The History of Unity Baptist Church Through 2012
Prepared by Harold Reed, August 2012
Unity Baptist Church was founded on May 24, 1890, by the uniting of Mt. Joy Baptist Church with 72 members and Mt. Olive Baptist Church with 107 members, thus the name Unity was appropriate. During the process of coming together, both churches were very careful in keeping everything in order; they developed rules of order. Below is the church covenant, which was adopted as part of the process of coming together.
Church Covenant
Having been as we trust, brought by the divine grace to embrace The Lord Jesus and to give ourselves wholly to him, we do now solemnly and joyfully covenant with each other to walk together with him with brotherly love to His glory. As our common Lord and to the end that we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God and that the Glory of Christ may be manifested in the salvation of men, it is our solemn purpose as God shall give us strength to exercise a mutual care as members, one of another to formulate the growth of the whole body of Christian knowledge and the true Holiness, and to let our light shine before the world particularly to uphold the humble worship of God and the ordinances of His house by a regular attendance thereof to search diligently the sacred scriptures to train our children and those under our care with a view to the service of Christ and the enjoyment of Heaven. To contribute cheerfully of our means for the support of the poor for the maintenance of a faithful ministry of the gospel among us and for the spread of the gospel in the entire world. To exhort and if occasion require to admonish one another in the spirit of meekness considering ourselves least, we also be tempted to cheerfully submit to and continuously enforce the wholesome discipline of the church keeping ever the Unity of Christ in the bonds of peace used to endeavors by example and precept to teach transgressors the ways of that God whose we are and whom we serve, remembering that as in Baptism we have been buried with Christ and raised again so there is in us a special obligation henceforth to walk in the newness of life and may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which well blessing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom the glory for ever and ever.
AMEN
Unity has a wonderful history, and the many Christians who have made up its membership over the past 122 years have consistently been a body of praying believers who have served the Lord faithfully. Unity has always occupied an important position in Fayette County. Unity also has a long heritage of how our forefathers braved many difficulties to bring Baptist doctrine into Alabama and Fayette County.
The exact date of the first Baptists in Alabama is not known. When the earliest white settlers moved in from Georgia and the Carolinas, Baptists were among them. In 1810, there were 3,481 white inhabitants in Alabama, in the counties of Washington, Madison, and Baldwin. The first trace of Baptists in Alabama was in the Tennessee Valley. There, the Flint River Baptist Church was constituted on October 2, 1808, and Elder John Nicholson had the honor of organizing the first Baptist church in the State of Alabama. The Flint River Baptist Church is located a few miles northeast of Huntsville.
In the early 1800s, living conditions were unfavorable, and the early settlers underwent serious difficulties. For the most part, aggressive men traveled in various directions, preaching Baptist sentiments throughout Alabama, establishing Baptist churches in these areas. For a time, the newly constituted Baptist churches did not come together in associations; later, feeling the need for a close union and co-operation, associations were organized. One of the associations formed was the Tuscaloosa Baptist Association. The Tuscaloosa Baptist Association included Salem Baptist Church, constituted in1824 and located two miles south of New Lexington.
In 1832, and for 15 years following, Elder D. W. Andrews was the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church. In 1835, delegates from Salem and a few other churches, led by Elder Andrews, met and withdrew from the Tuscaloosa In 1871, some of the churches further north resigned from North River Baptist Association and organized the New River Baptist Association. Several causes led to the organization of the New River Association, but the largest issue was that the churches entering into the New River Association were located farthest from the North River churches, and the methods of travel were difficult.
The preliminary meeting for organizing the New River Baptist Association was held in early Spring of 1871, at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, located in Fayette County. The first annual meeting where a permanent association was started was held in October 1871 at Fayetteville Baptist Church in Fayette. The delegates present resolved to organize a new association, the New River Baptist Association.
Fayetteville Baptist Church was organized in 1850 and was active until 1905. The church was located in the cemetery in “Old Town” Fayette, but when it was dissolved was moved to “New Town” Fayette and renamed First Baptist Church of Fayette. At this time, Fayette was moving toward the railroad that had been built through town.
The twentieth annual session of New River Baptist Association was held beginning October 11, 1899, at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Fayette. At this annual session, a noticeable change occurred in terminology used in the minutes: Instead of the prefix “Elder,” ministers were then called “Reverend;” the term became commonly used, and it is now rare to hear one called elder now. (See Psalms 111:9 KJV for the only mention of “reverend” in the Bible.) Also, at this twentieth annual session, two churches were received into fellowship: Winfield and Unity. Winfield Baptist Church was located in the city of Winfield, and Unity Baptist Church was located eight miles north of Fayette. Several years later, on October 16 and 17, 1919, at the forty-ninth annual session of the New River Baptist Association held at Pleasant Hill Church, the name of the Association was change to the Fayette County Baptist Association.
Unity Baptist Church came into being as the result of Mt. Joy and Mt. Olive consolidating their memberships. Elder R. Adkins and Elder Albert M. King served Mt. Joy Baptist Church. On October 2, 1865, Elder Adkins was chosen as Pastor and served the church until 1871. There were several other pastors up until Elder W. J. Blankenship, who served until 1890.
Mt. Olive Baptist Church was located at Fords Bridge on Highway 102, eight miles north of Fayette. Mt. Olive was a mission church of Union Baptist church, constituted as the direct result of the ministry of Elder B. V. Shirley. Elder Shirley had also been pastor of Union Baptist Church from 1864. In 1871, Elder Shirley was the pastor of Mt. Olive until his death on June 14, 1877. Several other pastors were called until Elder W. J. Blankenship became pastor. He appears to be the last pastor of Mt. Olive and Mt. Joy until May 24, 1890, when they consolidated to become Unity.
At the time Unity was established, a committee of five men was appointed to oversee the business of the church and to draft rules of government for the church. The following men made up this committee:
Elder N. J. Dyer, Chairman, Pastor
J. A. Harbin, Church Clerk
Elder J. S. Shirley, 2nd Pastor of Unity
W. B. Shirley
J. F. Reeves
The first church building was built eight miles north of Fayette on Highway 43 North at Camp Comfort. On October 25, 1890, the members of Unity met to discuss constructing the first church building. A collection of $131 was taken up to buy materials for the church building. On December 1, 1890, the first workday was held to work on the church building. God has always ensured that Unity had several good carpenters, men who could build, repair, or renovate as needed. It has always been the practice for the men of the church to do all the work they could on the church before a contractor was hired.
The original church building was located across the creek and about one-fourth of a mile north of the present location. Services were held once a month, with preaching on Saturday and Sunday, due to difficulty of travel at night. Transportation was typically by horse-drawn wagon, usually with children lying on blankets in the back of the wagon and only a kerosene lantern for light.
After all worship services, the church would hold a conference. The pastor would serve as moderator and conduct the business session. The membership would then vote to open the doors of the church to receive new members. At this time, anyone seeking to join Unity Baptist Church would present himself for membership.
