Madison County church celebrates 150 years of saving souls

MADISON COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - History is who we are and why we are the way we are. Sometimes, that is shaped by our faith.

One Valley church has been shaping lives for 150 years and is celebrating the past and looking toward the future.

“This church was founded six years after Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation. Historically, when you look at that, it’s something to conceive and to think of,” said senior pastor Timothy Rainey.

Indian Creek Primitive Baptist Church in the Monrovia area has a rich history.

This location on Indian Creek Road is the fourth building in that history. Before expansive parking lots, there was only a small sanctuary you got to on foot.

“Often times we walked to church because there were no paved roads at the time so we walked on gravel roads and those before walked on dirt roads,” said deacon Harold Moore.

“I can remember that going to church there would be mules, wagons, if you saw a car that was unusual,” said lifelong member Eric Readus.

These life long members have fond memories of growing up in a church where it fed your soul and your mind. At one point, it was also the only school around.

“African-Americans in this area, they were either farmers or they worked for someone on a farm,” added Readus.

There are no pictures of the original church.

This was the second one built out of cinder blocks, it allowed the church to grow in membership but in 1952, that building was destroyed by lightning with nothing saved except for the piano.

The third Indian Creek still stands, serving as a site for after school care and it just happens to be right next door to the newest church built in 2007.

Under the guidance of Rainey for the past 23 years, the church has grown exponentially and even established a mission statement.

“I think one of the things that a church has to try and do is to be community based, you want to serve the people where you are in the community where you are,” said Rainey.

And by doing so, the blessings have kept coming for 150 years.

“We look at it reflectively and recognize the faithfulness of God and his providential care in leading us and sustaining us over this period of time,” Rainey said.

Indian Creek Primitive Baptist Church is busy working on adding and building a family life center to serve the community even more.

The church is holding their 150th Anniversary celebration this Sunday at 10 a.m.. The public is invited.

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