Our History
(work in progress…)

CB Version

Historical Overview of Lebanon Baptist Church: 190 Years of Faith and God’s Faithfulness

Humble Beginnings

The legacy of Lebanon Baptist Church of Roswell, Georgia began with a small group of faithful people who determined to follow Christ and make Him known throughout their community and the world. Long before Roswell was a sprawling, affluent suburb replete with comfortable neighborhoods and upscale shopping and restaurants, the area was a sparsely inhabited farm community known to locals as Lebanon, GA. The small farm community lay just outside of the town limits of Roswell, and was eventually absorbed into what today are the cities of Roswell and Canton. Lebanon experienced a surge of growth in the early 1830’s when pioneering settlers were attracted to the area by the Gold Lottery, which offered farmland to qualifying families. Among those who secured property were Amariah Hembree and his family. In fact, it was in the Hembree home, located in what was then Lebanon, GA, where a small group of families first met to worship together. Within a few years, the gathering recognized the need for a formal “meeting house,” and James Hembree built that first church, what was probably a log-cabin style structure, at the cost of $158.50. That first Lebanon Baptist Church stood near the present site of Northside Baptist Church on Houze Road, and the church’s cemetery remains to this day, still maintained by Lebanon Baptist Church.

Antebellum Roots

In its early days as a church in the antebellum deep South, services at Lebanon Baptist would have looked a bit different from those of today, as their procedures and practices reflected the customs and norms of their time period. Up until the 1930’s, men and women sat on opposite sides of the sanctuary. Several benches located to the left of the pulpit were designated “Amen Corner” and reserved for deacons and older men. The “singers” (choir) were located in front of the pulpit in the early days and then later moved to the right of it, opposite “Amen Corner.” Up until the 1960’s, there was no nursery, so babies played on quilts laid out on the floor, and from an early age, children were taught to sit quietly during the services. Foot-washing was a regular aspect of the services in the 1800’s, as was annual communion. Most of the preachers in those days served multiple congregations on monthly rotation, so many ministers served the Lebanon congregation for only a short time.

From its inception, Lebanon Baptist Church sought to adhere to biblical principles in both biblical matters and social issues. Unlike many churches in the antebellum South, slaves were welcomed as members at Lebanon and worshipped with the white members. Burt Hembree, an African slave, was ordained to preach, and his brother, Alec, was ordained as a deacon. In fact, they were among the first black men to be ordained in the United States. The church also contributed to the well-being of the surrounding community in many ways. For instance, in the 1840’s when a drought and locusts devastated Georgia’s rural economy, the church organized the Lebanon Cobb County Agricultural Society to financially and practically help destitute families. The society provided food, clothing, and even interceded with creditors on behalf of indebted farm families. Lebanon Baptist has always been a community church.

In 1860, the growing congregation built a new church atop a small hill at what is today the intersection of Alpharetta Highway and Holcomb Bridge Road. This was a tumultuous time, however, and during the Civil War, the Union Army, under the command of General Sherman, briefly occupied Roswell. For most of the summer of 1864, 36,000 troops occupied the town, and the Union army appropriated wood from the new church building to construct rafts and/or a bridge to cross the river after the Confederate Army burned the covered Chattahoochee Bridge to delay the advance of Union soldiers.

Reconstruction and Beyond

Shortly after the war, the resilient congregation of Lebanon Baptist Church rebuilt the structure, which remained in use until 1916. That year, during a revival meeting, so many people crowded into the building that the floor caved in, resulting in a vote of approval by the congregation to build a new church. That effort was lead by then pastor Rev. C.H. Jennings. In 1938, Sunday school rooms were added to the 1916 building (prior to that addition, everyone met in small groups in the sanctuary). In the 1950’s, two more rooms were added, and in 1960, the exterior was bricked.

1969 was a pivotal year in the life of Lebanon Baptist Church, for that is the year Rev. Dick Hester was called by the congregation to serve as senior pastor, a role he faithfully filled for 34 years. As the population of Roswell boomed during those decades, the spiritual leadership of Dr. Hester greatly contributed to the church’s tremendous growth, with membership rising to over 700, and the church staff expanding to 4 pastors plus additional support staff. In 1974, a new sanctuary was erected next to old building (which continued to be used), along with an educational building and a youth/recreation building. God continued to grow Lebanon Baptist Church over the next two decades, and in the mid 1990’s, a larger facility was needed. The members voted to purchase nearly 30 acres of land at the intersection of Crabapple and Chaffin Roads, ironically just a few miles from the site of the very first Lebanon Baptist Church building. The new church was completed in 1996 and celebrated its first service on Easter Sunday of that year. Four years later, a new wing with additional classrooms and a gym was added to the structure—a testimony to the stewardship of the church’s leaders and the generosity of the church’s members.