The original church building was a single story building. On August 17, 1907, the church partnered with an organization called the Odd Fellows, somewhat similar to the Masons. The Odd Fellows agreed to remodel the entire church and to bear all the expenses; the church in turn would allow the Odd Fellows to add a second story to the church for them to hold their meetings. The upstairs was always locked and only the Odd Fellows had access.
On July 24, 1892, the church voted to purchase hymnbooks. The price of the hymnbooks is not known. There didn’t seem to be any discussion as to round notes or shaped notes; the congregation must have been proud just to have these books after two years without them.
On September 24, 1892, a church member was brought before the church for drunkenness. It was agreed that the church member be given one month and then be required to make his own statement before the church. He was later excluded from membership.
On December 18, 1893 a member was brought before the church for dancing. This member asked for pardon and forgiveness and the church voted to receive the apology. The circumstances of the member’s actions are not known, but there was a dance hall located on the north side of the creek, just south of the church.
The first record of a revival service held at Unity was on July 21, 1894. This revival was continued for 12 days; the church received one member by letter and 10 by faith.
Unity licensed its first minister, Elder Lanuthe Connell, on September 22, 1894.
On March 14, 1903 a collection of $8.81 was taken for Foreign Missions, and a collection of $3 was taken for the Children’s Home.
On December 14, 1907 an offering of $2 was taken for Foreign Missions, and an offering of $ .70 was taken for Howard College.
Unity Baptist Church has never had a cemetery of its own and there had not been any mention of a cemetery at Mt. Olive or Mt. Joy. However, a community cemetery was established behind Housh’s Chapel Church. Previously, the grantors of R.B. Housh gave one-half acre of property with the grave of Mr. John Reves in the center of the land dedicated. On May 14, 1942, M.D. Kirkley and Anna Kirley, who owned a jewelry store in Tuscaloosa and had a second home in the Camp Comfort community, dedicated one and a half acres to the general public. This land surrounded the existing one-half acre. On May 5, 1978, the Camp Comfort Community Cemetery Association Corporation was established with a Board of Trustees. Several members of Unity have been buried at the cemetery, and even though the cemetery does not belong to Unity, the church does feel some ownership of the cemetery.
On September 25, 1925 the pastor’s annual salary was set at $100.
The first pastor of Unity Baptist Church was Elder N. J. Dyer, who served from its organization in 1890 until August 27, 1892, when Elder J. S. Shirley was made pastor. Elder Shirley’s was a short pastorate, terminating September 29, 1893. According to early records of Unity Baptist Church Elder N. J. Dyer and Elder J. B. Shirley served in a joint pastorate for a short period. At this time the church voted on the pastorate of the church every year. Elder A. N. Reeves succeeded Elder Shirley. Elder Reeves resigned in September 1899 and Revered J. S. Townsend was made pastor, serving through 1903. Revered W. F. Gilpin was chosen as the fifth pastor and served in this capacity for one year. On December 17, 1904, the church elected Reverend L. A. Connell, who served continuously through 1910. Reverend A. J. Trimm was chosen to succeed him.
Reverend Trimm was born in 1854 in Fayette, Alabama, and lived for 80 years until 1934. He married a Native American woman named Mary Rainwater, who died in 1923. A. J. Trimm was a Baptist minister. The Unity Baptist Church minutes, shown below, show that on September 17, 1910, Reverend A. J. Trimm was called as pastor of Unity, likely the beginning of the Trimm family at Unity Baptist Church. Reverend A. J. Trimm was the great grandfather of Mr. Robert (Bob) Trimm, who was a lifetime supporter of Unity Baptist Church.
Fayette Co., AL
Sept. 17, 1910
After preaching by Elder J. Shirley, Unity Church sat in conference.
Invited visiting brethren and sisters to seats and privileges with us.
Open doors of the church.
Call for references.
Call for general business info.
Church elected Pastor and Clerk for insuring year: A. J. Trim Pastor and M. G. Reeves, Clerk.
Reverend A. J. Trimm was chosen in 1910 and was the pastor until 1919. He was succeeded by Reverend R. L. Berry. Reverend Berry’s pastorate continued until September 22, 1928 and was succeeded by Reverend A. M. Nix from 1929 through 1935. Reverend Luther Tucker served for a short time during 1938 and Reverend A. M. Nix returned as pastor from 1939 through 1946.
Reverend Nix was a special man of God. He was born August 10, 1893, in Marion County Alabama. Mr. Nix was converted and baptized in September 1907. On December 11, 1911, he married Miss Tinnie Strickland. They had five children: three daughters and two sons. He was called to preach the Gospel in October 1912, and was ordained into the Gospel ministry in 1913. Reverend Nix received his education at Tishomingo High School in Tishomingo, Mississippi, and at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Reverend Nix served in more than 20 churches in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, including two times at Unity Baptist Church, 34 years at Bethel Baptist Church and 18 years at Fayette First Baptist Church. Reverend Nix was one of the best-known ministers in the area.
For more than a decade before Reverend A. M. Nix was chosen, the church had been on a gradual decline in all phases of Christian activity. The congregation had greatly diminished, the membership had decreased, and the body was apparently inactive. From the beginning of Reverend Nix’s pastorate, the attendance rapidly increased and the growth in membership was marvelous. The percent of increase in membership at the close of the first year was very large. As a result, on April 14, 1929, the church appointed a building committee, including Mr. R. W. Harbin, Mr. D. A. Riley, and Mr. J. V. Gilpin, chairman.
On May 12, 1929, the committee voted and approved to build the new building. The 21/25th of an acre of property for the new church building was purchased on September 13, 1929 from Mr. H. M. Couch and his wife Mrs. Stella Couch, for and in consideration of $50, paid by Mr. R. W. Harbin, Mr. T. L. Jones, and Mr. J. V. Gilpin (Trustees of Unity Baptist Church).
The church took 15 and a half days to build for a total cost of $948.87. At this time, the church Treasury only had $515.80 and it was agreed that a free will offering would be collected each Sunday until the balance was collected.
This building was not overdone with the comforts of home, but it was built to the glory of God and it was something the community could be proud of. This new church was at the site just north of where the church is now located. On December 8, 1929, the first services were held in the new church.
The church was built as only a sanctuary, and soon a men’s classroom and women’s classroom on each side of the sanctuary were added. A coal-burning heater was located in front of and to the right of the pulpit for heating and the only cooling was to raise a window. Mr. Robert (Bob) Trimm said when he was a baby, his mother would lay him on a blanket near the stove during worship services. This seems quite fitting, because his father, Brother Felix Trimm, had the responsibility of bringing coal to the church for the stove.
On September 26, 1931, Sunday school was started at Unity.
In 1931, as it came to the close of the third year under Reverend A. M. Nix’s leadership, a careful check on the history and workings of the church revealed the fact that the church was strong numerically, independent financially, and fervent in spirituality.
A church budget was set up beginning in September 25, 1932.
On September 23, 1933, the church voted to build four small Sunday school rooms onto the back of the church. A building committee was set up to oversee and assist with the work: W.T. Bobo, chairman, R.W. Hardin, J.V. Gilpin, and Otis Dodson. After this, a large fan was installed in the back wall of one of the classrooms to help cool the church.
