LACIE SILVA – Editor
In the little town of Sequatchie, just northwest of Highway 28, resides the Sequatchie First Baptist Church, recently honored for 100 years of service on September 24.
Established September 24, 1923 with the first elected pastor W.E. Billingsly. The current pastor, Reverend R. Wayne Bowman (2003-present), is preceded by Reverends W.E. Billingsly (1923-1926), Clyde Burke (1926-?), J.M. Gibbs (1928-1935), Frank Bowman, Jim Davis, Ernest Barnard, O.C. Cottrell (1941-1942), F.M. Blevins (1942-1943), J. Elbert Rogers (1943-1944), J.B. Keith (1944-1944), J.H. Graham, G.A. McGrew, Dale Godfrey (1949-1952), Almond Hawkins (1952-1956), C.C. Seagle (Interim 1956), Guy Cook (1956-1958), L.L Arms (Interim – 1958), Jack Hughes (1958-1959), Reno Davis (Interim 1960), Enzo Mathis (1960-1964), George Adams (1964-1965), Don Phelps (1965-1967), L.R. Dobbins (1967-1977), Jack Herron (1978-1979), Roger Saylors (1980-1981), John Magness (1981-1982), J.C. Christian (1982-1983), Don Stone (1983-1985), Milford Garrett (?-1987), Winfred Blevins (1987-1992), Michael Ake (1992-1993), Lewis Holloway (1993), Dr. Paul Keener (1994-1995), Herman Lowe (1995-1996), and Bobby Hubbard (1996-2003).
To commemorate the church’s 100 years of service to the community, Pastor Richard Lewelling, Director of Missions at Sequatchie Valley Baptist Association, presented Rev. Bowman with a framed certificate.
Alongside the church’s century-long service to the community, Rev. Bowman holds the remarkable distinction of being the church’s longest-serving pastor in its history. Equally impressively, Elizabeth Peacock, aged 91, stands as the church’s oldest living member and possibly the longest membership of the Church spanning over 80 years. The distinguished member was also in attendance during the ceremony with several members of her family.
Peacock wrote, “All my children were raised in that church. I taught Sunday school, the juniors and a smaller children’s class. I helped in vacation bible school each summer for years. I still try to teach the Ladies’ class,” and will be 92, on January 21.” Across her time in the church, Peacock scarcely missed services, only absent for one to two weeks at a time following the birth of each of her nine children and refrained for 11 months during the COVID-19 pandemic only until she received her first two vaccination doses. She also wrote, “Pastor Wayne has been our pastor for 20 years this past February. He is a very good pastor and friend and his wife also.”
The Marion Tribune – October 12, 2023
