First Baptist Church is standing on the promises of years to come

 

By Hugh Fisher

hfisher@kannapoliscitizen.com

Like the shadow of the sundial at Veterans Park next door, time has turned around First Baptist Church of Kannapolis.

Standing on the plot of land donated to church trustees by J.W. Cannon in August 1912, the fast-growing church stood sentinel at the entrance to Cannon Mills Co.

As the church grew, the building expanded. Today, the newly-refurbished steeple rises over North Main Street next to the rotunda dome of the David Murdock Core Lab at the N.C. Research Campus.

Pastor Tom Cabaniss finds this symbolic. 

“It’s similar to when it all began,” he said. “In 1906, the industrial revolution was taking hold in this part of the country. You had advanced technology coming to this area, and growth.”

“Some very sage people decided that we needed to have a church nearby,” Cabaniss said.

Cabaniss has pastored First Baptist since June 1996. He has seen the transformation of Kannapolis from textile town to center of state-record layoffs. 

His church responded to the tough times by giving away food, medicine and support to those out of work.

Now, a new technological revolution has swept into town, bringing major changes in its wake.

But the church stands, symbolic of the past and of a community that Cabaniss said is more than ready for the challenges of the future.

First Baptist held its centennial celebration the weekend of Oct. 10-12, with talks and special services. Special events for the church’s Disciple Now youth groups were also held at the church and at members’ homes, Cabaniss said.

On Friday, Christian musician and speaker Kyle Matthews led the first of several services integrating music with his inspirational series called “Flying Lessons.”

Matthews, author of the book “One Month to Live,” has written music for Christian artists BeBe and CeCe Winans, Bob Carlisle and others.

“It was fabulous. It was great,” said Matt Hill, minister of music and senior adults. “He’s a very gifted speaker.”

Traditional music was also a feature of the centennial Sunday worship service Oct. 12.

A church member portrayed the role of J.L. Kirk, the first minister to serve at First Baptist. After a brief message, he led the congregation in singing several traditional hymns, including “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship,” “Standing on the Promises” and “Amazing Grace.”

“That took us back,” Hill said.

Rev. Don McNair, pastor of First Baptist from 1983 to 1994, was a special guest at the Oct. 12 service. 

Cabaniss said many people raised in the church came from throughout the area to celebrate the church’s 100th year. After the service, they gathered for a luncheon at the A.L. Brown High School cafeteria.

Like many congregations, First Baptist has a large share of older members. Cabaniss said one of the hardest parts of his job has been laying those longtime church members to rest.

But First Baptist continues to grow, with numerous younger families joining the church yearly.

“We have new people coming to town,” Cabaniss said. 

 “I think the first word would be ‘exciting,’ ” he said when asked to describe what this time in the life of the church is like. “It is an exciting time to be in Kannapolis.”

And the congregation and its pastor alike are moving forward with a purpose.

“We still believe that we need the presence of a Christian community,” Cabaniss said.

“And we want to be the presence of Christ. We want to bear witness to his love and his truth, and we want to be a prophetic voice,” Cabaniss said.

Located at what most consider the center of town, the church is ready to meet the demands of a growing and changing Kannapolis, he said.

“We all recall where this community was in 2003 when Pillowtex closed,” Cabaniss said. “We all know how this story ends in so many southern towns when the mill shuts down. They tread water for a while and then recede.”

Instead, Kannapolis is growing, and so is his congregation: Cabaniss estimated membership at 620, with weekly attendance of between 300 and 320.

“We’ve had a slight increase in Sunday attendance since Pillowtex closed,” he said. “We have a nice balance of younger families with younger kids.”

When the N.C. Research Campus is running full-steam, Cabaniss said he hopes to have programs that workers can attend — perhaps a weekly lunch open to the public, right next door to the labs and offices.

Cabaniss said his congregation is already taking advantage of events featuring personnel who work at the campus.

He speaks highly of Castle & Cooke, David Murdock’s company which is developing the biotechnology campus.

Castle & Cooke constructed a parking lot on the opposite side of North Main Street for church use after the church’s lot and the remnants of Lake Circle Drive were razed during construction.

“They have been good neighbors,” Cabaniss said.

And he stressed that the almost-symbolic placement of the $150 million-plus biotechnology lab next door to the church should be taken positively.

“It could be seen as a symbol of faith and reason,” Cabaniss said. But, he added, “We’re not at war with science, by any means.”

“I think we want to live in harmony with the scientific community. We believe the pursuit of truth is going to lead to Christ in all disciplines,” he said.

Plans for off-site growth and ministry are also in the works. A plot of land in Midway, purchased from the city of Kannapolis in 2003, will be home to the church’s family life center.

Already, the sports field there has been used by the church’s Upward sports teams — part of a Christian athletic ministry.

And Cabaniss said the property’s location — near the intersection of Dale Earnhardt Boulevard and South Main Street — makes it a prime spot for future community outreach efforts in addition to those the church already supports.

Cabaniss mentioned medical and dental clinics, immunization clinics and other efforts that had been made and which would be continued at the new site.

“I think this church has a good track record of reaching out to people in the community,” Cabaniss said.

The tone of the centennial celebration reflects that desire to celebrate the past with open arms. 

With so many changes coming to the city, he said he and the congregation are excited about the possibilities.

And Cabaniss said he has a goal of his own to realize within the next century of his church’s life.

“If I make it to the 150th anniversary, I’ll be 92,” he said. “I hope to walk in here, and I mean walk.”