The following is an excerpt from the church minutes about a Spirit-led revival at Unity:
Unity Church had preaching by Pastor Reverend A. M. Nix on August 18, 1935, and also the following week by Reverend Gunthorp and received by baptism 17 and 4 by letter. --J.V. Gilpin, Church Clerk
.
On September 4, 1938 a piano was purchased for the church.
The following is an annual report from the church clerk:
Church Clerk’s report September 28, 1947
Total additions for year 4
By Baptism 3
By Letter 1
Total loss of membership 4
By letter 4
By death 0
Total members reported
Last year 146
Present 146
Church Treasure Report, Oct. 1, 1946 - September 30, 1947
Total Collections $ 578.31
Paid Bro. Nix 252.00
Paid Bro. Pate for Revival 100.00
Pianist Mame Jean Harbin 10.00
Paid Mrs. Whitson 10.00
Association Minutes 5.00
Paid Murry Hubbert coal bill 18.02
Stone Pipe .25
Church Record Book 2.55
Ladder 8.65
Cooperative Program 24.00
Paid on Vacation Bible School 5.00
Light bill for year 12.08
$ 469.34
Balance in Bank $ 250.21
At the end of 1950, the membership of Unity Baptist church was 147 members.
On January 4, 1953, the church voted to hold night preaching services on the first and third Sunday nights of the month.
On April 18, 1954, the church licensed Reverend Richmond Riley as a minister, and on May 8, 1955, the church voted and approved to have Reverend Riley preach until a pastor could be called. On December 17, 1956, the church ordained Reverend Riley.
On February 19, 1956, the church licensed Reverend M. D. Hubbert as a minister. In October 1958, the church ordained Reverend Hubbert to the ministry. Reverend Hubbert never pastored at Unity, but his home was in the community and his family always felt a strong connection to Unity. As Reverend Hubbert served in several different churches in the area, he continued to live in his home except for a six year period in which he moved closer to the church he was called to in Texas, Alabama in Walker County.
On April 10, 1955, the church went into conference and called Jessie G. Knight as pastor. On September 17, the church went into conference and approved a $15 raise for the pastor. Then on May 8, the church went into conference and resented the action taken at the April 10 meeting, which was to call Pastor Knight. Also at the May 8 meeting, R.B. Waldrop resigned his position as Superintendent of Sunday School. On August 7, M.D. Hubert was elected as Moderator. Also at this meeting, Reverend Glen Haeditch was called to be the Pastor for the coming year.
In February 1960, a committee was formed to oversee the building of a pastoral home. Men of the church did all the work, and $1,000 was borrowed. The new home was located on the north side of the church.
Other pastors serving at Unity included: 1948—Reverend S. E. Walker; 1949—Reverend Earl Hall; 1950—Reverend Marvin Parmer; 1951 through 1954—Reverend J. E. Jorton; 1955 through 1956—Reverend Theron Holliman; 1957 through 1958—Reverend Dan Cargile; 1959 through 1961—Reverend Clyde Latham; 1962 through 1964—Reverend James Purnell; 1965—Reverend George Credille; 1968—Reverend Clarence Wheelus, who for some unknown reason only attended one Wednesday night service and served as pastor for less than one week; Reverend Marvin Murphy was called in March of 1968; Reverend Robert Fullerton came in July of 1970.
In 1970 the four small classrooms on the back of the church were removed, and a two-story addition was added to the rear of the church. This was a sizeable addition for the church at this time and consisted of five good-sized classrooms, men’s and women’s restrooms upstairs, and a kitchen and fellowship hall downstairs. A great amount of the work in building this addition was done by men of the church. Mr. Hezzie Moore and his wife Leona worked tirelessly on this addition. Mr. Moore was retired and this allowed him and Leona to be able to spend considerable time at the church. At this time Mr. Moore was also chairman of the deacon board and treasurer of the church. This nice addition was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the members.
On June 27, 1976, the church approved installing central air conditioning in the church sanctuary. This would replace the two window units currently being used.
On October 5, 1977, the church approved adding bricks to the church up to the floor level. The church was built on sloping ground, and the north side of the church was relatively high off the ground.
On March 20, 1983 a motion by Mr. Ricky Sexton and a second by Mr. Richard Nix was unanimously approved by the church to build a much larger fellowship hall in the back of the church. The existing fellowship hall would be converted to classrooms and restrooms, and the kitchen would remain as it was. Also around this time, a baptistery was added inside the sanctuary and was greatly appreciated, especially in colder weather. Prior to having the baptistery, all baptisms were in the pond at the Auburn Extension Service.
On August 28, 1985, the trustees of Unity Baptist Church purchased 1.36 acres of property from Mrs. Nancy Eleanor Sims, Mr. Larry Ormond Sims, Mr. Billie Joe Sims, and Mr. Robert Dewayne Sims for $100. Trustees at this time included Mr. Chester Hallman, Mr. Hubert Price, Mr. Lacy Spain, Mr. Bill Musgrove, Mr. Harold Reed, and Mr. Robert Stamps.
In 1990, extensive remodeling of the church sanctuary was done and new light fixtures were added. New padded pews were purchased, which greatly improved the comfort during worship services.
Other pastors serving at Unity included Reverend Bobby Robbins who served beginning December 1, 1974, with a salary of $105 per week. Financially, times were difficult for the church but both Brother Bobby and the church stepped out on faith. Brother Bobby knew Unity was where God wanted him. He was always considered by the church to be bi-vocational, but he always approached his work on the church field as full time. Reverend Herbert Tackett who was called July18, 1978, succeeded Brother Bobby. Reverend Bobby Robbins returned on December 21, 1980, serving his second term as pastor of Unity until September 21, 1994, making his total length of service of service at Unity approximately 18 years. During this time Bro. Bobby became very close with his church members; It was like they were his family. Brother Bobby was always active in the Baptist Association, and he served in many positions including moderator. During his terms of service at Unity, Reverend Bobby accomplished a great work. He always had good revivals and he personally led many individuals to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and was committed to excellence in all areas of church work. He was an outstanding leader and very hard worker. He oversaw many construction projects and did a lot of the handy work himself.
On March 5, 1995, the church called Reverend Max Kimbrell who had a short, but good, pastorate at Unity. It came to a very abrupt and sad ending. On September 11, 1995, Reverend Kimbrell and his daughter Grace were fatally injured in an automobile accident on Highway 102. Reverend Kimbrell’s wife, Vickie and son Justus were also injured in the accident but survived. They also had two other sons, Percy and Alex.
Reverend Danny Dean came on January 10, 1996, and served until September 27, 1998.
Reverend Steve Stamps served from January 1, 1999, until July 23, 2006. In January 1999, there were extensive renovations to the pastoral home. The work included enclosing the carport as an additional bedroom, replacement of the heating and cooling system, painting and other miscellaneous repairs. All of this work was accomplished by Reverend Stamps and the men of the church.
On January 24, 2001, the church body agreed to become incorporated with a constitution, rules and regulations, and a Board of Trustees. The Trustees were: Mr. Harold Reed, Chairman of Deacons; Mr. Donald Wright, Deacon; Mr. Billy Joe Owens, Deacon; Mr. Rick Harkness, Deacon; Mr. Ferrell, Robertson, Treasurer and Reverend Steve Stamps, Pastor, ex officio.
