First Baptist Church Decatur, Alabama

First Baptist Church Decatur, Alabama. . Organized circa 1838, or earlier, the first building was constructed in 1839. During the Civil War, it was used as a hospital and burned by the Union Army in 1864. Until a new structure was completed in 1883, the congregation met in the First Presbyterian Church. The church persevered through a loss of membership during yellow fever epidemics in 1878 and 1888., A new Victorian-style sanctuary rose in 1908 and was later named for Pastor Emeritus W. K. Stephenson. In this building, the church hosted the Alabama Baptist State Convention in 1920. Congregants sponsored a mission at the historic Mooresville Brick Church and operated a youth ministry at the Carnegie Library for many years. The current sanctuary, in the Gothic Revival-style, was built in 1971. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. New education facilities were added in 1962 and 1991., In more recent years, the church redoubled its commitment to local and global mission work and expanded its downtown campus, restoring the sanctuary and other facilities. The mission of FBC is to reach people who are far from God and make disciples of all people., The church honors its past as it approaches the future with faith, confidence, and expectation., Erected 2020, in commemoration of Decatur's bicentennial year.