Mrs. Elsie Welch, a charter member, began keeping a record of the church’s early history. The following is her account.
Because of their strong conviction that there was need of a centrally located church in their community, this new building, which now has only a fully equipped and modern basement, is the beginning of what is to be one of the most modern church buildings in the community, planned with the future growth of Hixson and the church in mind.
The church is located within one block of the new shopping center in Hixson. The congregation now of about 50 members is worshipping each Sunday in the assembly room. The basement is 60 x 90 feet with the assembly room measuring 34 x 90 feet, There are eight classrooms large enough and so arranged that they can be divided into 16 classrooms as more space is needed. There are two rest rooms, a furnace room and a kitchen. One of the classrooms has been equipped as a nursery until the main floor of the building is built. Most of the labor has been donated. Bricklayers, carpenters, and others have given days of work, while others have contributed cash toward the erection of the building. One Baptist leader from the Hamilton County Baptist Association said that he had never seen so much accomplished with so little.
The first meeting was held in April, 1951. Each person attending that first meeting realized there was plenty of work to be done, not by a few but by everyone. From the beginning we realized we would have to make sacrifices of time and money if we were to see our dream come true, We realize we could never have done this without the help and the blessings of the Lord with us. The first thing was to move the dwelling we were using as our church back to give room for the basement. Railroad ties were used to roll the building back on rollers. This made the building higher off the ground, but we worshipped there until the basement was finished. Many of the ladies and children worked along with the men. They knocked mortar from the old bricks taken from the house. There was always something for them to do - stack scraps of lumber left from the underpenning; work on the inside walls. Children carried supplies to the workers and provided water for the men as they worked.
Mr. Charles Dodd bought the old building and moved it away after we moved into the new basement which was June 5, 1955. But getting into the basement was just the first move for us. The men immediately started making plans to finish the sanctuary and we knew that in the very near future we would need more educational space.
Since money was the thing we were lacking most (some of us lacked faith, but others had the faith needed), the ladies came up with the idea of each one give a small donation above their tithes and offerings each week or as often as possible. Mrs. O. J. (Edna) Davis recorded these special offerings. It seemed that everyone
wanted a part in it. Sometimes people would be passing by and stop to see the work being done and would give money to help. Some of the people listed in this project are: Mr. Earl Hale of Hale's Florist, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Lowe, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Benton. Two people who would not give their names gave money after stopping and talking about the faithfulness of the workers. When asked their names for our records they said that their names were not important, they just wanted to help. When we told them we were trying to keep a record of the ones who gave, they said, "list them as Mr. None of Your Business and Mrs. Littlefoot." That is the way they are listed on the record book. Sometimes people were listed as "a friend." One offering was listed by request as "a friend by way of Kermit Welch." Another check came in the mail after a call to Kermit Welch to know how much we needed to finish pouring the concrete in the basement. The check was for the full amount, $235.50, to be marked up to "Mr. None of Your Business." Others who gave were: Mr. Nathan Roberts, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rhea, Mr. E.F. Hixson, Mr. Albion Martin and Rev. Bob Clayton.
After the basement was finished, the ladies and children started a "Birthday Club" to help pay for the blocks and pipes for the building. One offering was sent through Mrs. E.J. Bramlett. The ladies' offerings also helped to buy windows and pay for some hired help. Later the ladies started an organ fund. "Never under-estimate the power of a woman!"
In November, 1953 the church was desparately in need of $800.00. It was decided to borrow the money from a bank to be repaid in full in two years, However, a couple in the church offered to loan the church the money, interest free, to be repaid within the two year time. When the note came due, the full amount was donated by the couple. During the time when we were needing more money the Coca-Cola Company of Chattanooga gave a sum of money to the different denominations in the city for the needs of their churches. Dr. Carl Geer, pastor of First Baptist, was chairman of the Baptist committee. Central appointed a committee to make application for some help from this fund. We received $3,000,00 from the fund which helped us to go ahead with the building, This money was used to help buy steel for the building and Siskin finished out what we still needed, The Mississippi Steel Company furnished the equipment and their workers gave a day's work to put up the steel. Some of these
men were: O.C. Rowland, Howard Looney, Babe Plemmons, Ray Vandergriff, Lee Vandergriff, B.F. Hamill, Tommy Vandergriff, Bill O'Neal, Vernon Farmer, Buster Vandergriff, Charles Vandergriff, Carl Wilson, Dick Hixson, William Pickett, and Bill Hart.
Mr. Henry F. Welch, brother of Kermit and father of Katherine Haynes who is a member along with her family, constructed and donated the baptistry.
