The following is a sampling of church conference minutes from 1976:
The Lithia Springs First Baptist Church met in conference on May 12, 1976 with Mr. Harry Harris, Chairman of the Board of Deacons presiding.
The minutes of the last meeting were approved as read. The financial and organizational reports were accepted as information.
Mr. Harris gave a report on the meeting that was held at the Commercial Bank building concerning sewage in the county.
Mr. Harris also reported that the ordination of Gary Green has been called for by the Union Band Baptist Church of Howardstown, Kentucky. Gary has requested that the ordination take place here in his home church, LSFBC, on July 4, 1976. Motion was made, seconded, and approved that Gary Green be ordained here at the church on July 4, 1976.
The Property Committee recommended tha the county be given a right-of-way on our east line for the extension of Winn Drive in exchange for Lucille Avenue on the west side of the building. Motion was made, seconded, and approved that this be granted.
The Nominating Committee recommended that Mr. Larry Palmer be elected to serve as Trustee to fill the vacancy left by the death of Mr. J.B. Williams. Motion was made, seconded, and approved.
The Financial Committee recommended that the following allocations be added to the 1976 budget:
Church Training Special Programs $300.00
Church Staff Study $500.00
Water $350.00
Motion was made, seconded, and approved that this money be allocated.
The Finance Committee recommended that $100.00 per month be put into a tax sheltered pension program for our pastor, Mariou H. Beaver. That the church take out an insurance policy providing disability income for the pastor, should become disabled due to illness or accident, at our annual premium of $254.72. Motion was made, seconded, and approved that this be done.
Deacon’s Emergency Committee: Harry Harris, Leroy Burcham, Tye Kent, Manford Miller
There being no further business, meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Cheryl Meeks, Church Clerk
Monday, August 18, 2008
Church Conference: 1976
An Unselfish Gesture...
The image below is the cover shot from The Helping Hand, the newsletter from the Georgia Baptist Developmental Disabilities Ministry. This edition is from August, 2003.
A blurb was found inside regarding Dr. Marion Beaver (seen in the second image).
You can click on the images to see a closer view, however, the text regarding Dr. Beaver states:
Church Conference: 1976
The following is a sampling of church conference minutes from 1976:
The Lithia Springs First Baptist Church met in conference on Wednesday, January 28, 1976 at 7:30 p.m. with Harry Harris, Chairman of the Board of Deacons presiding.
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as read.
The financial and organizational reports were accepted as information.
The Deacons recommended that the Property and Personnel Committees look into the possibility of securing a full-time custodian for the church building and church grounds
Deacons Emergency Committee: J.Q. Mosley, Fred Mosley, B.C. Quinn, LaFell Rakestraw
Meeting adjourned,
Respectfully submitted: Janet Deal, Clerk
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Working For Christ in Peru
The night before leaving for Peru Jorge Bello related, “I’ll be leaving at 9:45 to Peru. I’m broke, yet God has provided. My Spanish isn’t perfect, but God will give me the words. A lot of sacrifice….yet it’s no longer my life, but Christ living through me. Lots of fears….yet it doesn’t matter because God is in control.
The next day Jorge's fellow traveler, Austin Morris, said, “I’m in Miami ri
ght now and it’s now hitting me how far from home I’m going to be. I miss my girl and my family."
….and so began the travel blogs both young men completed as they worked among the people of Peru. Austin’s site, Austin in Peru can be found here. Chasing God, Jorge’s blog can be read here.
Another member of FBCLS, Drew Powell, joined Austin and Jorge during the last days of their mission trip.
Vacation Bible School, 2008
If you want to see the images seperately click on the slideshow. You will be taken to another page. Look for the blue link on the left that says "view web album". Click the link and you will see each image seperately.
The Original Sanctuary
This is the original sanctuary building that was destroyed by fire. There are a few major differences between this original structure and the rebuilt structure we can see today.
Do you know what they are?
First-today's older sanctuary building does not have the vent that you can see in the gable.
Second-the original building had windows on either side of the front door instead of additional doors.
Third....and this is the most major difference......the original sanctuary building had a foundation of Stone Mountain granite. Look around today and you will see the older sanctuary structure has an all brick foundation.
The image below shows the west side of the basement of the original structure where Sunday School was held for many months prior to the fire.
Below: the west side of the classroom level....taken in July, 1947
FBCLS Heritage
If you click on the image you will get a closer view. The text states:
First Baptist Church of Lithia Springs was organized on April 7, 1946. The Rev. J.A. Patterson was elected the first pastor. The church met for a time in the present Annette Winn School, moving later to the basement of their first building.
