Our History.......1800 - 2008
The Earliest record of our church states its beginning in the year 1880 with the name New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. In 1885 this church was joined to the Tuskegee Baptist Association for two years, then went into the Harris Baptist Association that is now known as the Russell Baptist Association. In 1891 the church changed its name to the Ladonia Baptist Church.
The original building was a one-room white frame building built on land donated by Woodson Knowles and Lewis King. People of the community donated money for the materials, built the pews and bought the organ.
Ladonia has had a Sunday School, prayer meeting, and a Ladies Aid Society (now WMU) since its beginning. BYPU (Baptist Young People's Union) was organized in 1920. The Church building was used for a public school until a one-room school building was erected. In 1940 the church began full-time services every Sunday. Our membership was 87.
In 1941 a house, donated R.E. Martin, Sr., was used as the church pastorium, and later the church nursery.
In 1941 the GA's (Girls In Action) were organized. In 1950 the church had its first bulletin, adopted a unified budget, and added a new wing with two Sunday School rooms. In 1953 dedication services were held for the new Church and Sunday School rooms. The old building was used for educational space. In 1958 the old church building was sold and moved to another location for a home. In 1960 the church bought the present pastorium.
In 1965 Ladonia started a Mission Church, which today is known as Shady Woods Baptist Church.
In 1971 the church voted to proceed with plans to construct a two-story educational building on the east side and remodel the front of the church with a new vestibule area. The building was completed in 1973.
In 1978 the church worship center was remodeled and new pews and pulpit furniture were installed.
In 1986 the church voted to sell the old nursery building and build a new two-story educational building with spaces for new offices, pre-school departments, children and youth departments. The Building was completed and dedicated April 10, 1988.
On Good Friday, March 29, 1991 at 7:50 A.M. a tornado struck the west side of the church worship center, heavily damaging it, along with the older attached educational building. Both were demolished and a new, more functional worship center/educational building was built. The majority of the work was done by the members of the church. The new facility was dedicated on May 17, 1992.
|
