About Us

The Church's History

Fort Clark Baptist Church has a rich and colorful history spanning more than a century. Roots of the church can be traced back to slavery with an oppressed group seeking freedom through religious praise. Fort Clark was an outgrowth of the Bethlehem Baptist Church, the first African-American Baptist church in Western Kershaw County. Members living further away from Bethlehem desired a new church for conveniences.

 

Pastor Anthony C. Jumper and the church leadership agreed to issue letters of dismissal for the purpose of organizing a new church. On October 10, 1870, a church organizational council composed of Pastor Jumper and Rev. Monroe Boykin was called to form Fort Clark Baptist Church. The founding membership consisted of approximately fifty-five individuals. Services were held under a brush harbor on land owned by Mr. Earl Bowen.

 

In the latter 1800’s an acre of land was purchased from Mr. Bowen and a wooden structure was built. Remembrances of the church include lanterns being used for lighting and a pot-bellied stove supplying heat for the winter months. Baptisms were conducted in a man-made pool that used a nearby spring as its water source.

A fire leveled the old church building in the 1950s. It is believed that the fire was related to the activities of a local hate group. Mt. Sinai AME Church members were Christian-hearted enough to let Fort Clark have services in their church until a new brick facility was completed in 1957.

The basic structure of the church remained the same until the 1980’s when the education wing was added to the rear of the church. Additional land was purchased so that the church’s physical growth would not be bound to the original acre. In 1990 under the leadership of Pastor William H. Woodard, Jr. renovations to the church had begun in order to accommodate a growing congregation.

In 1994, the current sanctuary was expanded to seat approximately three hundred people. In March of 2000, the foundation was poured to what is now a new fellowship hall that will more than facilitate church activities in the new millennium.

During the church’s one hundred thirty-seven year journey, only nine pastors have led the congregation.
Rev. Anthony Jumper led the church during its founding years and served as pastor for more than twenty-five years. Pastor Sandy A. Boyd assumed the pastor-ship shortly after the resignation of Rev. Jumper. Pastor Boyd’s tenure was short-lived ending before the 1920’s when Rev. Gist Murphy was called to pastor Fort Clark. Members can recall Pastor Murphy riding his mule or driving his buggy to church. He is believed to have served as pastor longer than any other minister. Reverend Clarence Harrell assumed the pastorate shortly after the passing of Pastor Murphy.

Fort Clark’s fifth pastor was Reverend C.J. Britt. It was during Pastor Britt’s tenure that the church was burned to the ground. Pastor Britt became disabled shortly thereafter and Reverend John C. Williams served as interim pastor. Upon the death of Pastor Britt, Reverend Williams was asked to serve as pastor. Pastor Williams served for a few years and was followed by Reverend Levi Bellamy. In 1982, Reverend Tommy Rush was the eighth pastor of the Fort Clark Baptist Church. The education wing was added. A church bus and an additional tract of land were purchased under his leadership. Reverend William H. Woodard, Jr. assumed pastor-ship in 1989 as the church’s ninth pastor. During Pastor Woodard’s reign there has been so many blessings, growth and accomplishments that they are too many to list.

Elder John L. Roberts became the 10th pastor on June 1, 2009. Within this past year, Fort Clark has continued its mission and vision. We have begun work on the tract of land preparing it for an upcoming FCBC Family Life Center. One thing is for sure, as this church continues to grow spiritually and physically, we know that the same God who brought us from the brush harbor continues to richly bless us today.