Goodrich First Baptist Church celebrates 121st anniversary

By Brenda Gokey Hambrick 
Goodrich Gadabout

Goodrich First Baptist Church will host its 121st anniversary this Sunday with services at 11 a.m.  and dinner on the grounds following at noon. Sunday will not only be the homecoming celebration, but it will also be the beginning of a revival featuring Paul and Vanessa Cherry. The revival is slated for Sunday through Wednesday, with the Sunday service at 11 a.m. and the other services at 5:30 p.m.

It is truly a “God thing” that this little country church has managed to keep its doors open through all these decades. Think back 121 years ago and then in your mind work your way through the decades from the year 1903 to this current year of 2024. The wars, the Great Depression, more wars, hurricanes, highway rerouting, and most currently the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been years of plenty and there have been some pretty slim times, but here this church still stands with its doors open to welcome everybody. This could only have been accomplished through God’s Grace. There have been times of sadness when members who were the backbones of this church passed on to Glory, and there have also been many happy times … new births, weddings, homecoming services, “burning the note” years ago, and most importantly, many souls have found Christ in this little county church. The good times far outnumber the sad times.

One hundred twenty-one years ago, a small group of individuals living in this community gathered together and after many prayers … they decided to step out on their faith and take on the job of building a church. They had the love of Christ, their love of this community and they had the faith that God had sanctioned their efforts and they believed. They not only built the physical church, but they also became the church.

Every generation, since the original members, has accepted the responsibility of continuing to build this church in God’s name. This job will never be finished … it is an endless job only to cease when our Lord comes again. Today’s generation and all the generations to come after us share that same responsibility ... not to grow weary, not to grow weak, not to become faint of heart, but instead to hold strong and to believe that God’s strength will enable them to move this church forward no matter what.

While this milestone is exciting, we must also take time to reflect on our past and our roots and we much be appreciative of all the hard work that the generations before us did in order for this church to survive. These generations struggled through some difficult times. The original ones were barely making it from day to day but still they managed to plant the roots of this church so deep in God that the church they dreamed of – the church they sacrificed so much for – is still standing strong this 121 years later. How happy those same Saints must be watching from their heavenly home.

Goodrich First Baptist Church has always been a very important part of this community’s past. Many times it has been said (mostly by me) that this church is a living history book on the Goodrich community.

But stepping out of the past, Goodrich First Baptist is still a very important part of this community. The church doors are open to everyone. The church has served as a shelter during storms and hurricanes, it has served as a place for town meetings, weddings and funerals but mostly it stands as a refuge from a sometimes cold and often uncaring world for anyone seeking the solace that only God can give.

Goodrich First Baptist is not a social club, it’s not a church of one family or a church of a select few ... Goodrich First Baptist belongs first to God and then to this community. Everyone is welcome here without any judgement.

Now I will end this with the very same statement that has echoed through the years before and will hopefully continue on ... “Now as been prayed by each generation before us ... we now 121 years later offer this same prayer ... that this church will be as true to God in the next 121 years as in the past or until our Lord cometh.”

I never get tired of reading that wonderful statement that someone so many years ago wrote. All I do is change the number of years.

Pastor Tom Owen and the Goodrich First Baptist Church congregation extend a heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you to join with them not only today but for any or all church services.