IRH - First Baptist Church

This section is to honor the works of Russ Lancaster who started the “I Remember Hamlet” web site years ago. Without his pioneering the web at that time we might not have gathered all these memories of our Hamlet, NC. We thank you Russ for what you started in 1996, may you Rest in Peace. Russ was kind enough to let me download his web site before he took it down. Thank you Russ.
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David
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Location: Hamlet, NC
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IRH - First Baptist Church

Post by David »

First Baptist Church
1878-1998
by Russ Lancaster
First Baptist Church of Hamlet. The Church of m
Though First Baptist has been around since around 1878, my memories center around the period between 1947 - 1959 as I was growing up. But first, a little background history on this old Church.
The Church is located at 203 West Hamlet Avenue and occupies the entire block of Wilmington Street between Charlotte Street and Hamlet Avenue. It is a grand old structure with most of the original Church still in tact on the Southern side and modern structures on the Northern side.
The first pastor was Rev. Thomas Newberry in 1878. In the 120 year history of this church, there have been only 17 pastors to my knowledge. Once in Hamlet, they tend to stay there. The pastor with the longest (I believe) tenure was my pastor, Dr. James Bennett Willis, the 14th pastor. He was the leader of the Church from 1922 - 1959.
Dr. Willis seemed old by my standards even when I was only 6 years old. When preaching on Sunday mornings, he would pull out an old pocket watch, lay it beside the Bible and begin. I don't know why he did that because it never seemed to cut any of his sermons short. Around Noon, if we weren't already singing the Invitation Hynm, you could start to hear a few throats being cleared as if to remind Dr. Willis that it was getting to be time for Sunday dinner (usually fried chicken around our home). My parents made sure we were introduced to the Church at a very young age. I was a member of Sunday School from 1947 - 1959 when I first left Hamlet to join the U.S. Air Force. We boys were members of Royal Ambassadors and B.T.U. (Baptist Training Union) and as well as Sunday School and were taught some lessons that live with us to this day.
Some of my classmates those years were Donald Harris, Tommy Smart, David Lee Smith, Reuben Preslar and George Wooten. We were such a tight bunch of guys we even graduated our teacher with us as we moved to a newer class each year. His name was Mr. Tyner and lived on Charlotte Street very near the Church. He worked third shift on the railroad and would stay awake on Sunday mornings to teach our class. A fine man, he was.
I was led to Christ during a revival by the Reverend Billy Rivers in 1950 and baptized in the old
baptismal in the Church.
We boys were no angels by any means. We were often reprimanded by our B.T.U. teachers at night for our antics. We played games in Church when becoming bored (like counting how many bald-headed men we could find). But, just by being there, we were taught Christian values and love for one another.
My Dad was a Sunday School teacher there until he died in 1989 and my Mom who is approaching 75 still teaches the Senior Ladies Sunshine Class and is a Deacon in the Church.
I still love that old Church and I still remember Hamlet.
Pastors of First Baptist Church:
· Rev. Thomas Benjamin Newberry 1878 -?
· Rev. John Monroe Bennett 1882 -?
· Rev. Joseph Hampton Austin 1891 -?
· Rev. Thomas Sharpe Wright 1894 - 1895
· Rev. William J. Fulford 1896 -?
· Rev. Thomas Sharpe Wright 1897 -? (2nd time)
· Rev. Charles Henry Martin 1902 -?
· Rev. Leroy Norcross Chappell 1903 - 1906
· Rev. Edward Rowland Harris, Sr. 1906 - 1907
· Rev. Adolphus McKinney Burleson 1912 - 1916
· Rev. Jospeh Bryan Jackson 1909 - 1912
· Rev. Albert Thomas Howell, Sr. 1912 - 1916
· Rev. Jesse Martin Page 1916 - 1921
· Dr. James Bennett Willis 1922 - 1959
· Rev. Ben F. Broadway 1959 - 1970
· Dr. Billy Gardner Rivers 1970 - 1982
· Rev. Julian Price Clark 1983 * 1991
· Rev. Randy Allen Bishop 1992 - Present
eddie hobbs
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Re: IRH - First Baptist Church

Post by eddie hobbs »

I was Baptised here in1958 by Dr. J B Willis and remained a member here until 1972. I am a member of Kenansville Baptist Church now where I have been a Deacon for 14 years. I have just been elected for my second term as Kenansville Town Commissioner.
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