By Staff
From Staff
Press Reports
The members of Atmore Baptist Temple will celebrate their 53rd Anniversary March 9-14, 2003. The four-day celebration will include an old-fashioned "Dinner on the Ground" lunch and a three-day revival meeting.
Atmore Baptist Temple was organized on the second Sunday in March, 1950, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Byrd, 218 Perdido Street. Approximately two weeks later, a portion of the old Peadens Grocery and Produce Warehouse, located at the northeastern corner of the intersection of Presley and McRae Streets, was rented as a meeting place for the new church. A few years later, a parcel of land, located at 1707 South Main Street (then called Hwy 110) was donated to the church by Mr. and Mrs. C. l. Harrison. This has been the church's home ever since.
Construction began on the church's current auditorium in October, 1970, and was dedicated Sunday, July 20, 1971.
The facility was remodeled in 2002. In 1991, a new 50 x 1200 foot educational building and fellowship hall was erected. In addition to serving as the church';s fellowship hall and educational building, the facility also serves as the home of Temple Christian Academy.
The current pastor, Pastor Doug Odom, was called to the church in June 1992. Approximately a year later, he and his wife, Pam, opened a Christian kindergarten named Kiddie Kollege. Since then, the kindergarten has grown into Temple Christian Academy, a Christian school offering academic instruction from preschool through 7th grade.
The four-day celebration begins today with Sunday school at 10 a.m. and Morning Worship at 11 a.m. Afterward an old-fashioned "Dinner on the Ground" lunch will be enjoyed in the church fellowship hall. Evening services will follow at 6 p.m.
The event continues Monday evening at 7 p.m. with the first service of a three-day revival with well-known Evangelist Dr. Joe Arthur of Jonesboro, Ga. The revival will continue each evening through Wednesday nightly. Special music will be provided Monday evening by the Redeemed Trio of Milton and Tuesday evening by the Dorriety Family of Pascagoula.
Pastor Doug Odom and the Church family of Atmore Baptist Temple extend a cordial welcome to the Atmore Community to join them as they commemorate 53 years of continual ministry.
For more information on the celebration, please contact the church offices at 368-8282 or visit the church's web site at www.takeoff.to/abt.