The first sanctuary and educational building were dedicated on October 23, 1949. Tragedy struck just five days later as the building was totally destroyed by fire. Not willing to give up, the members moved the meetings back into the school building until a new sanctuary and a few educational rooms were built.
In November, 1952, Rev. Patterson resigned as pastor and in May, 1953, Dr. Marion Beaver was called to lead the congregation.
In 1955, a building fund campaign was launched and on April 27, 1958, the church dedicated two stories of the educational building.
In November, 1962, the church elected a Planning and Survey Committee to start a mission which was constituted on October 2, 1966, as Lithia Heights Baptist Church.
On April 7, 1968, a groundbreaking service was held as another building program got underway to construct a four story educational building. The annex was completed in July, 1970.
Dr. Marion Beaver resigned as pastor in November, 1978, after serving for more than twenty-five years. A Search Committee was elected and Dr. Robert L. Whitmire was called to begin his ministry [at FBCLS] in September, 1979
Building the New Sanctuary
The new building program for constructing a new sanctuary began in 1983 on a rainy Sunday per the historical archives. Dr. Robert Whitmire introduces the plans to the congregation.
Mrs. Jewell Patterson, wife of Rev. Arnold Patterson, discussed the history of the church from 1946 through the early eighties.
Greg Pope, the 16-year-old son of Butch and Linda Pope, discussed the new building program and its impact on future generations.
These images are from a laminated presentation created by Vivian Cranford. The next two images show the excavation for the new sanctuary. 
Do you remember the Scout Hut? Do you remember those trees?
A beautiful night scene of the completed sanctuary.
Whitmire Is Pastor At Lithia Baptist
...This article from the September 6, 1979 issue of the Douglas County Seninel advises "Dr. Bob" would begin his pastorate on September 9th.
The article goes on to state:
Rev. Whitmire attended Forest Park High School and graduated from Shorter College in Rome with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Religion. He received his Master of Divinity degree in 1974 from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He is presently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree and will graduate after writing his thesis.
Rev. Whitmire has received several special honors. He was chosen for Who's Who Among Colleges and Universities in 1972; Eastern Star Religious Leadership Award, 1971-1975; President of the Student Senate and Vice President of Student Government at Shorter in 1971-1972 and received the American Bible Society Award in 1971.
Rev. Whitmire comes to First Baptist of Lithia Springs from the First Baptist Church of Union Point, Georgia. He is married to the former Roxann C. Castleberry of Forest Park, and they have two sons, ages two and four.
1953...An Article Regarding Rev. Beaver
In a May-June, 1953 article in the Douglas County Sentinel Rev. Marion H. Beaver was introduced to the community-at-large. The article states:
A native of Marietta he received his bachelor of divinity degree from Southern Seminary in May. Mr. Beaver was ordained in 1947 and was pastor of the Milford Church in the Noonday Association before entering the seminary. He was pastor of the Petersburg, Kentucky church during his seminary days.
While at Milford he led the church to a full-time program with complete organization of denominational activities and was very active in associational work, especially in Training Union.
Jewell Patterson: Service, Family, and Fellowship
Celebrating Pastor Marion Beaver's 80th birthday on November 29, 2002.
Standing before the congregation with Dr. Robert Whitmire.
Pastor Arnold Patterson and Jewell Patterson.
Jewell on a visit to West Palm Beach to visit her sister, Belle.
The Patterson home on Florence Drive.
Girls never really grow up. The above doll house was constructed by Arnold as a gift for Jewell.
Jewell with her brother Edgar and sisters Belle, Ethel, Lou, Millie and Evelyn.
Jewell's birthday celebrated by her Sunday School class.
Fleeing the ship with Dot Calloway, Bob Whitmire, and daugher Joyce.
Jewell and Cora Jones
The above invitation was issued for Mrs. Patterson's ten years of service as the Women's Missionary Union Director for the Concord Baptist Association on September 14, 1986.
Jewell Patterson speaking to the congregation during Groundbreaking Sunday for the Together We Build program in 1983. She spoke about the early days of the church from 1946 through the early eighties
This image shows Jewell Patterson with her mother and siblings....spouses are standing and siblings are seated.More on the Pattersons...
These images are taken from laminated presentations prepared by Vivian Cranford and Rheba Doris Williams to honor the Patterson family.
This slideshow focuses on the children and grandchildren of the Pattersons:
November 13, 1979 was the 50th wedding anniversary of the Pattersons:
If you click on the slideshow you will be taken to another page. Look for the blue link on the left that says "view web album". Click on it and you can see each picture seperately.
