PEEKING INTO THE PAST: New London
Published 2:05 pm Wednesday, September 27, 2023
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The New London Baptist Church was organized Sept. 12, 1905. There were 16 charter members and C.J. Black became the first minister.
The church first met in the old Methodist Church building and soon purchased the property. According to local researcher Ivey Sharpe, this was not the same Methodist Church that exists today.
In March 1921, they purchased land for a new building, but it was not until 1924 that a new building was constructed.
In 1936, the church held its first vacation Bible school. Sharpe claims this was the first VBS in Stanly County.
During 1950, nearby property with a building was purchased to be used as an education building and the first full-time minister, Wade James, was hired in 1952.
In 1954, the church’s name was changed to First Baptist Church, New London. A new Education Building was constructed in 1958, and a new parsonage was purchased in 1972. The church building was remodeled in 1977 and again in 1992.
{Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}