Our History
Lebanon Baptist Church of Roswell, Georgia, boasts a resilient 190-year history that began in 1828 when pioneering families first gathered to worship in a local home. From its humble origins in a $158.50 log-cabin style meeting house , the community-minded congregation consistently broke social norms by welcoming and ordaining African slaves in the antebellum South , and providing vital agricultural relief to destitute local families during the 1840s. Despite facing severe hardships—including having its building dismantled by General Sherman's Union troops during the Civil War and suffering a literal floor collapse during a packed 1916 revival —the church repeatedly rebuilt and expanded. Under the 34-year leadership of Rev. Dick Hester starting in 1969, the church experienced a massive membership boom , ultimately leading to the purchase of a 30-acre campus on Crabapple Road in 1996. Though the congregation has worshiped in five different buildings, been led by 39 senior pastors, and transitioned through three denominational affiliations, it maintains its foundational dedication to local ministry and global missions.