On March 21, 2001, the church voted unanimously, due to structural damage by termites and other extensive repairs needed on the existing church building, that a new church would be constructed. It was agreed that the new church would be built on the south side of the present church. The trustees were given authority to borrow $150,000 from the Citizens Bank of Fayette at 8.3% interest to cover the cost of construction. Then on November 21, 2001, the church approved borrowing an additional $50,000 to complete the project.
Reverend Stamps, with several other men and women of the church, worked long hours helping build this building. Volunteers came to help from many different churches. It has been said that God sent Reverend Stamps to Unity for the purpose of building the church building. This new building was certainly a work of God. Due to the hard work of the church members and volunteers, the cost of construction was about half of what would have been normally. Prayer was constant for the project and God answered every need. The Fellowship Hall in the new church was named the Robertson Fellowship Hall to recognize him for his hard work in helping to build the new church building.
The new church construction was completed and dedicated on March 10, 2002, to be used for God’s purposes and to His glory. Reverend Lynwood Duncan, a long time friend of the church, delivered the message at the dedication ceremonies, and it was a proud day for the church and the community.
After the new church building was completed in 2001, the old church building was demolished. During this demolition, Heath Reed found a board in the Ladies Sunday School room that had Mr. Hezzie H. Moore’s name and date on it. Mr. Hezzie had written this many years earlier during a renovation of the room. This board was given to his sister, Mrs. Dezzie Moore Dodd and was later returned to the church by her son. This brought remembrance to the faithful membership and support this family provided Unity Baptist Church.
On June 5, 2011, the church approved a special recognition for the Moore family for all the members’ untiring dedication and continuous support of Unity Baptist Church. Remembered members of the family included John and Joann Moore and their children as shown in the picture here. Mr. Lowell H. Moore is the only living sibling, and he was present at the ceremonies. A plaque honoring the family was placed in the Fellowship Hall.
On June 7, 2006, the church approved the construction of the Chad Jordan Pavilion. Brother Chad died at a young age but his work lives on. People are being saved today due to Brother Chad’s encouragement.
Reverend Clint Ellis, who came to Unity directly from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, succeeded Reverend Stamps. He was the first pastor at Unity to be classified as full time. Several pastors before him had served full time but he was the first to be employed as full time.
Reverend Phillip Clark, who served from July 24, 2011 until the present, followed Reverend Ellis. During his short tenure at Unity, Reverend Clark has already had an outstanding pastorate. He and his wife Alexis developed the first logo for Unity which has been used extensively. The membership at Unity when Reverend Clark came was 75 families.
On December 29, 2011, approximately one third acre of property joining church property on the east side of the church was donated by Mr. Jimmy R. Sims and Mrs. Elaine B. Sims for $10 to Unity Baptist Church, a corporation in Alabama. At this time excavation work was approved by the church to prepare the site for future church growth. The church was very grateful for the donations, which allow work to begin on the new Family Life Center.
On September 21, 2011, the church approved borrowing $175,000 to construct a Family Life Center and then on July 12, 2012 the church approved borrowing an additional $50,000 to complete the project. The loan was made at The Citizens Bank of Fayette for 3.375% interest by the trustees of the church, who were: Mr. Donald Wright, Chairman of Deacons; Mr. Harold Reed, Deacon; Mr. Billy Joe Owens, Deacon; and Mr. Heath Reed, Church Treasure. As usual the members of the church worked very hard and the project was completed for considerably less than a contracted project would have cost. The Family Life Center was constructed with a high school- sized gym, classrooms, restrooms and modern kitchen. One of the large classrooms was constructed as a safe room to be used by the community. Plans were made to use the old Fellowship Hall space to have a larger Nursery and Toddler room as soon as possible. On October 21, 2012, the Family Life Center was dedicated to God’s glory. This was a very special day. Bro. Phillip Clark preached the Dedication service and Emilly Burlesson provided special music and sang beautifully. A special Offering was taken up to be used for completion of the kitchen. The offering amounted to $10,000 and was sufficient to complete work on the Kitchen. Bro. Clark is a man dedicated to God and God is blessing Unity at this time.
Unity has exerted a wide influence, has been blessed with many great revivals, and has had part in the ongoing work of God’s kingdom. When we consider the kind of people and the type of character constituting this church, such as the Reeves, Harbins, Gilpin, Shirleys, Whites, Jones, Roberts, Mehergs, Moores, Trimm, Oswalt, Spain, Robertson and many others, we do not question that the church has been inspired by lofty ideals. These men, and others like them, have left as permanent impression upon the community. Time would fail us to mention the long list of men and women whose names adorn the pages of the church records. The church today is the result of their self-sacrificing labors, and although many of them have gone on to their eternal reward, their works are going on as a perpetual memorial to their lives. Membership at Unity Baptist Church of this writing in August 2012 is 125, and attendance for Sunday morning worship is approximately 100 per Sunday.
Unity Baptist Church Pastors
Elder N. J. Dyer May 24, 1880
Elder J. S. Shirley August 27, 1892
Elder A. N. Reeves September 23, 1893
ReverendJ. S. Townsend September 1899
Reverend W. F. Gilpin December 1904
Reverend Lanuthe A. Connell September 17, 1904
Reverend J. A. Trimm January 1910
Reverend R. L. Berry 1919
Reverend A. M. Nix September 22, 1928
Rev, Luther Tucker 1938
Reverend A. M. Nix 1939
Reverend S. E. Walker 1948
Reverend Earl M. Hale 1949
Reverend Marvin Parmer 1950
Reverend J. E. Jorton 1951
Reverend Theron Holliman 1955
Reverend Dan Cargile 1957
Reverend Clyde Latham 1960
Reverend James Purnell 1962
Reverend George Credille 1965
Reverend Clarence Wheelus 1968
Reverend Marvin Murphy March 1968
Reverend Robert Fullerton July 1970
Reverend Bobby Robbins December 1, 1974
Reverend Herbert Tackett July 18, 1978
Reverend Bobby Robbins December 21, 1980
Reverend Max Kimbrell March 5, 1995
Reverend Danny Dean January 10, 1996
Reverend Steve Stamps January 1, 1999
Reverend Clint Ellis March 18, 2007
Reverend Phillip Clark July 24, 2011
The history that has been included in the preceding pages is by no means complete. Unity Baptist Church is a praying church and the miracles of the Holy Spirit could not be contained in this short document. As long as there are Christian people to carry on the Lord’s work, and as long as Jesus Christ tarries before returning for his Church, the work of Unity Baptist Church will continue.
By reading this history of Unity, you will experience some of the joy and see some of the services that our Christian forefathers carried on. As we look forward to the coming years in our service for God, let us all strive to dedicate ourselves completely to the Great Commission winning the world to the Salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Harold Reed, August 25, 2012
A great deal of the information contained in this document was obtained from the book, History of Fayette County Baptist Association, by Herbert M. and Jeanie P. Newell Banner Press c1968.
