History of Orion Baptist Church

Orion Baptist Church was organized on December 19, 1911

The following are members who counseled together in the organization:

-W.C. Absher, W.M. Dillard, J.F. Dillard, Mrs. Jennie Dillard, 

Mrs. Dora Lambert and Mrs. Lucy Penn.

A motion was made that J.F. Dillard be elected church clerk.  The motion carried and he served in this office until 1962.  That morning the church doors were opened and eight new members came forward.  At the evening service on the same day December 19, a message was delivered by Rev. C.M. Cope and six more new members joined the church.

On Wednesday, December 20, 1911, at ten a.m., the first baptizing for the new church was held and four people were baptized.  Another sermon was delivered at 11:30 a.m. and the church doors were again opened and ten candidates were received for baptism.

A new building was constructed in the spring of 1912 and the first revival was conducted.  According to the church minutes, twenty-five new members were added to the church.  From these new members, the first Board of Deacons was elected. Rev. T.M. Hayes was elected pastor in 1913.  Other serving as pastor were Rev. R.M. Burkett, Rev. Bitty Carlton, Rev. W.E. Denny, Rev. T.M. Hayes, Rev. E.Z. Sexton, who served for nineteen years, Rev. Paul Phipps, Rev. M.D. Hart, Rev. Smith Mill, Rev. Wesley Eldreth, Rev. Elwood Goodman, Rev. R.C. Ashley, Rev. David Brown, Rev. David Hartzog, Rev. W.E. Burchette, Rev. John Leek,  Rev. Victor Chruch, Rev. Rick Miller, Rev. Mace Johnson, Rev. Michael Carter and Rev. Steve Allen.  The present pastor is Rev. Lawrence Goodman.

The present Deacon Board consists of Russell Vannoy, Ed Gentry, Jr., Mitchell Poe, Robert Roten, John Blevins and Andy Calhoun.

The church was remodeled in 1949.  A new addition was added in 1974.  The sanctuary was completely remodeled in 1987 and dedicated on Sunday, August 2, 1987.

An additional building, the fellowship hall,  was added to the location and a dedication service was held in May, 2006.