By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Friendship Baptist Church will celebrate 100 years on the weekend of Sept. 10.

The church will have a picnic at 4 p.m. followed by a southern gospel singing at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. Then on Sunday there will be a worship singing at 9 a.m. led by Dusty Dutton and a message from John Will Wyatt at 10 a.m.

“This is a significant time in the church’s history,” said Pastor Ken Daniel. “Any and all are welcome.”

Former members, current members and the community are encouraged to attend and celebrate the 100th year of the church and remember its rich history.

The church started meeting in 1915, but was not officially declared a church until 1916 when the first pastor was chosen. Reverend Samuel Adams led the first congregation, whose building was destroyed by a storm in June of 1926. They quickly rebuilt, however, and by August a one room church stood in the old one’s place.

The current facility, located at 204 Friendship Road in Clanton, housed its first service on March 17, 1968.

According to Daniel, a slab is still on the property where the old church used to stand. The new church contains lumber from the old church and, according to Daniel, wood from the bowling alley that used to stand in Clanton is in the church under the carpet.

“We have some of Clanton in our church,” said Daniel. He said the church’s goal is to be a valuable ministry where it is, and he thinks it has done a great job of ingraining into the community.

Friendship Baptist Church would like to welcome any and all to the celebration of its 100th year on Sept. 10 and 11.