Prepared by Harold Reed, August 2012
Unity Baptist Church was founded on May 24, 1890, by the uniting of Mt. Joy Baptist Church with 72 members and Mt. Olive Baptist Church with 107 members, thus the name Unity was appropriate. During the process of coming together, both churches were very careful in keeping everything in order; they developed rules of order. Below is the church covenant, which was adopted as part of the process of coming together.
Church Covenant
Having been as we trust, brought by the divine grace to embrace The Lord Jesus and to give ourselves wholly to him, we do now solemnly and joyfully covenant with each other to walk together with him with brotherly love to His glory. As our common Lord and to the end that we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God and that the Glory of Christ may be manifested in the salvation of men, it is our solemn purpose as God shall give us strength to exercise a mutual care as members, one of another to formulate the growth of the whole body of Christian knowledge and the true Holiness, and to let our light shine before the world particularly to uphold the humble worship of God and the ordinances of His house by a regular attendance thereof to search diligently the sacred scriptures to train our children and those under our care with a view to the service of Christ and the enjoyment of Heaven. To contribute cheerfully of our means for the support of the poor for the maintenance of a faithful ministry of the gospel among us and for the spread of the gospel in the entire world. To exhort and if occasion require to admonish one another in the spirit of meekness considering ourselves least, we also be tempted to cheerfully submit to and continuously enforce the wholesome discipline of the church keeping ever the Unity of Christ in the bonds of peace used to endeavors by example and precept to teach transgressors the ways of that God whose we are and whom we serve, remembering that as in Baptism we have been buried with Christ and raised again so there is in us a special obligation henceforth to walk in the newness of life and may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which well blessing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom the glory for ever and ever.
AMEN
Unity has a wonderful history, and the many Christians who have made up its membership over the past 122 years have consistently been a body of praying believers who have served the Lord faithfully. Unity has always occupied an important position in Fayette County. Unity also has a long heritage of how our forefathers braved many difficulties to bring Baptist doctrine into Alabama and Fayette County.
The exact date of the first Baptists in Alabama is not known. When the earliest white settlers moved in from Georgia and the Carolinas, Baptists were among them. In 1810, there were 3,481 white inhabitants in Alabama, in the counties of Washington, Madison, and Baldwin. The first trace of Baptists in Alabama was in the Tennessee Valley. There, the Flint River Baptist Church was constituted on October 2, 1808, and Elder John Nicholson had the honor of organizing the first Baptist church in the State of Alabama. The Flint River Baptist Church is located a few miles northeast of Huntsville.
In the early 1800s, living conditions were unfavorable, and the early settlers underwent serious difficulties. For the most part, aggressive men traveled in various directions, preaching Baptist sentiments throughout Alabama, establishing Baptist churches in these areas. For a time, the newly constituted Baptist churches did not come together in associations; later, feeling the need for a close union and co-operation, associations were organized. One of the associations formed was the Tuscaloosa Baptist Association. The Tuscaloosa Baptist Association included Salem Baptist Church, constituted in1824 and located two miles south of New Lexington.
In 1832, and for 15 years following, Elder D. W. Andrews was the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church. In 1835, delegates from Salem and a few other churches, led by Elder Andrews, met and withdrew from the Tuscaloosa In 1871, some of the churches further north resigned from North River Baptist Association and organized the New River Baptist Association. Several causes led to the organization of the New River Association, but the largest issue was that the churches entering into the New River Association were located farthest from the North River churches, and the methods of travel were difficult.
The preliminary meeting for organizing the New River Baptist Association was held in early Spring of 1871, at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, located in Fayette County. The first annual meeting where a permanent association was started was held in October 1871 at Fayetteville Baptist Church in Fayette. The delegates present resolved to organize a new association, the New River Baptist Association.
Fayetteville Baptist Church was organized in 1850 and was active until 1905. The church was located in the cemetery in “Old Town” Fayette, but when it was dissolved was moved to “New Town” Fayette and renamed First Baptist Church of Fayette. At this time, Fayette was moving toward the railroad that had been built through town.
The twentieth annual session of New River Baptist Association was held beginning October 11, 1899, at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Fayette. At this annual session, a noticeable change occurred in terminology used in the minutes: Instead of the prefix “Elder,” ministers were then called “Reverend;” the term became commonly used, and it is now rare to hear one called elder now. (See Psalms 111:9 KJV for the only mention of “reverend” in the Bible.) Also, at this twentieth annual session, two churches were received into fellowship: Winfield and Unity. Winfield Baptist Church was located in the city of Winfield, and Unity Baptist Church was located eight miles north of Fayette. Several years later, on October 16 and 17, 1919, at the forty-ninth annual session of the New River Baptist Association held at Pleasant Hill Church, the name of the Association was change to the Fayette County Baptist Association.
Unity Baptist Church came into being as the result of Mt. Joy and Mt. Olive consolidating their memberships. Elder R. Adkins and Elder Albert M. King served Mt. Joy Baptist Church. On October 2, 1865, Elder Adkins was chosen as Pastor and served the church until 1871. There were several other pastors up until Elder W. J. Blankenship, who served until 1890.
Mt. Olive Baptist Church was located at Fords Bridge on Highway 102, eight miles north of Fayette. Mt. Olive was a mission church of Union Baptist church, constituted as the direct result of the ministry of Elder B. V. Shirley. Elder Shirley had also been pastor of Union Baptist Church from 1864. In 1871, Elder Shirley was the pastor of Mt. Olive until his death on June 14, 1877. Several other pastors were called until Elder W. J. Blankenship became pastor. He appears to be the last pastor of Mt. Olive and Mt. Joy until May 24, 1890, when they consolidated to become Unity.
At the time Unity was established, a committee of five men was appointed to oversee the business of the church and to draft rules of government for the church. The following men made up this committee:
Elder N. J. Dyer, Chairman, Pastor
J. A. Harbin, Church Clerk
Elder J. S. Shirley, 2nd Pastor of Unity
W. B. Shirley
J. F. Reeves
The first church building was built eight miles north of Fayette on Highway 43 North at Camp Comfort. On October 25, 1890, the members of Unity met to discuss constructing the first church building. A collection of $131 was taken up to buy materials for the church building. On December 1, 1890, the first workday was held to work on the church building. God has always ensured that Unity had several good carpenters, men who could build, repair, or renovate as needed. It has always been the practice for the men of the church to do all the work they could on the church before a contractor was hired.
The original church building was located across the creek and about one-fourth of a mile north of the present location. Services were held once a month, with preaching on Saturday and Sunday, due to difficulty of travel at night. Transportation was typically by horse-drawn wagon, usually with children lying on blankets in the back of the wagon and only a kerosene lantern for light.
After all worship services, the church would hold a conference. The pastor would serve as moderator and conduct the business session. The membership would then vote to open the doors of the church to receive new members. At this time, anyone seeking to join Unity Baptist Church would present himself for membership.
The original church building was a single story building. On August 17, 1907, the church partnered with an organization called the Odd Fellows, somewhat similar to the Masons. The Odd Fellows agreed to remodel the entire church and to bear all the expenses; the church in turn would allow the Odd Fellows to add a second story to the church for them to hold their meetings. The upstairs was always locked and only the Odd Fellows had access.
