|
A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY |
| DATES |
PASTORIAL
LEADERSHIP |
NOTABLE
ACHIEVEMENTS |
| 1857 - ? |
Rev. Reasoner |
First pastor of
Antioch Baptist Church |
| 1857-1905 |
Reverends:
Hall, Stewart, Frank Bates, D. J. Tate, Jones, Alexander, Pearman,
and Smith |
During these
years, Black's first went to school here in Decatur. . .adults as
well as children |
| 1906-1919 |
Rev. James A.
Crockett (fourteen years of service) |
Credited with
plans for and dedicating a new church building |
| 1920-1922 |
Rev. W. P.
Washington |
Church parsonage
was acquired and first furnace was installed replacing old stoves |
| 1923-1926 |
Rev. Peter W.
Fields (from Bloomington, IL) |
Left the church
debt-free and with a small surplus treasury |
| 1926-1928 |
Rev. M. L. Porter,
Sr. |
|
| 1929-1930 |
Rev. J. A.
McPherson |
Plans for
completely remodeling church: purchase of property located at
600 Greenwood Ave.; relocation of pulpit, choir loft, baptisery, new
furniture, carpeting, hot-air heating system, and parsonage garage |
| 1931-1933 |
Rev. M. L. Stewart |
Sunday School
departmentalized for the first time, first Usher Board was actively
in service |
| 1934-1952 |
Rev. Peter W.
Fields |
Returned to
Antioch after much prayer and sacrifice; debt of 1930 was
liquidated; building fund was started, church redecorated, a new
piano purchased, and a pipe organ installed |
| 1952-1953 |
Rev. Guy Clark |
Interim pastor |
| 1953-1954 |
Rev. Cecil A.
Lightbourn (from Martin, TN) |
Heightened church
spiritually after death of Rev. Fields; increased building fund to
help fulfill need for larger more adequate building |
| 1954-1955 |
Rev. Guy Clark |
Interim pastor |
| 1955-1959 |
Rev. Luke Willis
Mingo (from Carbondale, IL) |
Building fund
greatly increased; January 18, 1957, down payment made on building
at 525 North Church Street commemorating our 100th year existence |
| 1959 |
Rev. William West |
Interim pastor |
| 1959-1960 |
Rev. T. H. Rankin
(from East Chicago, IN) |
Secured parsonage
then located at 1148 Cottage Hill Avenue; assisted in paying off
mortgage on church |
| 1960 |
Rev. William West |
Interim pastor
after Rev. Rankin's resignation |
| 1960-1964 |
Rev. H. Levi
McClendon, Jr. |
Old church on
Greenwood Ave. was sold; purchase announcement board presently
standing on the lawn at 525 N. Church St., new carpeting, pews, and
chairs for the deacons, large ceiling chandelier given by Jack
Powers of First Presbyterian Church in memory of his parents |
| 1964-1965 |
Rev. H. Levi McClendon, Jr. |
Rev. McClendon resigned and started a church now
known as Ebenezer. Rev. William West served as Interim
Minister. |
| 1965-1995 |
Rev. Dr. Oscar C. Turner, Jr. |
Rev. Turner was installed on August 15, 1965, and
served until his death on January 24, 1995 (longest serving Pastor
of Antioch--30 years). Improvements were made through
remodeling, renovating, installation of central air conditioning,
storm glass windows, new church vehicles, property purchased north
of the church, addition of the Bond/Briggs children's playground,
full-time church secretary and custodian, food bank, and clothing
room. |
| 1994-1995 |
Rev. Jimmy D. Waddell |
Interim Minister during the illness and subsequent
home going of Rev. Turner. |
| 1995-present |
Rev. Dr. Cledis D. Stuart |
Church membership
has grown by over 350 members.
New building purchased at 530 W. Mound Rd. and moved on February 7,
1999. |
