The Unusual 1908 Dedication of the First Baptist Church Sanctuary-- Masonic history. Note original name "Decatur Baptist" changed to FBC in 1919/incorporated as such 1932
The August 11, 1908 dedication of the third sanctuary of the First Baptist Church (now the Stephenson Chapel named for Pastor Emeritus W.K. Stephenson) was quite unusual in a number of aspects.
One of those was the temporary moving of the wooden second sanctuary from about ½ block to the NE on Church Street between Oak and Line Streets to a place in the middle of Oak Street near Lafayette Street side by side with the new sanctuary. Why this was done is a mystery (perhaps to remind the congregation of the humble 1883 structure in which they had endured compared to the gorgeous and spacious brick sanctuary to be occupied 25 years later?) but below is the absolute photographic evidence that this DID occur. The older wooden sanctuary probably did not have either plumbing or electricity capability, therefore was easy to simply jack up off of the foundation, place on multiple wagons and move intact. There are buildings remaining in Decatur today that were moved one or more times to new locations in exactly this manner.
A second unusual aspect of the dedication was the significant Masonic participation in the dedication ceremony. Many statewide Masonic officers were in the city at that exact time for a conference, so were invited to participate and did so! According to Allie Butler in her definitive history of FBC, “Celebrating Over 150 Years”, “With most of the prominent men of the church and of Decatur being Masons, and with all the important buildings around the nation having the cornerstone ceremony conducted by the Masons, their presence at the ceremony for the building of the church was a mark of the high esteem with which this particular building was viewed throughout the city and the state. A record of this event is duly recorded in the book, “Masonry in Alabama”…” It should be noted that among the articles placed inside the cornerstone for future opening were a number of Masonic articles as well FBC memorabilia including a chronological history of the church, a membership list and other information about both the church and the town at that time.
Yet another unusual aspect of the dedication of the 1908 sanctuary was WHO wrote the church history up to that time that was placed inside the cornerstone. First Baptist Church member Samuel Sinclair Broadus (who lived diagonally across Oak Street from the church) was a very famous banker who worked for a time with John D. Rockefeller at Standard Oil Co. and later was a founder of what became the Tennessee Valley Bank (where the Morgan County Archives is today) which became State National Bank—Central—Compass and now BBVA Bank. He was also a financial instructor of great renown.
Mr. Broadus was famous in his own right but additionally so because of his family. His father John Albert Broadus was a founder of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, then in SC, now in Louisville, KY, and an early President and professor at that seminary. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon often called John Albert Broadus “the greatest of living preachers”. Noted church historian Albert H. Newman called J.A. Broadus “perhaps the greatest preacher the Baptists have ever produced”. A number of editions of the Baptist Hymnal have borne the name of “Broadman” which is a direct reference to this family. There is an antique case inside First Baptist Church today which holds a number of historical pieces of memorabilia from the Broadus family. Decatur historians Phil Wirey and Mark Ray have separately created excellent programs on this family worthy of exploration!
The August 11, 1908 dedication of the third sanctuary of the First Baptist Church (now the Stephenson Chapel named for Pastor Emeritus W.K. Stephenson) was quite unusual in a number of aspects.
One of those was the temporary moving of the wooden second sanctuary from about ½ block to the NE on Church Street between Oak and Line Streets to a place in the middle of Oak Street near Lafayette Street side by side with the new sanctuary. Why this was done is a mystery (perhaps to remind the congregation of the humble 1883 structure in which they had endured compared to the gorgeous and spacious brick sanctuary to be occupied 25 years later?) but below is the absolute photographic evidence that this DID occur. The older wooden sanctuary probably did not have either plumbing or electricity capability, therefore was easy to simply jack up off of the foundation, place on multiple wagons and move intact. There are buildings remaining in Decatur today that were moved one or more times to new locations in exactly this manner.
A second unusual aspect of the dedication was the significant Masonic participation in the dedication ceremony. Many statewide Masonic officers were in the city at that exact time for a conference, so were invited to participate and did so! According to Allie Butler in her definitive history of FBC, “Celebrating Over 150 Years”, “With most of the prominent men of the church and of Decatur being Masons, and with all the important buildings around the nation having the cornerstone ceremony conducted by the Masons, their presence at the ceremony for the building of the church was a mark of the high esteem with which this particular building was viewed throughout the city and the state. A record of this event is duly recorded in the book, “Masonry in Alabama”…” It should be noted that among the articles placed inside the cornerstone for future opening were a number of Masonic articles as well FBC memorabilia including a chronological history of the church, a membership list and other information about both the church and the town at that time.
Yet another unusual aspect of the dedication of the 1908 sanctuary was WHO wrote the church history up to that time that was placed inside the cornerstone. First Baptist Church member Samuel Sinclair Broadus (who lived diagonally across Oak Street from the church) was a very famous banker who worked for a time with John D. Rockefeller at Standard Oil Co. and later was a founder of what became the Tennessee Valley Bank (where the Morgan County Archives is today) which became State National Bank—Central—Compass and now BBVA Bank. He was also a financial instructor of great renown.
Mr. Broadus was famous in his own right but additionally so because of his family. His father John Albert Broadus was a founder of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, then in SC, now in Louisville, KY, and an early President and professor at that seminary. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon often called John Albert Broadus “the greatest of living preachers”. Noted church historian Albert H. Newman called J.A. Broadus “perhaps the greatest preacher the Baptists have ever produced”. A number of editions of the Baptist Hymnal have borne the name of “Broadman” which is a direct reference to this family. There is an antique case inside First Baptist Church today which holds a number of historical pieces of memorabilia from the Broadus family. Decatur historians Phil Wirey and Mark Ray have separately created excellent programs on this family worthy of exploration!
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