First Missionary Baptist Church

First Missionary Baptist Church. Autauga County. , First Missionary Baptist Church was originally constructed across Autauga Creek in the 1850s as a white Presbyterian church. That congregation gifted the building to the Black congregation several decades later. For over a century, the First Missionary Baptist Church, who moved the church to its present location, served the African American community of North Prattville. The church is most notable for its role during the Civil Rights Movement. Many local African American leaders such as Willie Wood Sr., Sallie Hadnott, and Dan Houser hosted mass meetings in the church to discuss voting campaigns and peaceful protesting strategies. These leaders were associated with the Autauga County Voters Association and the Autauga County Improvement Association, whose office was located across the street from the front entrance of the church. On June 17 and 18, 1967, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) addressed a crowd outside the church and was subsequently attacked, arrested, and charged with disorderly conduct. Services are no longer held in this location as a new building was constructed on the property in 2000. However, it remains as a staunch reminder of its significance and service to the African American community of Prattville. Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on March 24, 2022 .