On July 24, 1892, the church voted to purchase hymnbooks. The price of the hymnbooks is not known. There didn’t seem to be any discussion as to round notes or shaped notes; the congregation must have been proud just to have these books after two years without them.
On September 24, 1892, a church member was brought before the church for drunkenness. It was agreed that the church member be given one month and then be required to make his own statement before the church. He was later excluded from membership.
On December 18, 1893 a member was brought before the church for dancing. This member asked for pardon and forgiveness and the church voted to receive the apology. The circumstances of the member’s actions are not known, but there was a dance hall located on the north side of the creek, just south of the church.
The first record of a revival service held at Unity was on July 21, 1894. This revival was continued for 12 days; the church received one member by letter and 10 by faith.
Unity licensed its first minister, Elder Lanuthe Connell, on September 22, 1894.
On March 14, 1903 a collection of $8.81 was taken for Foreign Missions, and a collection of $3 was taken for the Children’s Home.
On December 14, 1907 an offering of $2 was taken for Foreign Missions, and an offering of $ .70 was taken for Howard College.
Unity Baptist Church has never had a cemetery of its own and there had not been any mention of a cemetery at Mt. Olive or Mt. Joy. However, a community cemetery was established behind Housh’s Chapel Church. Previously, the grantors of R.B. Housh gave one-half acre of property with the grave of Mr. John Reves in the center of the land dedicated. On May 14, 1942, M.D. Kirkley and Anna Kirley, who owned a jewelry store in Tuscaloosa and had a second home in the Camp Comfort community, dedicated one and a half acres to the general public. This land surrounded the existing one-half acre. On May 5, 1978, the Camp Comfort Community Cemetery Association Corporation was established with a Board of Trustees. Several members of Unity have been buried at the cemetery, and even though the cemetery does not belong to Unity, the church does feel some ownership of the cemetery.
On September 25, 1925 the pastor’s annual salary was set at $100.
The first pastor of Unity Baptist Church was Elder N. J. Dyer, who served from its organization in 1890 until August 27, 1892, when Elder J. S. Shirley was made pastor. Elder Shirley’s was a short pastorate, terminating September 29, 1893. According to early records of Unity Baptist Church Elder N. J. Dyer and Elder J. B. Shirley served in a joint pastorate for a short period. At this time the church voted on the pastorate of the church every year. Elder A. N. Reeves succeeded Elder Shirley. Elder Reeves resigned in September 1899 and Revered J. S. Townsend was made pastor, serving through 1903. Revered W. F. Gilpin was chosen as the fifth pastor and served in this capacity for one year. On December 17, 1904, the church elected Reverend L. A. Connell, who served continuously through 1910. Reverend A. J. Trimm was chosen to succeed him.
Reverend Trimm was born in 1854 in Fayette, Alabama, and lived for 80 years until 1934. He married a Native American woman named Mary Rainwater, who died in 1923. A. J. Trimm was a Baptist minister. The Unity Baptist Church minutes, shown below, show that on September 17, 1910, Reverend A. J. Trimm was called as pastor of Unity, likely the beginning of the Trimm family at Unity Baptist Church. Reverend A. J. Trimm was the great grandfather of Mr. Robert (Bob) Trimm, who was a lifetime supporter of Unity Baptist Church.
Fayette Co., AL
Sept. 17, 1910
After preaching by Elder J. Shirley, Unity Church sat in conference.
Invited visiting brethren and sisters to seats and privileges with us.
Open doors of the church.
Call for references.
Call for general business info.
Church elected Pastor and Clerk for insuring year: A. J. Trim Pastor and M. G. Reeves, Clerk.
Reverend A. J. Trimm was chosen in 1910 and was the pastor until 1919. He was succeeded by Reverend R. L. Berry. Reverend Berry’s pastorate continued until September 22, 1928 and was succeeded by Reverend A. M. Nix from 1929 through 1935. Reverend Luther Tucker served for a short time during 1938 and Reverend A. M. Nix returned as pastor from 1939 through 1946.
Reverend Nix was a special man of God. He was born August 10, 1893, in Marion County Alabama. Mr. Nix was converted and baptized in September 1907. On December 11, 1911, he married Miss Tinnie Strickland. They had five children: three daughters and two sons. He was called to preach the Gospel in October 1912, and was ordained into the Gospel ministry in 1913. Reverend Nix received his education at Tishomingo High School in Tishomingo, Mississippi, and at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Reverend Nix served in more than 20 churches in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, including two times at Unity Baptist Church, 34 years at Bethel Baptist Church and 18 years at Fayette First Baptist Church. Reverend Nix was one of the best-known ministers in the area.
For more than a decade before Reverend A. M. Nix was chosen, the church had been on a gradual decline in all phases of Christian activity. The congregation had greatly diminished, the membership had decreased, and the body was apparently inactive. From the beginning of Reverend Nix’s pastorate, the attendance rapidly increased and the growth in membership was marvelous. The percent of increase in membership at the close of the first year was very large. As a result, on April 14, 1929, the church appointed a building committee, including Mr. R. W. Harbin, Mr. D. A. Riley, and Mr. J. V. Gilpin, chairman.
On May 12, 1929, the committee voted and approved to build the new building. The 21/25th of an acre of property for the new church building was purchased on September 13, 1929 from Mr. H. M. Couch and his wife Mrs. Stella Couch, for and in consideration of $50, paid by Mr. R. W. Harbin, Mr. T. L. Jones, and Mr. J. V. Gilpin (Trustees of Unity Baptist Church).
The church took 15 and a half days to build for a total cost of $948.87. At this time, the church Treasury only had $515.80 and it was agreed that a free will offering would be collected each Sunday until the balance was collected.
This building was not overdone with the comforts of home, but it was built to the glory of God and it was something the community could be proud of. This new church was at the site just north of where the church is now located. On December 8, 1929, the first services were held in the new church.
The church was built as only a sanctuary, and soon a men’s classroom and women’s classroom on each side of the sanctuary were added. A coal-burning heater was located in front of and to the right of the pulpit for heating and the only cooling was to raise a window. Mr. Robert (Bob) Trimm said when he was a baby, his mother would lay him on a blanket near the stove during worship services. This seems quite fitting, because his father, Brother Felix Trimm, had the responsibility of bringing coal to the church for the stove.
On September 26, 1931, Sunday school was started at Unity.
In 1931, as it came to the close of the third year under Reverend A. M. Nix’s leadership, a careful check on the history and workings of the church revealed the fact that the church was strong numerically, independent financially, and fervent in spirituality.
A church budget was set up beginning in September 25, 1932.
On September 23, 1933, the church voted to build four small Sunday school rooms onto the back of the church. A building committee was set up to oversee and assist with the work: W.T. Bobo, chairman, R.W. Hardin, J.V. Gilpin, and Otis Dodson. After this, a large fan was installed in the back wall of one of the classrooms to help cool the church.
