Thursday, July 11, 1991 -THE KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Page 72
David Baptist
Church, Area
Pastors and
these
sponsoring
firms invite you
to attend the
church of your
choice
regularly...
BUNCH INC.
739-5291
HARRIS FUNERAL HOME, INC.
Ollie Harris and Staff
BUTLER AIR CONDITIONING
AND HEATING
David Butler and Employees
PEGGY'S RESTAURANT
' Management and Employees
THE SUB FACTORY
124 A. West Gold Street
739-4255
ALLENS FLOWER SHOP, INC.
Management and Staff
DEPOT STOP AND GO, INC,
Ken Roberts and Employees
PLONK TIRE
Wray Plonk
739-0193
AMITY FINANCE
of Kings Mountain
739-1311
BEN T. GOFORTH PLUMBING
Management and Employees
PARKDALE MILLS, INC. #5
Management and Employees
WINN DIXIE STORES
and Employees
KINGS MOUNTAIN HOSPITAL
739-3601
THE PRINTIN' PRESS, INC.
Management and Employees
HARPER'S PRESCRIPTION
PHARMACY, INC.
739-3687
FIRST CAROLINA FEDERAL
SAVINGS BANK
Since 1907
739-4781 484-0222 865-1111
Church
Of The Week
Some of the local Baptists felt for some time that a Baptist Church should be established at or near
the Bethware High School. Rev. H.E. Waldrop preached for awhile and a Sunday School was organized
and kept open for some time. Rev. R.R. Cook held open air services for some time in the summer of
1938. No definite steps were taken to establish a church until September of 1938.
Rev. D.F.Putnam was approached by Terria and Luther McSwain, Sr. with reference to helping to
investigate the community’s interest in organizing and building a house of worship. A partial survey
determined the interest and need were there, along with the endorsement and encouragement of the Pastors
and Workers Conference of the Kings Mountain Baptist Association.
On Sunday, October 9, 1938, David’s Baptist Church was organized, with Rev. D.F. Putnam as their
first pastor. The forty-eight charter members met in the Bethware School Auditorium until a church building
was completed one year later. : :
Luther McSwain, Sr. and L.W. (Walker) McSwain both agreed to give $500 each, to donate a building
site, and timber for the building, in memory of David Andrew McSwain. Alexander Hatcher Webb gave
$1000 to honor his father, David Webb, known as ‘‘Honest. Dave Webb,’ a farmer and merchant from
Shelby. Also, in Psalms, we read how King David loved the house of the Lord. Therefore, the church
was named David’s Baptist Church. The ‘‘s’’ was dropped shortly thereafter.
Rev. D.F. Putnam served as pastor of David Baptist Church from 1938 until 1945. During his pastorate,
Sunday School and Church Training Union was organized, the first revivial was held, our church was
accepted into the Kings Mountain Baptist Association and started giving to the Cooperative Program. A
baptistry was built and land was purchased for a cemetery. The church continued to grow, and by 1942,
there were 147 members. Also, during this time, a project was organized to help with the expenses of
the new church building; this project was called ‘The Lord’s Acre’’. Rev. Putnam resigned in 1945.
In 1946, Rev. Oscar Long from Lawndale, N.C. accepted the position as part-time pastor of our
church. With an average attendance of 85, mid-week prayer services were begun. Our church held its
first Vacation Bible School in 1946, and in 1947, the Women’s Missionary Union was organized in our
church. A library was also developed during this time.
Because the pastor and his family had to commute the first year, the need for a parsonage was realized.
The L.V. Hoyle family donated land, money was borrowed, and with the church members doing the work,
the Long’s were able to move into the community. Rev. Long remained as our pastor until his resignation
in 1948.
Rev. Wade Lawrence McSwain, a graduate of Wake Forest College and the seminary at Louisville,
Kentucky, accepted the call to David as part-time pastor as well as pastor at Allen Memorial in March
of 1949. During his pastorate, the church had its first bulletin, the church debt was liquidated, hand rails
were put up at the steps at the entrance to the church, and a bell tower was built for the church bell. Cotton
was planted on some land owned by the church behind the school, for the Lord’s Acre Project. This,
along with a ‘‘$1.00-a-Month’’ and other projects raised $484.00 for building improvements, since there
were no inside bathrooms or running water inside the church. Rev. McSwain resigned in 1952.
