BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The Rev. Jerry Henry received a proclamation Tuesday from the Baldwin County Commission setting aside October as First Baptist Church of Fairhope Centennial Month and celebrating the church’s centennial anniversary.

During brief remarks, Henry described the church’s long history and thanked the city for assistance in providing alternate worship sites when the sanctuary was destroyed by fire five years ago.

“The city of Fairhope let us go to the civic center and the city gym,” Henry said. “I baptized in the bay and at Thomas Hospital. Once, in the bay, a mullet jumped out of the water and I thought about grabbing it during the baptism.”

The church began in 1908 when a small group of consecrated Baptists obtained a piece of property from the Single Tax Colony to establish a church. At a revival two years later, Ed S. Barnes became the minister for about 23 members, according to county documents.

“First Baptist Church of Fairhope continues to be one of the leading churches in the state whose pastor and members are constant supporters of community affairs,” the proclamation states. “It is only fitting to recognize and commend the church on this prestigious milestone.”

In 1923, the church began conducting Wednesday night services and continued to grow during the Depression. By 1952, Sunday school enrollment had passed 300.

During the 1960s, the church led the Baldwin County Church Association in baptisms and Sunday school attendance, and in 1961 the morning worship service began airing on a Fairhope radio station.

First Baptist Church of Fairhope is listed in the top 50 churches in the state in the number of baptisms. During the last 100 years, the church has entered six sanctuaries in administrating services to the Fairhope community.