The following is an excerpt from the church minutes about a Spirit-led revival at Unity:
Unity Church had preaching by Pastor Reverend A. M. Nix on August 18, 1935, and also the following week by Reverend Gunthorp and received by baptism 17 and 4 by letter. --J.V. Gilpin, Church Clerk
.
On September 4, 1938 a piano was purchased for the church.
The following is an annual report from the church clerk:
Church Clerk’s report September 28, 1947
Total additions for year 4
By Baptism 3
By Letter 1
Total loss of membership 4
By letter 4
By death 0
Total members reported
Last year 146
Present 146
Church Treasure Report, Oct. 1, 1946 - September 30, 1947
Total Collections $ 578.31
Paid Bro. Nix 252.00
Paid Bro. Pate for Revival 100.00
Pianist Mame Jean Harbin 10.00
Paid Mrs. Whitson 10.00
Association Minutes 5.00
Paid Murry Hubbert coal bill 18.02
Stone Pipe .25
Church Record Book 2.55
Ladder 8.65
Cooperative Program 24.00
Paid on Vacation Bible School 5.00
Light bill for year 12.08
$ 469.34
Balance in Bank $ 250.21
At the end of 1950, the membership of Unity Baptist church was 147 members.
On January 4, 1953, the church voted to hold night preaching services on the first and third Sunday nights of the month.
On April 18, 1954, the church licensed Reverend Richmond Riley as a minister, and on May 8, 1955, the church voted and approved to have Reverend Riley preach until a pastor could be called. On December 17, 1956, the church ordained Reverend Riley.
On February 19, 1956, the church licensed Reverend M. D. Hubbert as a minister. In October 1958, the church ordained Reverend Hubbert to the ministry. Reverend Hubbert never pastored at Unity, but his home was in the community and his family always felt a strong connection to Unity. As Reverend Hubbert served in several different churches in the area, he continued to live in his home except for a six year period in which he moved closer to the church he was called to in Texas, Alabama in Walker County.
On April 10, 1955, the church went into conference and called Jessie G. Knight as pastor. On September 17, the church went into conference and approved a $15 raise for the pastor. Then on May 8, the church went into conference and resented the action taken at the April 10 meeting, which was to call Pastor Knight. Also at the May 8 meeting, R.B. Waldrop resigned his position as Superintendent of Sunday School. On August 7, M.D. Hubert was elected as Moderator. Also at this meeting, Reverend Glen Haeditch was called to be the Pastor for the coming year.
In February 1960, a committee was formed to oversee the building of a pastoral home. Men of the church did all the work, and $1,000 was borrowed. The new home was located on the north side of the church.
Other pastors serving at Unity included: 1948—Reverend S. E. Walker; 1949—Reverend Earl Hall; 1950—Reverend Marvin Parmer; 1951 through 1954—Reverend J. E. Jorton; 1955 through 1956—Reverend Theron Holliman; 1957 through 1958—Reverend Dan Cargile; 1959 through 1961—Reverend Clyde Latham; 1962 through 1964—Reverend James Purnell; 1965—Reverend George Credille; 1968—Reverend Clarence Wheelus, who for some unknown reason only attended one Wednesday night service and served as pastor for less than one week; Reverend Marvin Murphy was called in March of 1968; Reverend Robert Fullerton came in July of 1970.
In 1970 the four small classrooms on the back of the church were removed, and a two-story addition was added to the rear of the church. This was a sizeable addition for the church at this time and consisted of five good-sized classrooms, men’s and women’s restrooms upstairs, and a kitchen and fellowship hall downstairs. A great amount of the work in building this addition was done by men of the church. Mr. Hezzie Moore and his wife Leona worked tirelessly on this addition. Mr. Moore was retired and this allowed him and Leona to be able to spend considerable time at the church. At this time Mr. Moore was also chairman of the deacon board and treasurer of the church. This nice addition was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the members.
On June 27, 1976, the church approved installing central air conditioning in the church sanctuary. This would replace the two window units currently being used.
On October 5, 1977, the church approved adding bricks to the church up to the floor level. The church was built on sloping ground, and the north side of the church was relatively high off the ground.
On March 20, 1983 a motion by Mr. Ricky Sexton and a second by Mr. Richard Nix was unanimously approved by the church to build a much larger fellowship hall in the back of the church. The existing fellowship hall would be converted to classrooms and restrooms, and the kitchen would remain as it was. Also around this time, a baptistery was added inside the sanctuary and was greatly appreciated, especially in colder weather. Prior to having the baptistery, all baptisms were in the pond at the Auburn Extension Service.
On August 28, 1985, the trustees of Unity Baptist Church purchased 1.36 acres of property from Mrs. Nancy Eleanor Sims, Mr. Larry Ormond Sims, Mr. Billie Joe Sims, and Mr. Robert Dewayne Sims for $100. Trustees at this time included Mr. Chester Hallman, Mr. Hubert Price, Mr. Lacy Spain, Mr. Bill Musgrove, Mr. Harold Reed, and Mr. Robert Stamps.
In 1990, extensive remodeling of the church sanctuary was done and new light fixtures were added. New padded pews were purchased, which greatly improved the comfort during worship services.
Other pastors serving at Unity included Reverend Bobby Robbins who served beginning December 1, 1974, with a salary of $105 per week. Financially, times were difficult for the church but both Brother Bobby and the church stepped out on faith. Brother Bobby knew Unity was where God wanted him. He was always considered by the church to be bi-vocational, but he always approached his work on the church field as full time. Reverend Herbert Tackett who was called July18, 1978, succeeded Brother Bobby. Reverend Bobby Robbins returned on December 21, 1980, serving his second term as pastor of Unity until September 21, 1994, making his total length of service of service at Unity approximately 18 years. During this time Bro. Bobby became very close with his church members; It was like they were his family. Brother Bobby was always active in the Baptist Association, and he served in many positions including moderator. During his terms of service at Unity, Reverend Bobby accomplished a great work. He always had good revivals and he personally led many individuals to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and was committed to excellence in all areas of church work. He was an outstanding leader and very hard worker. He oversaw many construction projects and did a lot of the handy work himself.
On March 5, 1995, the church called Reverend Max Kimbrell who had a short, but good, pastorate at Unity. It came to a very abrupt and sad ending. On September 11, 1995, Reverend Kimbrell and his daughter Grace were fatally injured in an automobile accident on Highway 102. Reverend Kimbrell’s wife, Vickie and son Justus were also injured in the accident but survived. They also had two other sons, Percy and Alex.
Reverend Danny Dean came on January 10, 1996, and served until September 27, 1998.
Reverend Steve Stamps served from January 1, 1999, until July 23, 2006. In January 1999, there were extensive renovations to the pastoral home. The work included enclosing the carport as an additional bedroom, replacement of the heating and cooling system, painting and other miscellaneous repairs. All of this work was accomplished by Reverend Stamps and the men of the church.
On January 24, 2001, the church body agreed to become incorporated with a constitution, rules and regulations, and a Board of Trustees. The Trustees were: Mr. Harold Reed, Chairman of Deacons; Mr. Donald Wright, Deacon; Mr. Billy Joe Owens, Deacon; Mr. Rick Harkness, Deacon; Mr. Ferrell, Robertson, Treasurer and Reverend Steve Stamps, Pastor, ex officio.
