Sunday, August 12, 2001
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Sunday, August 12, 2001 |
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Founders' families still active at Lisbon Baptist
By CAROLYN CARY
The Lisbon Baptist Church, in the Rest community, still counts among its 400 members the last names of the charter families: Jones, Travis, Adams and Kerlin. The Kerlin and Fortson families moved to the area about 1840 from a community in Elbert County called "Lisbon." The church began in a schoolhouse in the 1880s and after 10 years a church building was constructed. The current sanctuary is its third one. Early minutes reflect that a $9.29 railroad fare was paid to the Sunday School superintendent to attend a meeting in Greenville, S.C. Just 50 years later, the sum of $200 was paid for the preacher to attend a meeting in Texas. Serving as its 23rd preacher, the Rev. Randall Harris has been at Lisbon Baptist since April 1999. He was born in Zebulon and reared in Spalding County, graduating from Griffin High School in 1969. Receiving a Dundee Scholarship, he attended North Georgia College, graduating in 1973 with a degree in psychology. He next served as a captain in the United States Army for four years in the Chemical Corps. He first felt the pull into ministry in high school and decided it was time to do something about it. He entered Mid-America Theological Seminary in Memphis, graduating in 1981. He met and married his wife there, and he and Charlotte are the parents of two boys, Clay, 19, and Thomas, 17. An RN, she is currently serving as a school nurse. Harris returned to seminary, receiving his master's in both marriage family counseling and religious education at Southwestern Theology Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Presently he is waiting to hear if his dissertation topic will be accepted to obtain his Ph.D. "My hope for this church," he said, "is to raise up ministers and missionaries who will go out into the world starting new churches and winning new people to Christ. I would like Lisbon Baptist to be known as the 'sending out' church." Everyone is invited this Oct. 27, to a celebration festival. Beginning at noon, it is geared toward children and youth, with free hot dogs, games and a hayride. "If you're in the neighborhood," said Harris, "we encourage you to join us." Lisbon Baptist conducts two services Sunday, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., with Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. There is a special program for youth each Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The church is at 1662 Ga. Highway 85 south and can be reached at 770-461-1583.
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