Because of their strong conviction that there was need of a centrally located church in their community, this new building, which now has only a fully equipped and modern basement, is the beginning of what is to be one of the most modern church buildings in the community, planned with the future growth of Hixson and the church in mind.
The church is located within one block of the new shopping center in Hixson. The congregation now of about 50 members is worshipping each Sunday in the assembly room. The basement is 60 x 90 feet with the assembly room measuring 34 x 90 feet, There are eight classrooms large enough and so arranged that they can be divided into 16 classrooms as more space is needed. There are two rest rooms, a furnace room and a kitchen. One of the classrooms has been equipped as a nursery until the main floor of the building is built. Most of the labor has been donated. Bricklayers, carpenters, and others have given days of work, while others have contributed cash toward the erection of the building. One Baptist leader from the Hamilton County Baptist Association said that he had never seen so much accomplished with so little.
The first meeting was held in April, 1951. Each person attending that first meeting realized there was plenty of work to be done, not by a few but by everyone. From the beginning we realized we would have to make sacrifices of time and money if we were to see our dream come true, We realize we could never have done this without the help and the blessings of the Lord with us. The first thing was to move the dwelling we were using as our church back to give room for the basement. Railroad ties were used to roll the building back on rollers. This made the building higher off the ground, but we worshipped there until the basement was finished. Many of the ladies and children worked along with the men. They knocked mortar from the old bricks taken from the house. There was always something for them to do - stack scraps of lumber left from the underpenning; work on the inside walls. Children carried supplies to the workers and provided water for the men as they worked.
Mr. Charles Dodd bought the old building and moved it away after we moved into the new basement which was June 5, 1955. But getting into the basement was just the first move for us. The men immediately started making plans to finish the sanctuary and we knew that in the very near future we would need more educational space.
Since money was the thing we were lacking most (some of us lacked faith, but others had the faith needed), the ladies came up with the idea of each one give a small donation above their tithes and offerings each week or as often as possible. Mrs. O. J. (Edna) Davis recorded these special offerings. It seemed that everyone
wanted a part in it. Sometimes people would be passing by and stop to see the work being done and would give money to help. Some of the people listed in this project are: Mr. Earl Hale of Hale's Florist, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Lowe, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Benton. Two people who would not give their names gave money after stopping and talking about the faithfulness of the workers. When asked their names for our records they said that their names were not important, they just wanted to help. When we told them we were trying to keep a record of the ones who gave, they said, "list them as Mr. None of Your Business and Mrs. Littlefoot." That is the way they are listed on the record book. Sometimes people were listed as "a friend." One offering was listed by request as "a friend by way of Kermit Welch." Another check came in the mail after a call to Kermit Welch to know how much we needed to finish pouring the concrete in the basement. The check was for the full amount, $235.50, to be marked up to "Mr. None of Your Business." Others who gave were: Mr. Nathan Roberts, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rhea, Mr. E.F. Hixson, Mr. Albion Martin and Rev. Bob Clayton.
After the basement was finished, the ladies and children started a "Birthday Club" to help pay for the blocks and pipes for the building. One offering was sent through Mrs. E.J. Bramlett. The ladies' offerings also helped to buy windows and pay for some hired help. Later the ladies started an organ fund. "Never under-estimate the power of a woman!"
In November, 1953 the church was desparately in need of $800.00. It was decided to borrow the money from a bank to be repaid in full in two years, However, a couple in the church offered to loan the church the money, interest free, to be repaid within the two year time. When the note came due, the full amount was donated by the couple. During the time when we were needing more money the Coca-Cola Company of Chattanooga gave a sum of money to the different denominations in the city for the needs of their churches. Dr. Carl Geer, pastor of First Baptist, was chairman of the Baptist committee. Central appointed a committee to make application for some help from this fund. We received $3,000,00 from the fund which helped us to go ahead with the building, This money was used to help buy steel for the building and Siskin finished out what we still needed, The Mississippi Steel Company furnished the equipment and their workers gave a day's work to put up the steel. Some of these
men were: O.C. Rowland, Howard Looney, Babe Plemmons, Ray Vandergriff, Lee Vandergriff, B.F. Hamill, Tommy Vandergriff, Bill O'Neal, Vernon Farmer, Buster Vandergriff, Charles Vandergriff, Carl Wilson, Dick Hixson, William Pickett, and Bill Hart.
Mr. Henry F. Welch, brother of Kermit and father of Katherine Haynes who is a member along with her family, constructed and donated the baptistry.