Oak Ridge 2012Oak Ridge Baptist Church, Kershaw, will celebrate its 100th anniversary Sept. 30 with homecoming services.
Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary, will be guest speaker at the 11 a.m. worship service. A meal, singing and a time of remembrance will follow.
Although the church was officially constituted in 1912, records from Moriah Association and “A History of South Carolina Baptists” indicate that Oak Ridge actually began in 1897, joined Moriah Association and later moved to Kershaw Association.
The church grew, and in 1920 a larger meeting house was built, and a mission church, Abney Baptist, was organized in 1929. Woman’s Missionary Union and Training Union programs were organized in 1951. A new educational building was added in 1961, and the current sanctuary was built in 1966. A new parsonage was built in 1973, and a recreation building was added in 1977.
The sanctuary was remodeled in 2001, and a new fellowship building was completed in 2006.
Twenty-six pastors (including interim pastors) have served Oak Ridge Church since its founding. Dale Myers is current pastor.
Oak Ridge Baptist Church members gathered in 1966 to dedicate a new sanctuary, where members still worship today.