New Center News
New Center Baptist Church is celebrating its 124th birthday. The church was organized on Sept. 5, 1886, by Elton P. Simmons, William Mose Bryant, Siberia M. Simmons, Francis Scott Ferguson and Drusilla Pitts Ferguson.
Its members first met under a tree. Bro. William E. “Billy” Wright was called as the first pastor, serving continuously until his death in 1926.
The first church building was built of yellow popular logs in the fall of 1886 and was enlarged in 1892. The building was located in the northeast corner of the church property where the cemetery is now located. After the church was built, the land it was sitting on was donated by Francis Scott Ferguson and wife Drucilla Pitts Ferguson.
The history of the church is published in a book “History of New Center Community in Morgan County” by Maxine Newton Gibson.
Christian love and sympathy is extended to Pauline Maples in the loss of her brother, Robert Callahan, Linda Speegle in the loss of her aunt, Jewel Earnest, family and friends of Elizabeth Humphries, cousin of Milford Cobbs of Cullman and family and friends of Hug Adams, cousin of Patricia Moody.
Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Kathy Ray on Sept 3, Kayla Lacy, Jimmy Patterson and Tyler Brannon, all on Sept. 4, Frank Hanners. Joyce G. Blankenship and New Center Baptist Church (1886), all on Sept. 5, Elijah Halbrooks, Cala Jones and Tim Rayman, all on Sept. 6 and Darryl Gulley, Sheena H. Riner, Bill Stinson and Darren Tucker, all on Sept. 7.
Happy wedding anniversary wishes go out to Jerry and Robin Ferrell on Sept. 2, Sonny and Eula Francis Downs on Sept. 3 and, Vince and Glenda Lamberti, Frank and Kathryn Monk and Tom and Dee Dee Verbosh, all on Sept. 8.