Rev. C.W. Walker began his pastorate in 1953, coming from the eastern part of the state. He was
a part-time pastor at two churches, our church and Allen Memorial. During this time, the ladies of the
church were busy preparing suppers and making quilts to sell to help buy carpet and church benches.
Rev. Walker resigned December 1, 1954, to begin work at Flint Hill and Boiling Springs.
Rev. N.S. Hardin accepted the call to be pastor of David Baptist Church on February 13, 1955.
On that same evening, the church building burned to the ground leaving only a few front columns standing.
He preached his first sermon as pastor on the first Sunday in March of 1955. He was also pastor of Westover
Baptist Church until July 13, 1958, when he became our full-time pastor.
Rev. Hardin's fourteen-year pastorate began by building a new church building. During his ministry,
membership increased tremendously, with 97 people joining on profession of faith and being baptized;
108 joined by letter. Three men from our church were called out as pastors.
. As we grew, so did our church. A new organ was purchased and the church debt was paid. Construction
for our Recreational Building was begun in December of 1968.
On May 4, 1969, Rev. Hardin resigned as full-time pastor of David Baptist Church, but continued
to be our supply pastor when we needed him. He became our Pastor Emeritus in 1977.
Rev. Albert Hastings preached his first sermon for our church and was called as pastor of our church
on June 22, 1969. During his ministry at David Baptist Church, our first ‘‘paid’’ youth worker was hired,
our church sponsored a cub scout troop, an up-dated and revised system of electing deacons was adopted,
and one man was called out as a pastor from our church. Rev. Hastings resigned as pastor of our church
on January 1, 1971.
On July 11, 1971, Rev. Marvin Whisnant became our pastor. This is the year we began having
‘Watch Night Services'’ at church on New Year's Eve. We now had 140 adult resident members in our
church and our first pictorial directory was made. Our originial Memorial Day, celebrated on Mother's
Day each year, was changed to the second Sunday in October. Church improvements included carpeting
our nursery, purchasing new choir robes, and purchasing cushions for our pews. We also hired our first
secretary for the church. Rev. Whisnant resigned as our pastor effective December 28, 1975.
Rev. L.M. Schuman became pastor of David Baptist Church on March 7, 1976. Although he was
our pastor full-time, Rev. Schuman also continued his education, graduating from Gardner-Webb College.
During his ministry to our church, we held our first ‘Children’s Dedication Service,’’ a Recreation
Committee was formed, and we participated in the **James Robison Crusade’” held in Shelby. During
this time, we paid off the debt on our Recreational Building, storm windows were put on the church,
the parking lot was paved, and we had air conditioning installed in our Recreational Building. Rev. Schuman
was instrumental in leading us to honor Rev. N.S. Hardin as Pastor Emeritus in May, 1977. Rev. Schuman
resigned as our pastor on October 19, 1980. E
Rev. James W. ““Buzz’’ Parks began his pastorate at our church in the summer of 1981. During
his ministry, our church grew in membership and increased our missions support. Church improvements
included building a new parsonage, and also a ramp for the handicapped was added on to the side of the
front porch of the church building. He resigned on November 25, 1984, to become a foreign missionary
to Chile.
Rev. Brian Taule, began his call as our Pastor in July, 1985. In 1987, Rev. Taule made a trip to the
Holy Land, and he was host to a group of people travelling to the Holy Land in 1988. He also led us
in the commemoration oi our fifty years of being a church family. *
In our 52 year history we have had eleven pastors.
Claude Mcintosh is presentiy serving as pastor.
REV. CLAUDE MCINTOSH
HARRIS TEETER
SUPERMARKET
And Employees
MCGILL EXXON SERVICENTER
100 E. Kings Street
MAC'S GROCERY
900 N. Piedmont Ave.
739-3391
WADE FORD
"You Can Count On WADE."
GROVER INDUSTRIES
Where Friendly People Work
J. S. PANTRY
Main Street
Grover, N.C.
LOVE'S FISH BOX
1104 Shelby Road
PAUL'S SEAFOOD
Paul and Joyce Hord
739-1631
JONES INTERCABLE
Management and Employees
DILLING HEATING
Of Kings Mountain
COMBUSTION ENGINEERING,
INC.
Management and Employees
SETZER'S DISCOUNT AUTO
PARTS
1301 S. Battleground Ave. 734-0121