On March 21, 2001, the church voted unanimously, due to structural damage by termites and other extensive repairs needed on the existing church building, that a new church would be constructed. It was agreed that the new church would be built on the south side of the present church. The trustees were given authority to borrow $150,000 from the Citizens Bank of Fayette at 8.3% interest to cover the cost of construction. Then on November 21, 2001, the church approved borrowing an additional $50,000 to complete the project.
Reverend Stamps, with several other men and women of the church, worked long hours helping build this building. Volunteers came to help from many different churches. It has been said that God sent Reverend Stamps to Unity for the purpose of building the church building. This new building was certainly a work of God. Due to the hard work of the church members and volunteers, the cost of construction was about half of what would have been normally. Prayer was constant for the project and God answered every need. The Fellowship Hall in the new church was named the Robertson Fellowship Hall to recognize him for his hard work in helping to build the new church building.
The new church construction was completed and dedicated on March 10, 2002, to be used for God’s purposes and to His glory. Reverend Lynwood Duncan, a long time friend of the church, delivered the message at the dedication ceremonies, and it was a proud day for the church and the community.
After the new church building was completed in 2001, the old church building was demolished. During this demolition, Heath Reed found a board in the Ladies Sunday School room that had Mr. Hezzie H. Moore’s name and date on it. Mr. Hezzie had written this many years earlier during a renovation of the room. This board was given to his sister, Mrs. Dezzie Moore Dodd and was later returned to the church by her son. This brought remembrance to the faithful membership and support this family provided Unity Baptist Church.
On June 5, 2011, the church approved a special recognition for the Moore family for all the members’ untiring dedication and continuous support of Unity Baptist Church. Remembered members of the family included John and Joann Moore and their children as shown in the picture here. Mr. Lowell H. Moore is the only living sibling, and he was present at the ceremonies. A plaque honoring the family was placed in the Fellowship Hall.
On June 7, 2006, the church approved the construction of the Chad Jordan Pavilion. Brother Chad died at a young age but his work lives on. People are being saved today due to Brother Chad’s encouragement.
Reverend Clint Ellis, who came to Unity directly from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, succeeded Reverend Stamps. He was the first pastor at Unity to be classified as full time. Several pastors before him had served full time but he was the first to be employed as full time.
Reverend Phillip Clark, who served from July 24, 2011 until the present, followed Reverend Ellis. During his short tenure at Unity, Reverend Clark has already had an outstanding pastorate. He and his wife Alexis developed the first logo for Unity which has been used extensively. The membership at Unity when Reverend Clark came was 75 families.
On December 29, 2011, approximately one third acre of property joining church property on the east side of the church was donated by Mr. Jimmy R. Sims and Mrs. Elaine B. Sims for $10 to Unity Baptist Church, a corporation in Alabama. At this time excavation work was approved by the church to prepare the site for future church growth. The church was very grateful for the donations, which allow work to begin on the new Family Life Center.
On September 21, 2011, the church approved borrowing $175,000 to construct a Family Life Center and then on July 12, 2012 the church approved borrowing an additional $50,000 to complete the project. The loan was made at The Citizens Bank of Fayette for 3.375% interest by the trustees of the church, who were: Mr. Donald Wright, Chairman of Deacons; Mr. Harold Reed, Deacon; Mr. Billy Joe Owens, Deacon; and Mr. Heath Reed, Church Treasure. As usual the members of the church worked very hard and the project was completed for considerably less than a contracted project would have cost. The Family Life Center was constructed with a high school- sized gym, classrooms, restrooms and modern kitchen. One of the large classrooms was constructed as a safe room to be used by the community. Plans were made to use the old Fellowship Hall space to have a larger Nursery and Toddler room as soon as possible. On October 21, 2012, the Family Life Center was dedicated to God’s glory. This was a very special day. Bro. Phillip Clark preached the Dedication service and Emilly Burlesson provided special music and sang beautifully. A special Offering was taken up to be used for completion of the kitchen. The offering amounted to $10,000 and was sufficient to complete work on the Kitchen. Bro. Clark is a man dedicated to God and God is blessing Unity at this time.
Unity has exerted a wide influence, has been blessed with many great revivals, and has had part in the ongoing work of God’s kingdom. When we consider the kind of people and the type of character constituting this church, such as the Reeves, Harbins, Gilpin, Shirleys, Whites, Jones, Roberts, Mehergs, Moores, Trimm, Oswalt, Spain, Robertson and many others, we do not question that the church has been inspired by lofty ideals. These men, and others like them, have left as permanent impression upon the community. Time would fail us to mention the long list of men and women whose names adorn the pages of the church records. The church today is the result of their self-sacrificing labors, and although many of them have gone on to their eternal reward, their works are going on as a perpetual memorial to their lives. Membership at Unity Baptist Church of this writing in August 2012 is 125, and attendance for Sunday morning worship is approximately 100 per Sunday.
Unity Baptist Church Pastors
Elder N. J. Dyer May 24, 1880
Elder J. S. Shirley August 27, 1892
Elder A. N. Reeves September 23, 1893
ReverendJ. S. Townsend September 1899
Reverend W. F. Gilpin December 1904
Reverend Lanuthe A. Connell September 17, 1904
Reverend J. A. Trimm January 1910
Reverend R. L. Berry 1919
Reverend A. M. Nix September 22, 1928
Rev, Luther Tucker 1938
Reverend A. M. Nix 1939
Reverend S. E. Walker 1948
Reverend Earl M. Hale 1949
Reverend Marvin Parmer 1950
Reverend J. E. Jorton 1951
Reverend Theron Holliman 1955
Reverend Dan Cargile 1957
Reverend Clyde Latham 1960
Reverend James Purnell 1962
Reverend George Credille 1965
Reverend Clarence Wheelus 1968
Reverend Marvin Murphy March 1968
Reverend Robert Fullerton July 1970
Reverend Bobby Robbins December 1, 1974
Reverend Herbert Tackett July 18, 1978
Reverend Bobby Robbins December 21, 1980
Reverend Max Kimbrell March 5, 1995
Reverend Danny Dean January 10, 1996
Reverend Steve Stamps January 1, 1999
Reverend Clint Ellis March 18, 2007
Reverend Phillip Clark July 24, 2011
The history that has been included in the preceding pages is by no means complete. Unity Baptist Church is a praying church and the miracles of the Holy Spirit could not be contained in this short document. As long as there are Christian people to carry on the Lord’s work, and as long as Jesus Christ tarries before returning for his Church, the work of Unity Baptist Church will continue.
By reading this history of Unity, you will experience some of the joy and see some of the services that our Christian forefathers carried on. As we look forward to the coming years in our service for God, let us all strive to dedicate ourselves completely to the Great Commission winning the world to the Salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Harold Reed, August 25, 2012
A great deal of the information contained in this document was obtained from the book, History of Fayette County Baptist Association, by Herbert M. and Jeanie P. Newell Banner Press c1968.
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