First Baptist Church, McLain
By: EMMIE LOU GREEN
The First Baptist Church of McLain, 300 West Main Street, was founded in 1903 with a very small membership and now has 163 members with Rev. Michael Street serving as pastor.
The church’s schedule on Sunday is Sunday school at 9:55 a.m.; morning worship at 11 a.m.; Discipleship Training at 5 p.m.; and evening worship at 6 p.m. Prayer meeting is held on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Every fifth Sunday night the local Methodist Church, the Church of God and the Baptist church meet together for worship, alternating the place of worship each and the preaching of the pastors.
The staff consists of Rev. Michael Street, pastor; Kelcey Lee, Chairman of Deacons; Leo Pipkins, Sunday School/Music Director; Joe Kittrell Discipleship Training Director; Ola Mae Ishee, WMU Director/Church Clerk; and Carmen Green, Treasurer/Pianist.
McLain First Baptist contributes monthly to the Cooperative Program, to Associational Missions and to all special offerings sponsored by Southern Baptists. In addition, monthly contributions are made to Calvin Namken, Missionary to Mexico; to Kendrick Ministries, El Savador, Central America; Associational Building Trips and Adopt-An-Inmate Program.
The church was a member of Leaf River Baptist Association until 1921, when the first annual session of the Greene County Baptist was held.
The members of the church first met in a union church building located on the corner behind the present building, the land donated by the Dantzler family. The ME Methodists, the MP Methodists, the Nazarenes, and the Baptists had union Sunday school with each having a Sunday a month for preaching services.
Several years later Dr. Joe Green donated the present site, and a wood frame building was built. As the need arose for more room for organizational meetings, a two-story brick building was erected. When that building needed repairs and more room was needed for classes, the present structure was erected in 1953. During construction of the new building, services were held in the public school building. The second Sunday of November 1953 was Homecoming Day in the new sanctuary. The building was dedicated in 1955, when it was debt free.
In March 2000, the church began the erection of the new fellowship hall, which was completed and dedicated in January 2003, debt free.
On October 12, 2003 the 100th anniversary of the church was celebrated.