Exactly 100 years to the day after its founding by 114 persons, the congregation of Southside Baptist Church, Spartanburg, will gather to celebrate its centennial anniversary on June 28.
In spring 1908, J.J. Gentry, a probate judge for Spartanburg County and member of First Baptist Church, discussed with his pastor L.M. Roper and the deacon board about the need to start another congregation. A site at the corner of South Church and Carlisle streets was chosen, and on June 28, 102 members of First Baptist and seven members of Green Street Baptist, along with five from other area Baptist congregations, formed Southside Baptist Church.
R.E. Neighbor was called as the first pastor of the new congregation a month later, and the property for its first building was purchased for $3,500. By comparison, the 7.5 acres and facilities now owned by Southside are currently valued at more than $8 million.
Beginning in a tent that was purchased from the pastor for $250, the fledgling congregation completed construction of a frame “tabernacle” by March 1909, but within two years the building was already too small for the growing membership. Plans were formulated for a brick building, and the tabernacle structure was sold and reassembled as Northside Baptist Church, Woodruff.
The yellow brick building, which was home to Southside Baptists from 1910 to 1978, was constructed at a cost of $30,000. Southside’s first educational building was completed in 1927, and the Lewis H. Wright Educational Building was built in 1949.
During the 1950s, Southside experienced phenomenal growth during the pastorate of John Huss, who saw an average attendance of 500 people at a mid-week prayer service called “The Hour of Power.”
Yet another educational building was necessary by 1965, and on Easter Sunday of 1981, Southside broke ground for its current sanctuary, which was completed at a cost of $2 million and dedicated in December 1982.
In the past 100 years, Southside began four missions points, three of which have since grown into churches – Morningside and Grace in Spartanburg, and Lighthouse Baptist Church in the Caribbean.
Five of its members have been appointed as international missionaries: Elizabeth Watkins, Mike and Sue Monroe, and James and Hannah Hanson.