwell County Heritage Book. Information submitted to the book by Sherry Austin.

On August 13, 1831, Lower Creek Baptist Church granted letters of dismission to three of her members, Reddick Freeman, Rebecca Freeman, and Kiziah Howell. The next month, on September 17, 1831, these three people along with Hiram Clark, John Taylor, William Freeman, Jacob Grider, Elijah Craig, Polly Clark, Nellie Angley, Elizabeth Hays, Catherine Fincannon and Nancy Cloer, organized the Gunpowder Baptist Church. The new church met in the home of Reddick Freeman (later the John Swanson home) located near Gunpowder Creek on what is now Swan Drive in Whitnel. (Swan Drive is the street behind the fire station in Whitnel.) Rev Benjamin Beach and Rev Thomas Craig made up the presbytery of the new church.

Some of the members of the church today are direct descendants of the charter members of Gunpowder Baptist Church. The first paster of Gunpowder, Rev Benjamin Beach, was the great-grandfather of Bela Beach, a deacon and choir member. Another charter member, Rebecca Freeman, was the great-grandmother of Mrs B Harrison (Myrtle Swanson) Barnette, a former Sunday School teacher and one of the older members of the church today.

The name of the church was changed from Gunpowder to Sardis Baptist Church at the request of the Catawba River Association, in August, 1835. The name remained Sardis Baptist Church until March 13, 1955, when the name was changed to First Baptist Church. An interesting fact is that as far back as 1928, a motion was made to change the church's name from Sardis to First Baptist, but the motion died for lack of a second.

First Baptist Church has been a member of the Catawba River, Lower Creek, Lewis Fork, Taylorsville, United Baptist, Brushy Mountain, and Caldwell Missionary Baptist Associations. On July 25, 1885, the church asked the Brushy Mountain Association for a letter of dismission for the purpose of joining the Caldwell County Association. In October, 1885, the church met with the Caldwell Association at its first annual meeting. The fourth annual session of Caldwell Association met at Sardis Baptist Church on August 2-5, 1888; this marked the first time the Associational Meeting was held at Sardis.

The following men have served First Baptist as pastors: Benjamin Beach, Thomas Craig, Cornelius Livingston, Joseph Harrison, Philip Powell, J B Powell, Jacob Crouch, H Holsclaw, Holland Craig, Ambrose Knight, G W Livingston, Edmund Tilley, I Sherrill, Bedford Brown, J T Shell, Hiram West, Isaac Smith, C W Conway, C C Pool, J H West, J S Gwaltney, A S Church, John Crisp, J R T Annas, I Oxford, J M Harris, W N Cook, J O Fulbright, S A Rhyne, J M Shaver, B Frank Austin, T E Payne, S A Stroup, R D Carroll, R B Burnett, H S Benfield, K E Seepe, George Westmoreland, George Williamson, James Herron, and Leland Stephens. The current pastor, Dr Billy G River, began his ministry with First Baptist in November, 1982.

First Baptist Church has had two full=time ministers of Music and Education: L Deck Taylor (1957-1974), and Don Almond (1975-present). In 1980, Mrs Ben (Jo) Kincaid Jr was called to serve as Minister of Youth and Special Ministries.

In January, 1980, letters of dismission were granted to three men and to three women in order for them to form a church at Lovelady. On April 27, 1889, seven men and two women were dismissed by letter for the purpose of forming a church at Mt Zion. Lakeview Mission, now known as Lakeview Baptist Church, was organized by First Baptist Church on April 1, 1956. Other churches which have gone out from the Sardis Baptist Church are: Mountain Grove, Granite Falls, Harris Chapel and Center Grove.

The present church building, located on 345 in Hudson, was occupied for worship services in 1949. It replaced the frame building which stood across the street on the northeast corner of the cemetery, and which had been in use since its construction in 1914. An educational building was added in 1963. The first house of worship was a community building of logs in 1818. This log building stood until 1863, when it burned down. Another house of worship was erected in 1867, and then the frame building in 1914.

A Sunday School was organized in 1870. In 1919, H E Austin was appointed leader of the BYPU, the predecessor of what is now the Church Trailing program. The Ladies Aid Society, now known as the Woman's Missionary Union, was organized in 1909; the Brotherhood was started in 1953. Present enrollments in these organizations are as follows: Sunday School--747, Church Training--123, WMU--72, Brotherhood--61, and Music--112. There are 766 resident and 258 non-resident church members, giving a total membership of 1,024. A fully-graded program is offered in each of the above organizations and in music. First Baptist Church also is a very mission-minded, giving a total of $68,478 to missions through the Cooperative Program during the 1981-82 church year.

"To all who mourn and need comfort, to all who are homeless and want sheltering love, to all who pray and to all who do not but ought, to all who sin and need a Saviour and to whosoever will come, this Church opens wide its doors and, in the Name of Jesus, the Lord says -- WELCOME."