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| Antioch-Lithonia set to celebrate 15th pastoral anniversary, 141 years as a church |
LITHONIA—Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church this month will celebrate 15 years under the leadership of Pastor James C. Ward and his wife, Idell. The congregation is planning an anniversary banquet for the couple that will be held on March 12, 7:30 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Decatur.
The ticketed banquet will be followed by the church’s 141st Heritage Anniversary celebration, which will take place on March 14, 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The guest speaker will be Pastor Ward’s good friend, Pastor Horace Mitchell of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Abbeville, AL. “We are really looking forward to him speaking and fellowshipping with us,” said Pastor Ward, who said he and his wife are proud to have served as the church’s leaders for 15 years. Antioch has a colorful history that Pastor Ward loves to tell others about. One of its former leaders was the Rev. A.D. Williams, the maternal grandfather of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I will always remember the stories of the NAACP holding their meetings in our sanctuary, despite other churches being afraid to,” Ward said. “We have kept that welcoming tradition going by allowing other community groups like homeowners associations and the 100 Black Women to hold meetings here.” The multi-generational church is also known for the variety of music that it offers, attracting all ages. Among the church’s noted choirs is the James C. Ward Classical Arts Chorale. The group of men and women performed at the DeKalb History Center’s third annual Black History Month Celebration in February. The celebration, “A Salute to Law and Justice Leaders,” was held on Feb. 25 and featured several community leaders such as Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker, DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas E. Brown, the Rev. Thomas N. Bristow, Sr., a documented original Tuskegee Airmen,. Antioch built its present sanctuary in 2004. Pastor Ward said the church has come a long way and achieved a lot of accomplishments, but they are not finished working for the kingdom of God. “We are an old church, but we are still relevant. So, although we have history, we are still making history,” he said. Ticket prices for the anniversary event are $25 for adults and $12.50 for children ages 10 and under. Antioch will also provide free transportation to the event for those who need it. The bus will leave the church at 6:30 p.m. Antioch-Lithonia Baptist Church is located at 2152 Rock Chapel Road. 678-571-1294 or 770-482-1277. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 01 March 2010 02:09 ) |
