HISTORY
OF
THE
FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH OF TAFT
The First Baptist
Church, 9284 2nd
Avenue, originally known as Missionary Baptist Church, was
organized
in 1910 by Reverend W.E. Murphy, and had a membership of fifteen.
Reverend Murphy
was
one of the early influential citizens of Taft. There existed a
wonderful sense of cooperation
between
him and his Methodist counterparts, an attitude that exists today.
His accomplishments
were
numerous and when he died he left a void in the community. His
obituary of December 27,
1947
noted that; “Dr. Murphy was known throughout Central Florida for
his neighborliness and
good
deeds; his acts of kindness toward those who had run afoul of the law
or those in dire need
knew
no limit.” residents fondly remember his only vices seemed to
be his love for chewing
tobacco
and his open-air roadster. Friends and family quickly learned when
riding with him never
sit
behind Reverend Murphy as the combination of wind and tobacco juice
proved to be a messy
one.
Reverend Murphy stood shoulder-to shoulder with his neighbors,
working the sawmill by day
and
sawing timber after hours to build his church. The first church was
not pretty, it was a rough
structure
with sand floors but the hard work and sweat that had created it made
it beautiful in the
eyes of
its members. That same year the church was accepted into the Wekiwa
Baptist
Association,which
today is known as the Greater Orlando Baptist Association.
The
building burned down in 1912 , and the church, under the leadership
of Rev. Murphy, was
Able
to purchase a building on Boggy Creek Road and moved it to a lot
donated by the Sphaler
brothers,
where the church stands today. Rev. Murphy was assisted by church
pioneers Mr. Hyatt,
Mr.
Davis and Mr. Locke. He served the church for twelve years and
during that time he helped
Organize
churches in Tavares, Conway and Stuart. In late years Dr. Murphy
would ride to and
From
Taft in his antique Ford, the vehicle became familiar to many central
Florida residents.
Reverend
Smith followed Reverend Murphy, a few years later the church was led
by Reverend
Cox
who received an annual salary of $220.43. The
church reflected the fate of the community and
felt the blows dealt
by the hurricane of 1926, and
the Depression, membership dwindled to 12
members in the mid 30’s,
but it survived. Later that
decade would see the church ordaining three
deacons, Mr. French
Perdue, Howard Tyson, and Joe
Harley.
The
church membership gradually grew during the following years. The
church, reflecting a need to
The
congregation’s young people, built a Sunday school addition in
1948. Two years later, October
15,1950
the church held its first sunrise service, celebrating Thanksgiving.
The first minister to
have a phone
in his home was Reverend Albert Itterman, it was installed August 12,
1956.
The
decade of the 60’s saw the church hold a groundbreaking ceremony
for the present sanctuary on
October
30, 1960. This project became a reality in December of 1963 when the
church celebrated
the dedication with a dinner on the grounds. In
1968 the church was able to pay down its pastorium
and Church
benefactors, Mr. And Mrs. William Gillette paid of the remainder of
that debt.
Tyson
Dairy gave the church a corner lot in 1970; this would be used for
parking as the church
grew Its
membership. The John D. Mallory Fellowship Hall was completed in
1972, its name honored
church pioneer and activist John D. Mallory.
A new pastorium was built in 1977.
A
few years later the church bought the house and land that fronted the
sanctuary and later
refurbished the annex that is used for Sunday
School Youth Department. The church also built a
volleyball court in
back of the annex and later added horseshoe pits.
The
church held a “mortgage burning” ceremony in January of 1991.
Today the church has 117
members and associate members and is led by
Pastor Al Carlisle.