Enduring Legacy

Over its 190 year history, Lebanon Baptist Church’s singular purpose has remained the same: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God. It has sought to do this in its surrounding community, the greater Atlanta area, and throughout the United States and the world. Missions has always been an integral aspect of the church’s focus, as evidenced by its generosity in sending and supporting missionaries as well as supporting numerous mission organizations. Lebanon Baptist has experienced times of struggle and decline and times of plenty and growth, but at all times, God’s faithfulness has been evident. The congregants have gathered in 5 different buildings, been lead and taught by 39 different senior pastors, and the church has changed its affiliation 3 times (from Missionary Baptist to Southern Baptist to Independent Baptist), yet the resolve of its founders has endured in the church’s aspiration to “live in the spirit of meekness and brotherly love, striving to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace” so that nothing may hinder “the cause of Christ.”

Original text

History of Lebanon Baptist Church: Over 175 Years of Our Faith and God’s Faithfulness

Lebanon Baptist Church is an independent Bible-believing Baptist community church located in the north Fulton city of Roswell, Georgia.

Surrounded with the comfortable neighborhoods and affluent shopping centers of modern Roswell, it is easy to forget that its founders were pioneers, who crafted this community with their own character, labor, and resources. Outside of Roswell proper at its founding, Lebanon Baptist Church was given the name of the community in which it was founded. Amariah Hembree and his family, together with thirteen other believers, officially organized the church on Saturday, July 16, 1836. Though they had come to the area during the gold lot lottery of the 1830s, these early settlers were not fortune hunters but family builders. They would spend their lives in the Lebanon Community; without the advantage of pre-existing courts or civil laws, they established an orderly society, self-government, and a Christian heritage that is still blessing the community over a century and a half later.

Is to develop dynamic disciples of Jesus Christ
From the earliest church conferences, the church was officially recorded “at peace.” This statement did not always come without first working through disputes. These believers took their responsibility to each other seriously, and church members could be dismissed or “excluded” for dancing, swearing, drinking, not attending church, etc. The unacceptable conduct included even such items as “night or day plays” and “Valentine drawings.” However, Lebanon appears not to have been stricter than any other church of that era; one displaced member of the fractured “Union Church” declared, “I guess I’ll put it [her membership letter] in Lebanon. But I don’t love ‘em much; they’re too soft to suit me.”A “split” occurred around 1850 when eleven members left the church over a resolution to exact ten cents annually, per member, for missions. However the spirit of Lebanon is seen in this early (1865?) resolution: “Therefore, be it reasoned, we will not bring up past differences, and in the spirit of meekness and brotherly love, [we will] strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace . . . [T]he differences of the past have hindered the cause of Christ and the speed of the Gospel, at home and abroad . . .” The young church determined to move forward in the higher cause of advancing the Gospel.The motion to record the church “at peace and fellowship” is still a part of every regular church business conference. It is usually carried by a “hearty amen,” but at times of internal strife may be questioned or postponed, lest it become a meaningless formality instead of a solemn declaration of the state of the church.

By Honoring Him in Worship
The original place of worship for Lebanon Baptist Church was the Hembree home, located near what are today Hembree and Elkins Roads. In 1838 the church decided to build a “meeting house.” James Hembree was the builder, and the total cost was $158.50. Probably something of a log cabin, this structure stood near the present site of Northside Baptist Church Houze Road. The tiny old Lebanon cemetery is still near the old site; it is still maintained by the church though it has long since ceased being used.Around 1860 the church built a new building on the hill at what is today the intersection of Alpharetta Highway and Holcomb Bridge Road. During the War Between the States, the Union Army, under the direction of General Sherman, marched into Georgia. Thirty-six thousand troops occupied Roswell in July of 1864. Though the Roswell homes survived, 400 mill hands, mostly women and children, were taken captive and sent north. As for the Lebanon church, the army used the wood from its new building to construct rafts and/or a bridge to cross the river after the Confederate Army burned the covered Chattahoochee Bridge to delay the pursuing Yankees.After the war, the church rebuilt its building, which remained in use until 1916. That year, during a revival meeting, so many people were present that the floor caved in! The church voted to build a new building, the cornerstone of which read:

LEBANON BAPTIST CHURCH

ORGANIZED AD 1836

REBUILT AD 1916

REV C.H. JENNINGS PASTOR

and also listed the names of the deacons and building committee.

