A Brief Historical Sketch




  A History Book
  written by:
  Sue Davidson  




According to the records available, the East Gadsden Baptist Church was organized September1, 1890 under a bush arbor with 14 charter members.  Services were moved to F.M. Bishop’s Paint Shop which stood on the Anniston Highway near the Alabama School of Trades. The membership had grown to 29 by the time it was admitted into the Etowah Baptist Association. 

The first “meeting house” was erected on a lot donated by Mrs. Emma O. Marble in 1890. This building was located on Hoke Street near where the Bridge Drug Alert Center was later located. The church used this building as a place of worship for nearly forty years. By 1928 the membership had grown to 350. during that year, under the leadership of Rev. J.E. franks, the people erected a “beautiful brick structure” at the present location at North Sixth and Nuckolls Streets on lots donated by Miss Corrie and Bonnie Nowlin. Almost immediately the church felt the imprint of the financial depression and for several years a black cloud of financial difficulties hung heavily over the heads of its members. This cloud was lifted in 1936 when its pastor, Dr. V.L. Wyatt, led the church to refinance its program. Someone wrote in 1945 that the church had gone steadily onward and “at no time has it forgotten its main task of winning the lost to Christ.”

The church’s pastors are as follows:
C.B. Hammett, J.R. Trotter, W.Y. Adams, J.W. Battles, E.B. Moore, W.W. Wester, J.E. Smith, J.W. Dunaway, J.B. Cook, L.L. Hearn, S.M. Street, S.M. McColough, Joe S. Brown, T.C. Wyatt, V.L. Wyatt, J.E. Franks, W.C. Crowder, H.S. Inabnit, Albert Smith, Tommy Hight, Ron Phillips, Bill Harbison, Gary Rivers, Don Pendergrass, Randy Postell

There have been 5 missions started from our church that later were organized into churches. The Calvary Baptist Mission was organized into the Calvary Baptist Church in 1947; the College Heights Mission into the College Heights Baptist Church in 1949; the East Walnut Baptist from the East Walnut Mission in 1952; the Litchfield Avenue Mission into the Litchfield Baptist  Church in 1954; and the Midway Mission to Midway Baptist Church in 1963.  

A groundbreaking for our church activities building was held in April of 1965. The dedication of this building was October 2, 1966. This building was built for the purpose of church activities such as volleyball, basketball, banquets, etc.

In 1967 a kindergarten was started in our church and in 1974 a day care was begun. 

In April of 1984 our church entered into
the “Challenge For Tomorrow” program. 
The purpose of this program was to
provide funds for the renovation of the facilities.

East Gadsden is a cooperating Southern Baptist Church and is supportive of its agencies, boards, and schools.  We are a member of the Alabama Baptist Convention as well as a member of the Etowah Baptist Association. 

2005 -2006 Annual Church Statistical Report

1964 total members
1194 resident members
37 baptisms
21 other additions
499 Sunday School enrollment
300 Sunday School Average
450 Worship attendance
589 Vacation Bible School enrollment
$717,632 Total receipts
$95,323 Total missions expenditures
$62,574 Cooperative Program

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