The secret to longevity lies in patience, Pastor Isaac Whitehead Jr. reminded his congregation at First Baptist Church of Gainesville on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard this month. He reminded them that being patient in prayer will bring them the strength to pursue life at its fullest.
This comes from the pulpit of a 183-year-old missionary Baptist church, the oldest historically Black church in Gainesville and possibly the oldest church in Hall County.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that people prayed and kept on praying even in the midst of trials and in the midst of troubling times,” said Whitehead about the church’s longevity after his sermon on April 11. “Somebody prayed for us. Prayers were still going up as well as prayers were still being answered. And the patience for God to work it out, to not get in a hurry or get discouraged or give up. So, our people stayed the course… and God answered.”
You’ve brought me from a mighty, a mighty long way
In that congregation is Deborah Mack, a former Hall County Commissioner, local philanthropist and civic leader. Mack joined the church as a child, dedicating over 70 years as a member, and said the church helped her find her public speaking voice.
“I grew up in this church, and I was afforded the opportunity to experience a lot of different things. And this is where I got my learning, I guess, learning to speak publicly,” said Mack. “As young people growing up in the church, on the fifth Sunday of the month, we were required to get up and make presentations in front of the whole congregation. Those of us who went off to college were asked to come back some time or another. So, I guess this is where I got my learning, my experience and my encouragement to do public speaking.
“And everybody nurtured you. Your mother and father were here but there were other people in the church that served as your parents as well and you’d listen to them.”
Just like a church member’s life, the church itself does not come without trials. “I don’t think there’s been anything earth-shattering,” said Whitehead. “We’re old, we’ve been here since 1838, so I’m sure there’s been turbulent times as well as some blessed times.” Whitehead recalled the faith of his congregation during a financial crisis as he stepped into his role in the late 1990s.
“It was a blessing because the community got behind us and supported us - the pastors, the churches, the association, and different people chimed in and helped us during that time. A lot of times, people sort of stand in line to kick you while you’re down. But we had people sort of stand in line to help us out,” said Whitehead. “And I can’t say enough about our members because I came in… right at the beginning, and it was a tough situation. [For] the congregation to be going through something of that kind, to be able to trust you when you had just shown up… it’s because of them. God worked through them and they trusted me, and again, most of them didn’t know me, so they exercised their faith and had patience in prayer, and God worked it out.”
Whitehead couldn’t pick a favorite memory in his 23 years at First Baptist but said the journey has been a special one. “I’m just overjoyed by the fact that we’re still here, and that we are as well as we are.”
From Myrtle Street to MLK Jr Boulevard
The church opened its doors in 1838 and may be the oldest church in the city; however, records for the first few decades were either not recorded or were lost. Originally, the church was located on Myrtle Street, and still uses that name in its registration with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
The church began holding services 85 years before the current church facility was built on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and E.E. Butler Parkway, circa 1923. It has since had three major renovations, according to Mack. Mack said the building was originally wooden, with a brick veneer added later. “Then the fellowship hall was added on,” said Mack. “And then this [the back rooms and offices] was added on.”
A general history of the church, including all former pastors and some major additions to the building, is on the church’s website.
Discussion about possibly expanding the building, or even moving, has been continual, according to both Whitehead and Mack.
“I hope we will be able to acquire some other property around, what we call this corner, or move from this corner,” said Whitehead. “We’re sort of on an island almost, sitting in the middle of the intersection. We don’t have a lot of room for expansion, we don’t have a lot of room for parking.”
Whitehead said their neighbors have been willing to share parking space with them to help with overflow. While the conversations about moving or expanding haven’t been too serious, Whitehead said they’re hesitant to start a big building project in case they do decide they want to move. Until that decision is made, church members are focused on maintaining their current building.
The sanctuary is more compact but it doesn’t lack any features. A baptistry and choir loft sit behind the pulpit, an electric organ fills the room with music, and light-colored walls framed with stained glass windows shine over rows of velvet pews. A small foyer with a large, stained glass image of Jesus Christ ushers members and visitors into and out of the sanctuary. A fellowship room and other necessary operational rooms are accessible through two archways on either side of the pulpit.
Masks and social distancing are currently required, or members can watch the traditional service online in the afternoon from a multi-camera set up. Whitehead said he chose to keep the doors to the church open through the pandemic because the church is an essential part of the community.
“I never could figure out how a liquor store was essential, a gun store is essential, but the church isn’t,” said Whitehead. During the pandemic, he wanted to be mindful of people’s physical health, but also wanted their spiritual health to be maintained. In fact, Whitehead has never closed a church’s doors in the entire 33 years he has been a pastor.
“There have been a couple times I’ve come, no one has showed up so I’ll be here for a minute and then I leave. I’ve just never been led that way, it’s nothing to do with me, I’m not great-thou-art or nothing, I’ve just never thought that that was something I should do as a pastor and as a church, so I’ve never done it.”
When they decided to keep the doors open, Whitehead said he felt that anything could be done the correct way, so they worked to create the safest possible service following pandemic guidelines, including social distancing and masks.
The First Baptists
Within Gainesville city limits, there are numerous Baptist churches, but two that call themselves First Baptist Church of Gainesville. The other is First Baptist Church of Gainesville on Green Street.
“Nobody can lay claim to ‘First Baptist Church,’” Whitehead said with a laugh when asked about the shared name. “You’ve got a million of them!” In fact, in AccessWDUN’s coverage area there are at least nine “First Baptist” churches. “I don’t think there’s any need for us to fight over who had it first,” said Whitehead, adding that whenever they get mail or a phone call for their fellow First Baptist Church, they just forward it along.
Whitehead said there had been some conversation about changing the name around the time he arrived, but Mack said the conversation did not progress to the point of a serious discussion.
First Baptist Church of Gainesville – MLK is located on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and E.E. Butler Parkway. Sunday services begin at 9:45 a.m.
Service Time: In-person Sundays at 9:45 a.m.
On YouTube Sunday afternoon
