On the weekend of April 20–22, Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Beckley, West Virginia, hosted the spring Bible conference of the Freedom Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches (FFRBC) in conjunction with a celebration of the church’s 125th anniversary.
Officially organized in February 1882, Mount Tabor has ministered continuously in the community for over 125 years. Among its ministries, the church has the distinction of having operated the first Christian high school in the state (1952–1960) and, in 1993, began a unique Christian school ministry designed for special needs students that still operates today (featured in the February 2005 Baptist Bulletin). Mount Tabor also has been instrumental in starting other churches in the area. Evangelist and author Carl Johnson, whose books are still available through RBP, was a longtime member of Mount Tabor.
During the celebration weekend, over 200 people participated in the activities, which included the FFRBC pastors’ and wives’ dinner, a homecoming dinner, five services featuring music from church members and a “reunion” quartet, and displays of memorabilia from the church’s history, including a pew used in the original 1880’s building. On Sunday, all the attendees gathered outside in front of the church building for a five-foot-long panoramic photograph.
Also included in this weekend was the West Virginia Talents for Christ competition, coordinated by Pastor Dan Stevens (Bible Baptist, Parkersburg). Two teens competed in Bible knowledge, and one competed in the preaching category. Eric Tucker of Bible Baptist, Parkersburg, won first place in the preaching category and will represent the state at the national conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this summer.
Speakers for the weekend were Robert Spradling, director of Church Development Services, and Lee Fullmer, former Mount Tabor pastor (1970–1979). Also, Bill Jennings (son of former pastor B. C. Jennings, who served from 1945 to 1959) and local pastor Andrew Davis shared memories of their times as youths at Mount Tabor and of the church’s influence on them. A recorded greeting from former pastor John Lineberry (1966–1969) was played in one of the services. Several missionaries participated in connection with the FFRBC conference activities.
Michael King, the 28th and current pastor at Mount Tabor Baptist Church, has served there since 1996 with his wife, Miriam, and daughter, Elizabeth.