1916 Lebanon Baptist Church

Later, in 1938, Sunday School rooms were added to the building (before that everyone met in little groups in the sanctuary). In the 50’s two more rooms were added, and in 1960 the building was bricked. (This original building, after being contended for by various historical preservationists in the city, burned to the ground in January 2004. The cause of the fire was unknown, but believed to be accidental.)

1974 Lebanon Baptist Church

In 1974 a new sanctuary was built next to the old building, which continued to be used, along with an educational building and a youth / recreation building. God continued to grow the church, and the members voted to purchase nearly 30 acres at Crabapple and Chaffin Roads, just a few miles from the old site. On Easter Sunday, 1996, the church celebrated its first service in the new building, which was a testimony to the generous giving of time and money by the congregation. In 2000 a new wing with additional classrooms and a gym was added to the existing building.

Interestingly, only a few artifacts remain from Lebanon’s history, such as an original slave bench from the early 1800s, the 1916 cornerstone, and the steeple (now on its third Lebanon church building). While it is important to remember our past, our pioneer forefathers would appreciate that our focus is on their character, convictions, and accomplishments rather than on their buildings or relics.

Most elements of the old services remain the same, but some, such as seating, have changed over time. Up until the 1930s, men and women sat on opposite sides of the building. Several benches to the left of the pulpit were the “Amen” corner for the deacons and older men. The “Singers” sat in front of the pulpit; later this was moved to the right of the pulpit, opposite the “Amen corner” and they were called the “Choir.” Up until the 1960s there was no nursery, so babies played on the floor on quilts and children were taught to be quiet in the service.

Foot washing was a part of the services in the 1800s, as was annual communion. The preacher was called, by a vote, annually, even if the same one remained. Many of the early preachers served just a few years; usually they cared for several area churches and preached at Lebanon only once a month. In 1969 the call of the pastor was changed to indefinite and Dick Hester became the senior pastor, a role he filled faithfully for thirty-four years. A combination of the booming population of Roswell and the spiritual leadership of Dr. Hester contributed to tremendous growth, with the church’s membership reaching over 700, and the church staff consisting of four pastors plus support staff.

Imitating Him Through Nurture

From the first days of Lebanon, the church had a pioneering spirit in its attitude toward both social and spiritual concerns. Slaves were allowed to not only worship with their masters, but were church members. In fact the first person to join “by experience” (that is, a salvation experience) was a slave of the Bulloch family named Jone. During “foot washing,” slaves not only washed their masters’ feet, but their masters washed theirs. Burt Hembree, an African slave, was ordained to preach and his brother Alec was ordained as a deacon. They are among the first black men to be ordained in the United States.

Lebanon has also been a family church from its earliest days. During the 1840s drought and locusts caused a crop failure that devastated Georgia’s economy. The church organized the “Lebanon Cobb County Agricultural Society” which proceeded to help the families of the community work together to make it through these hard times. Those with a surplus shared with those who were so destitute they had no food or clothing. The society interceded with creditors on behalf of the indebted families. They made spinning wheels and looms and crafted homespun clothing.

During the middle decades of the 20th century, the church enjoyed celebrating holidays together. On Christmas Eve, after a pageant, “Santa Claus” gave a gift to every child from those tied onto the tree (yes presents really were “on the tree” in those days.) Between Christmas and New Year’s, the young people would go caroling. Independence Day, the entire community turned out for a fish fry. Tubs of lemonade and potluck side dishes completed the meal, while the children enjoyed splashing in the water and playing games. Homecoming, in May, featured good food and fellowship. Dinner really was “on the grounds.” In the 1950s the VIC class (then the young couples class) built concrete tables outside. In the 1980s Homecoming was often celebrated with an “Old Fashioned Day” complete with dress-up and buggy rides!

Making Him Known Through Witness

Early records show a decided interest in missions among the Lebanon people. In fact the church was officially called a “Missionary Baptist” church (as opposed to Primitive Baptist, Hardshell Baptist, etc. Later the church became a “Southern Baptist” church and in the 1960s an “Independent Baptist” church). In 1838, just two years after the church was founded, the members organized a Missionary Society and collected $7.50 towards “Foreign and Indian Missions.” (This is equal to at least $255 in today’s (2025) economy.)

In February 1849, five men from Lebanon attended an Association Meeting in Cumming, Georgia. The church agreed to send $5.50 for the Indian Mission and $.50 for general missions. Later that year, the church voted that each member should give $.10 annually towards missions and as much more as “God in His providence may enable them to give.”

