MILLIANS: Celebrating First Baptist’s heritage

Published 8:30 am Monday, September 16, 2024

The music started with “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” Amelia Cotten played the organ and Rick Cook played the trumpet.

Next, the choir sang “Victory in Jesus.”

“I heard an old, old story

How a Savior came from glory

How he gave his life on Calvary

To save a wretch like me.”

And they were just getting warmed up on Heritage Day at the First Baptist Church of Milledgeville this past Sunday.

Former members, family and friends were welcomed back for special music, a special message, and a Southern country feast in the Fellowship Hall after the service.

I grew up at First Baptist, and Heritage Day chairwoman Janet Ferguson had sent me — and other former members — an invitation to attend. I’m still recovering from my most recent hospital stay and could not make it. But I watched the service on Facebook live.

Let’s start with the music.

As someone wrote on the church Facebook page, “(Choir director) Tommy Webster had the choir firing on all cylinders as always. They sounded Terrific! Former FBC member Rick Cook joined in with the choir and played his trumpet beautifully.”

Amen. 

Cook’s father, Richard, was the church’s director of music from 1972-80.

The choir — and groups from the choir — continued with several more of the old hymns that I love to hear and sing. 

The congregation sang “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.”

The choir sang “There’s Something About That Name” in memory of Corkey Ellerbee, a long-time choir member who passed away earlier this year.

The church’s Amen Sisters quartet — Kathy Chandler, Laura Cummings, Barbara Prestridge and Sueanne Hopkins — sang “I Keep Falling in Love with Him.”

And, the Cornerstone trio — Webster, Chandler and Hank Griffeth — sang “Touring That City.”

I’m still humming many of the hymns.

Tara Johns Craig, who joined First Baptist in 1984, gave her testimony. 

“Walking in the door of the church floods me with memories,” she said. “It’s where I met my best friends, where my parents met their best friends and the people who influenced me. 

“And it’s where I met Jesus. It’s where I knew I was forgiven. It’s where I learned about grace.”

Dr. David Chancey, who grew up at First Baptist and preached his first sermon as a youth pastor in 1974, was the guest preacher with a sermon titled “Run Your Race.”

“It’s great to look back on Heritage Day, but it’s also a time to look forward. God is not finished with First Baptist,” Chancey said. “Since 1811, First Baptist has been running the race for Christ, enriching lives, expanding the Kingdom of God and expanding the population of Heaven. We are entrusted to continue God’s mission.

“No matter what your stage of life is, or where you are, you’re still needed at First Baptist Church.  Keep running the race. Some may be discouraged, but don’t quit. There is too much to be done. There are too many people who need Jesus. The Gospel is good news and it needs to be proclaimed.

“Keep proclaiming the Gospel, keep praising Jesus, keep growing in Christ’s likeness. Keep running the race. Run with passion. Run with urgency, perseverance, endurance. Keep running the race.”

Like Janet Ferguson, who had been running between Milledgeville — trying to get everything ready for Heritage Day — and Dublin, where her brother is seriously ill.

She said she had invited so many people and told them not to bring food that she felt like she had to bring extra. So, there she was on Saturday night, making five pounds of potato salad, snapping beans until 1 in the morning, cooking four or five bags of butterbeans and making two spinach casseroles. She finished her pimento cheese sandwiches on Sunday morning.

Of course, the tables — which stretched from one end of Fellowship Hall to the other — were weighted down with congealed salads, deviled eggs, casseroles, vegetables, fried chicken, biscuits and desserts. 

No one went home hungry. They were fed spiritually and nutritionally.

Let’s close with the one hymn I didn’t mention. Everybody sang “Amazing Grace” at the close of the service.

“We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first begun.”

—Rick Millians is a retired editor after working at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina. Reach him at rdmillians@aol.com.