The names associated with the charter of the Lisbon Baptist Church in 1889 are names of families who still reside in the area: Jones, Travis, Adams, and Kerlin.

The Kerlin and the Fortson families moved to the area about 1840 from a community in Elbert County called "Lisbon" and evidently they wanted the new community to have the same name. A Fortson gave the land for the old Lisbon School and for the church.

Due to the average age of the charter members, in the mid to late 20s, coupled with the fact that the 1880s were prosperous ones in Fayette County, the church enjoyed an early success.

The church was held in the Lisbon School for 10 years and in 1899 a church building was constructed. It consisted of one room that would hold 250 persons.

The church minutes of 1928 reflect that $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 out for the preacher to attend a meeting in Texas.

Many churches were really hurting for operating funds in the 1920s and 1930s, and many of them planted a cotton patch for the sole purpose of raising money for the church; Lisbon Baptist was no exception. Sixteen men and 19 mules fell to it, and by late April 1930 the patch was planted. In October, there was enough to constitute a bale, 493 pounds. At eight and a half cents a pound, the church deposited $41.90 in its treasury, along with $27.28 received for 975 pounds of cotton seed that was picked out of the cotton balls. Of course, expenses had to be taken out for the fertilizer and sulphate ammonia (the cotton seeds were donated) and the grand total in its treasury for all that hard work, was $47.24.

In 1949, a paved road was extended south through the county, named Ga. Highway 85, and the church decided that not only was a new sanctuary needed, but it should be located on the new highway. In 1953, this was accomplished In 1983, it was decided to build for the third time and that is the current sanctuary. The membership has grown from the original nine people to over 400 at the present time.

From its inception until 1969, the church had 21 preachers. In 1969, it called Brother Carlton Swicegood to pastor them, and he is still its preacher.

The Rev. Swicegood was born and reared in Fulton County, spent four years in the Navy after high school, worked in Texas as a sales representative for several years, came back to Georgia and worked as a music minister for 12 years. Throughout this time, he realized the Lord was calling him into full-time ministry. In 1968, he attended the Baptist Bible Institute at Norman College in South Georgia and accepted the call to pastor Lisbon Baptist Church. He continued his education along the way and in 1981 he graduated from the Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans. Lisbon Baptist is the only church he has ever served and is looking forward to retirement next spring.

In 1953, he married a high school friend, Jacqueline, and they are the parents of Pam, Carol and Sandi.

The Swicegoods look forward to doing some travel and to be a part of the group, "Campers On Mission." It is a volunteer organization who will stay in various places in their camper, ministering to churches too poor to afford a minister or assisting new pastors.

Lisbon Baptist holds two services on Sunday, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., with Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.