For many years, the second week of August was “Protracted Meetings” or Revival. These were prefaced by men’s and women’s prayer meetings, the men meeting at the Baptismal pool and asking God to fill its waters with souls saved at the Revival meetings. The Revival services might be two hours long, one in the morning, followed by “dinner,” and another at night. Everyone took off from work to attend. The Sunday after was the annual Baptism service—outdoors in cold spring water.

In 1984, Lebanon had its first missions conference with Dr. James Crumpton as the keynote speaker. Bill and Mary Jane Curling were the first missionaries taken on for regular monthly support; the church still supports the ministry of Missionary Evangelism in Alamo, Texas, now under the direction of the Curlings’ sons Chago and Juan. In 1987, Lebanon took its first short-term mission trip to Camp Transformation in upstate New York; and since then has taken approximately one trip a year. Some of our missionary members who have been part of the annual conferences ever since the 1980s include Jim and Skip Curtis (New Tribes Mission), and Tom and Jewel Young (Happy Acres Mission Transit Center). Happy Acres, a missionary “helps” ministry, was born out of the prayers and support of Lebanon in 1983 and has had a close working relationship with the church ever since.

To Create a Caring, Christ-Centered Community

As the initial church building was being constructed, there was a contention among many of the church members as to who could use the building and when. Grieved over the division, several members drafted the following resolution which became the final word on the matter: “The house belongs to the church, and the church has the sole right to occupy the same at all times; but at any time the church building is not occupied by the church, it shall be free to any minister in good standing in his church, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian, and Congregationalist denominations. The meeting-house is free to Sunday School, Missionary Society, Temperance Society, Bible School, and Tract Society.”

Lebanon heartily supported the temperance movement; in 1842 former pastor Peter Kuykendall met with another local minister and several Lebanon and Roswell citizens to form the “Washington Total Abstinence Society.” Drinking could be a cause for dismissal from the church; the church passed a resolution forbidding the manufacture or sale of whiskey or wine. By these measures, Lebanon attempted to create a healthier and safer community.

Pastror Dick Hester greeting

In the mid-1900s the health nurse might let the church know of a need within the community, and the church would take up a special offering. One time $100 was raised for an 11-year-old who had been badly burned. The church took truckloads of its homegrown produce and canned goods to the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home each fall and also restocked the preacher’s pantry for the coming year.

At the groundbreaking for the Crabapple Road building, Roswell Mayor Pug Mabry was present. At Pastor Hester’s
Lebanon to join Biblical Ministries Worldwide, former mayor Mabry said, “In Roswell, we don’t need a whole lot more people, but we need more Dick Hesters. He was just a community leader, aside from being pastor of Lebanon Baptist Church.” The city of Roswell and Lebanon have maintained a friendly working relationship.

For over 175 years, Lebanon Baptist Church has stood to proclaim God’s truth in Christian love to this community and world. Our faith has been tested—and we have seen God’s faithfulness—through times of internal and external conflict, times of need and times of plenty, times of growth and times of decline. We have worshipped in five different buildings, have had 38 different pastors, and have changed our Baptist affiliation three times. Yet our church has remained because its purpose has remained: to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission until Christ returns. May we, with those pioneer believers of old resolve to “in the spirit of meekness and brotherly love, strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace” that nothing may hinder “the cause of Christ and the speed of the Gospel, at home and abroad . . .”

Lebanon Baptist Church Today

SENIOR PASTORS OF
LEBANON BAPTIST CHURCH

Peter Kuykendall

Henry Collins

Richard Phillips

F.M. Hawkins

Tommy Burgess

Borrough Nichols

W.J. Pirkle

J.D. Huggins

J.J. Crowe

W.H. Earley

R.J. Otwell

J.J. Crowe

E.A. Cochran

C.D. McCurley

Joe Hembree

F.C. Owens

C.A. Wallace

W.A.Smith

Red Miller

J.M. Anderson

1836-1837

1837-1847

1848-1850

1850-1859

1859-1868

1868-1868

1868-1870

1870-1894

1894-1898

1898-1899

1899-1900

1900-1902

1902-1903

1903(3 mos.)

Supplied

1904-1905

1905-1907

1907-1909

1909-1910

1910-1913

1916 Lebanon Baptist Church

Later, in 1938, Sunday School rooms were added to the building (before that everyone met in little groups in the sanctuary). In the 50’s two more rooms were added, and in 1960 the building was bricked. (This original building, after being contended for by various historical preservationists in the city, burned to the ground in January 2004. The cause of the fire was unknown, but believed to be accidental.)