“A beacon of light” is what some of us thought of our church, First Baptist on West Second Street in Lumberton, N.C., founded in 1922 by about 50 members.

Then on Aug. 23, 2009, with 525 members, we celebrated our 87th anniversary homecoming — and heard what our church represented to others.

Presiding officer Zavery McDougald called the service to order by saying, “First Baptist is a church that is a gateway to salvation, healing, vision and a gateway for developing men and women who will preach the gospel.”

Helen Williams, co-chair of the anniversary committee, in excerpts from the poem, “Church of My Dreams,” by John Milton Moore, called First Baptist the church of her dreams, of the warm heart, the open mind, the adventurous spirit, the church that cares, that heals hurt lives, that challenges youth.

Thus we came to think of our church not only as a beacon, but also as a gateway and a dream. That August day was a celebration of our beginning and growth locally as an individual church and our participation in Baptist jurisdictions from local to international. For example, First Baptist participates in the Lumber River Baptist Association, the district’s governing agency, which sponsors an annual fund-raiser called the Rainbow Tea. George Lessane, chairman of First Baptist’s nurses and ushers committee, reported the committee won first place for the most appropriate table, highest attendance and the largest financial report at the tea.

As in the case above, in various ways First Baptist supports financially and is otherwise connected with the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, the National Baptist Convention and the General Baptist State Convention.

The beginning

First Baptist Church was born out of an historic consolidation. In 1922, the St. John and Providence Baptist churches, located near where First Baptist Church now stands, were in need of renovation. Each church had a small membership, which made it difficult to maintain an adequate building for worship services. The two churches met several times and, after much prayer, decided they would unite as the First Baptist Church and build a new structure.

Soon a tract of land was purchased from Willis Norris of Lumberton for $1,400. Members worshiped in the St. John Baptist Church and began construction on the new site. As soon as the new building could accommodate worship services, the members moved in while finishing work on the building.

During the next four years men of the church volunteered bricklaying and construction skills. The women helped by preparing meals for the men. In 1926, the cornerstone was placed on First Baptist Church at 301 Lincoln St.

Growth and renovations

The church building has been renovated four times — in 1959, 1963, 1969 and 2003 — to meet the needs of member growth and church-sponsored organizations.

There was a major renovation in 1963, when a modern sanctuary was added, along with a full basement, Sunday school classrooms and a new chapel. When this renovation was completed, the church faced West Second Street, as it does now. In 2003 the last renovation started. Members worshipped in the day care/fellowship hall during this time. The cornerstone was placed on Aug. 21, 2005.

Church leaders

More than 50 trustees and 50 deacons have served the church since its birth in 1922.

The Rev. H.C. Jones, from Weldon N.C., was the first pastor of the merged church. Serving until 1931, he is remembered as a builder of and worker for First Baptist. Jones was a teacher at Thompson Institute and also pastor of the Bright Hopewell Baptist Church in Laurinburg, N.C.

The Rev. G.W. Todd, from Goldsboro, served 14 years, followed in 1945 by the Rev. A.L. Mason. He was a student at Shaw University in Raleigh, and is remembered as a singer and preacher.

In 1948, the Rev. Eugene Burns Turner, a student at Shaw University, was called to First Baptist, where he would serve for the next 57 years. He took his challenge at First Baptist seriously, leading it to a full-service church of important influence throughout the area. Turner realized very soon that his role as an effective, forward-thinking pastor didn’t stop in the pulpit or within the walls of the sanctuary. He knew that the home, church, school, library and government systems must work together.

Under his leadership, more than 55 church auxiliary groups came into being. He ordained more than 50 ministers to carry the good news of Jesus Christ.

Building projects

Prior to 1953, the church purchased a building on Spruce Street, renovated it and dedicated it as the church’s first parsonage on March 8, 1953. The message was delivered by Hector MacLean, president of Southern National Bank of Lumberton, now BB&T.

