HISTORY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH COURTLAND, ALABAMA

The church formed sometime during the Reconstruction Period when a group of concerned, born-again Christians felt the need for a place to worship and praise God.  These Christians set up a church in a private home on a farm known as the Sykes Place.  The privately-owned home was later given the name First Baptist.  It is known that the church had three locations. 

Gabriel B. Johnson was the first pastor on record.  Tradition has it that Baker Swoope served as pastor; however, there is no record or documentation of this on file. Therefore, the exact name of the first pastor is not clear.  

The known pastors are: Gabriel B. Johnson, William Meese, F.J. Brawley, P.W. Whitfield, W.J. Wilson, T. J. James, J.T. Owens, C.A. Fred, Freeman Harris, Otis Carl Neloms, and the present pastor, Otis Christopher Neloms.