Gause Baptist Church

Gause Baptist Church. . In 1877, a group of settlers gathered to found Gause Baptist Church. W.T.N. Beasley of Rockdale served as pastor. In 1889, services were discontinued but Sunday School remained active. In 1893, the congregation was reorganized and services moved to the Methodist Church Building. John Whitfield Stephen (1860-1927) served as the second pastor, and the church included 38 members. Four years later, Gause Baptist Church built their own building on land donated by J.R. Fraim (1832-1907). The steeple was topped with a bell that is still in use today. The early half of the twentieth century saw Gause Baptist Church hold successful revivals. New converts were sometimes baptized nearby in the Little River. In 1950, the original frame building was replaced with another frame building, which had many features including central heating and cooling. A new parsonage was also built during this time. In years thereafter, the brick exterior walls were erected., The center of the church has always been the people who serve. To date, 48 pastors have served Gause Baptist Church. The church has enjoyed many dedicated members of its history. One such member was Emmagene Ferguson Goode Bland, who was baptized in the church in 1921 and spent 44 yearas teaching a women's Sunday School class. Another such member was C.W. Moore, who oversaw cemetery funds and raised his son, Joe, in the church. Joe went on to play left field for the New York Giants in the 1930s and 40s. His 12-year career included three penants and a world championship. When he returned, the "Gause Ghost" became a deacon and took over the cemetery fund management from his father. Gause Baptist Church has been a faithful pillar of this community for more than a century.