Union Hill prepares for centennial celebration

At a time when many country churches wither away with declining membership, Union Hill Free Will Church near Slocomb has had a minor baby boom in time for its centennial anniversary.

“Until a year ago we had no babies, and that is the future,” said church clerk Rhetta Butler, who started coming with her husband in 1975. The membership is still small, but adding young children brought a lot of joy, Butler said. Two couples joined two years ago and one has a baby. The other couple are close to retiring with grown children but felt the need for a church home and chose Union Hill. “I think that’s to our credit as well,” Butler said.

Another couple recently had a baby and the husband, who was raised in the church, has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Seeing multiple generations pass through the church doors reinforces the church’s long history, according to the Rev. Wayne Parker, pastor. He has been with the church five years.

“The main thing is their commitment to being faithful,” Parker said. “Many who are members now went there as children. It’s a country church, but we have a good heart and want to reach out to the community, to be a spiritual hospital. We may not all be there, but I hope someone will be there 200 years from now.”

“It’s a humbling experience,” Butler said. “You really don’t know until you’ve been there. You think about how there’s been an awful lot of people there before you and how they were able to carry on despite differences.

“It’s a spiritual impact as well as a physical one. I still see a future for our church.”

Love not only for each other, but most of all for the Lord, is what keeps the church going, she added. “There’s a comaraderie that you don’t see in a lot of churches, and that makes a difference.”

The church staff and members try to stay aware of what is going on in the community. When one of the young members was a drum major at Slocomb High School, church members went to games to support her, Butler said.

Mayor Vickie Moore will present a resolution to the church during Sunday’s celebration.

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If you go ...
What: Union Hill Free Will Baptist Church Centennial Celebration
When: Sunday, June 29, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: 1125 Union Hill Road, Slocomb
Info: Entertainment by gospel vocalist Crickett Lee. Guest speaker will be the Rev. David Williford, vice president for Institutional Advancement at Free Will Baptist College in Nashville. For more information, call the church, 886-2894.

Highlights from history
* Founded by Zackk Bell in the old Bell’s Schoolhouse, built around 1870.

* Rev. J.L. Simmons was the first pastor and first person buried in the church cemetery. His wife, Belle, is also buried in the cemetery.

* Brick church built in 1957 with the old church used as the fellowship hall. Additional Sunday School rooms added in 1970. Small frame house moved to property for parsonage and remodeled in 1976.

* Other improvements made in the last 30 years for comfort. The Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary were remodeled in 1998 to add bathrooms to Sunday School area. The church was repainted and new carpet was installed. New flooring was added to the Fellowship Hall.

* To update further for the 2008 Centennial celebration, the Fellowship Hall paneling was painted white this past spring, a new countertop was installed on the freestanding bar, Roman shades were added to the windows and eight round tables with matching chairs were purchased.