The Shadow
Prayer and faith accomplish many things, as evidenced in the history of Temple Baptist Church as the congregation celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of the church on the hill.
However, the 10,000 square-foot building located at 300 Stratton Street had humble beginnings. A group of 43 Southern Baptists met in Covington on October 11, 1959, to discuss forming a new fellowship. Albert Smith, Sr. served as moderator, and an executive committee consisting of Smith, E. Curry Baker, D.L. Childs, Norman Riddleberger, C.M. Anderson, Ernest Burgandine, Elmer Baugher, Woody Carper, and Frank Anderson were elected.
On October 14 of that same year the group met for prayer and voted to rent the former Shop and Stop Store (currently part of the Wright Way Motors complex) at 804 S. Lexington Avenue. Led by Rev. John Wilmer and several lay speakers, the congregation met twice weekly,
on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, in the brick building. They were known as the Lexington Street Baptist Group. Robert Rock led the music program, and Dot Heironomous served as organist.
The group continued to establish themselves, holding a revival with Rev. J. Guy Saunders only one month after forming. They held both spring and fall revivals the following year, with Saunders’ son, Rev. John E. Saunders, as evangelist. On April 30, 1961, the congregation organized as a Baptist church, and on May 21, 1961, the voted to change their name to Temple Baptist Church at the suggestion of Calvin Anderson. A constitutional service was held on June 11, 1961, with eight area ministers attending. Rev. William Lee Walters, a retired Baptist minister, served as temporary pastor that summer and fall, followed by Rev. John Wilmer, who served as interim pastor during that time and again from 1968-1969 when the church was between pastors.
On Nov. 26, 1961, Rev. Guy Saunders returned to become the first official pastor. Saunders led the congregation in long-ranging planning that included constructing a building in three phases. Dr. Thomas C. Hodges, Sr. donated five acres of land on the top of the hill on the eastern boundary of Covington. Hodges’ son, the late Dr. Gary Hodges, said that his father had been offered $43,000 for the land from the Holiday Inn Corporation but refused to sell because he wanted to see a church built on the land.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 10, 1964, and construction quickly followed. The original building cost $85,000; the remainder of the $90,000 loan was used for furniture. H. Phil Burks, Sr., a local contractor, told Gary Hodges during the construction, “You’re really getting a good building for your money.” Rev. Saunders was able to preach his first sermon in the sanctuary on Feb. 21, 1965, and a dedication service was held on May 9, 1965.
The church continued to grow under Saunders’ tutelage until his retirement in 1968. He was succeeded by Rev. H. Van Wheeler, who served from July 1969 to June 1978. Rev. Roy Flynn then took the helm in September of 1979 and continued his ministry until October of 1983.
Under his leadership the church constitution was adopted in 1983 and is still used today. The church’s fourth full-time minister was Rev. Richard Landess, who served from April 1984 until March of 1990.
Temple’s longest serving minister, Rev. William M. Hartsfield, began preaching in February of 1991 and served until January 2024. During Hartsfield’s tenure, the church experienced a growth in membership, and several major building projects were completed. The most noteworthy was the new educational wing completed in 1998. Members held a note- burning celebration in November of 2002 after completing payment of the $305,000 addition in just four years.
A new playground was completed in the summer of 2000, and a new foyer was built and dedicated to the women of the church in 2002. The kitchen was renovated, and an improved sound system was installed in the sanctuary in 2003. In addition, general maintenance and upkeep projects such as new water and sewer lines, light fixtures, furniture, a baptistery, renovation of existing bathrooms and water fountains, and paving and extending the parking lot were completed before the church’s fortieth anniversary celebration in 2004. The inefficient crank-style windows in the sanctuary were replaced with new stained-glass ones in 2011. A majority of funds for the project were donated, with six windows dedicated to the memory of deceased church members: Monty Hazelwood; Doug and Andy Mattox; Ruby Rose; James Marvin Wright; Graham Anderson; and the Crizer and Snyder families. A seventh window was dedicated in honor of Rev. Hartsfield and his family. LCD projectors and screens were installed in the sanctuary in 2012 and were updated this year.
The church’s oldest outreach ministry, the live crucifixion scene, began at Easter of 1981, and has been held continually since, except during the Covid pandemic in 2020. At the start of the pandemic, Rev. Hartsfield held “Fireside Chats” on Facebook, followed by “Parking Lot Preaching.” The church was able to reopen in June 2020, with both Sunday morning worship and Sunday School offered.
Temple’s current minister, Rev. John Ballard, shadowed and worked with Rev. Hartsfield beginning in October of 2023 and took over full time in January 2024. Prior to arriving in Covington, John served in a variety of roles in his home church in Apex, North Carolina, ranging from teaching youth and college students to co-leading mission trips overseas. He also worked full-time as a sales representative in a hardware store while completing his seminary studies.
John became engaged to his fiancé, Kayla, in May, and the couple plans to be married in January of 2025. Under John’s leadership, the church’s normal activities have continued, as well as special activities such as the Young at Heart senior luncheons, Easter cantata and crucifixion scene, and Vacation Bible School. Through the grace and movement of God, Temple added four new members during this new season of its history. A team of seven members went to Eagle Eyrie in Lynchburg, VA, to participate in the Missions Connection Celebration in June. These members partnered with local churches in completing service projects in the Lynchburg area.
The church has continued to be a beacon of light on the hill, where the hope for the future is to continue to make disciples through sharing the gospel with and investing in people of all generations and taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.
