NIOTA — Union McMinn Baptist Church celebrated its bicentennial on Aug. 10, with members gathering for a homecoming service led by Pastor Gabe Brannon and featuring a message from the Rev. Tony Rutherford, director of missions for Sweetwater Baptist Association.
“This is a special place that God has blessed throughout the years with wonderful pastors, teachers, and godly men and women who have sought to serve Jesus,” said Brannon.
The church, which is located in Niota (outside of Athens in McMinn County) traces its origins to 1825, when members first met in a one-room log schoolhouse on the Garrison farm. The building was made of logs with a rough pine floor and seats made of split logs. Early records show the congregation had 25 members in 1829.
Union McMinn Baptist Church has seen many changes over the past two centuries. Pictured above is the present-day church; pictured to the here is how the church looked in the early years.
Between 1889 and 1891, the church erected a new building, this time heated by a wood stove and illuminated by kerosene lamps. In the early church days, meetings were held only one day per month. By 1891, membership had grown to 114. Some early records were lost when a fire destroyed the church clerk’s home.
The original 1825 structure underwent numerous renovations before the congregation built a new sanctuary and additional Sunday school rooms between 1979 and 1980. Further growth prompted construction of another sanctuary, completed in 1995.
On April 17, 1999, an electrical fire destroyed the original structure and the former sanctuary. Only the 1995 building survived. The congregation completed a new education and fellowship building in 2000, dedicating it on Aug. 13 of that year during the church’s 175th anniversary celebration.
“It is humbling to be able to experience such a time in the life of a church but especially at Union McMinn Baptist,” Brannon said.
“I am honored to be able to serve as pastor at Union McMinn Baptist and to be able to celebrate the greatness of our Lord that is still being displayed 200 years after this local congregation’s founding.” B&R