In 1959 two house trailers were purchased from Fort Bragg and renovated into the first day care center in Robeson County. First Baptist continued to add facilities, a Boy Scout building in 1965 and the first Mattie Lessane Memorial Library in 1968. A house obtained from the Charity Hawkins family became a multi-purpose building, and the church established the Elizabeth Heights Cemetery and a church parking lot.

In 1970, the second church parsonage was dedicated at 301 Lincoln St. A second day care was opened in Turner Terrace in 1979. First Baptist Homes I, a 40-unit apartment complex for senior citizens and special-need residents, was started on 40 Marion Road in 1985.

When more day cares became available, the 1959 facility was renovated into a dining hall in 1996. In 1997, the First Baptist Homes II was completed at the same address.

Thanks to the Lumberton City Council, on which Turner served, a dike was constructed along the west side of Lumber River in 1977 and 1978. Thus, the land west of the dike had become much safer for building. Periodic flooding on the west side of Lumber River was no longer a given.

Outreach

The church purchased a van for day care and a van and large bus for the church. These vehicles have been used to carry people from their homes to worship services and on trips such as to the North Carolina Zoo, Barnum and Bailey Circus, area lakes and beaches, and many conferences and conventions all over the state.

The large bus has been used to carry the Girl Scouts to camp in Henderson, N.C. and to numerous Girl Scout functions. Encouraging higher education, the Hattie McDonald/Don McEachern Scholarship Fund awards a scholarship to members of the church who continue their education beyond high school.

A clothing pantry is open to the public. The church started a prison ministry through which deacons and trustees worship weekly with inmates at the Correction Center. In 1995, Doris McDonald and Odessa Williams were installed as the first women trustees. The following year Alease McDougald and Elizabeth Matthews established a prayer hour at noon each Thursday.

Our youth department sponsored a drama named “Teach Me How to Cry” at the Carolina Civic Center. Turner was concerned and involved with the youth. There are people all over the country who say, “Dr. Turner taught me first to prepare, then to stand up, hold on to the podium and to speak."

Numerous state, district and national conventions have been held at First Baptist: 1932, the N.C. Baptist State Sunday School Convention; 1938, the N.C. Baptist State Women Missionary Convention; 1951, 1969 and 1981, the N.C. Baptist State Ushers Convention; 1953, the State Laymen’s League Convention; 1956, the National NAACP Convention, with Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall as guest speaker; 1968, the General Baptist State Convention; and in 1979, the District United Order of Tents.

Turner leaves

In 2005, Dr. E.B. Turner retired after 57 years as pastor of First Baptist and with Georgia, his wife of 53 years, returned to his hometown of Goldston. His legacy included extraordinary work in the church and as a long-term elected and, at times, appointed official in city, county and state government.

The Rev. Arthur Foy, one of our members, served as interim pastor in 2005-06, and Deacon William Evans extended his tenure as board chairman while the church continued in Christian fellowship and service. As a kind of homage to the past in transition to the future, portraits of former pastors were assembled, along with additional artwork.

T.R. Murray, of Wilmington, was installed as pastor on Feb. 4, 2007. That same month, First Baptist Pastor’s Aid Society presented the Robeson County History Museum with a portrait of Turner, who was present for the event.

Reaching out to the public, church committees provided food, such as a hot dog celebration, and bimonthly midday meals. In 2008, sponsorship of a senior prom at Luther Britt Park and back-to-school parties in 2008-09 are examples of community work.

A home-going

On Oct. 5, 2008, Turner passed and five days later on Oct. 10 First Baptist celebrated a home-going service for its pastor emeritus. He was buried in Goldston. The next year, on Dec. 12, 2009, the funeral for his wife, Georgia M. Turner, was held at the church also. The church day care/fellowship hall has been named in Turner’s memory.

In addition to the usual activities, in 2009 a prayer room was dedicated, a family day celebrated, a Season Saints club organized and a gala at the junior high school was sponsored. It is the prayer and the hope of First Baptist at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Second Street to continue to be a light for the community.