Tennessee Church Marks 125 Years at Homecoming, Burns Note to Celebrate Being Debt-Free

JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. —

New Victory Baptist Church in Jonesborough, Tenn., held a day-long homecoming Sept. 27 to mark its 125th anniversary, ending the celebration with a “burning of the note” ceremony to show the church is now free of debt, the Baptist and Reflector reported.

The day began with a morning worship service and a fellowship luncheon. Chad Williams, a former deacon of the church, was the homecoming guest speaker, and Senior Pastor John David Shelton led the congregation, according to the Tennessee Baptist paper.

Troy Rust, director of missions for the Holston Baptist Association, presented the church with a plaque. Gene Nelson, a Harvest Field team leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, also took part, the paper said.

The church was organized March 9, 1901, with 32 charter members. Its first pastor, J.H. Moore, was paid $60 a year. In 1939 the congregation moved across the street with help from the wider community.

Growth came quickly in the 2000s. The church bought property in 2004 and 2005, and in 2007 members approved a $500,000 loan. That same year the Tennessee Baptist Convention named New Victory the fastest-growing church in the state. The congregation held its first service in its new Christian Life Center on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008.

Church historian Helen Cooper Dickerson, who made her profession of faith at New Victory in 1962, wrote an account of the church's history for the occasion. She noted that the congregation has built two more sanctuaries since its first building.

Members have gone on mission trips from Baldwin, Ga., to Nairobi, Kenya. At home the church runs a homework club, a community help center and a “5th quarter” fellowship for students after Friday night football games, the Baptist and Reflector reported.