Whitehead Union Baptist first opened its doors in 1938.

Information offered on Whitehead Union Baptist Church

Whitehead Union Baptist opened its doors to the community in 1938 after the first session of the Union Baptist Association. Information about the church read, "In March of 1938, a community group held a conference at the Whitehead School House. The school is still standing and is known as the Whitehead Community Building. At this conference, it was decided the church would be named Whitehead Union Baptist Church. Prior meetings had been held to appoint trustees, to set the second Saturday and Sunday for meeting dates and to appoint a building committee. While the committee organized and constructed this church, Sunday School began in the Whitehead School."

In May 1938, land was deeded to trustees from F.M. and Polly Joines and H.M. and Ettie Joines to construct the church. Pastors at the time were G.M. Miles and R.J. Toliver.

According to Elder Dan Edwards, who has been pastor since 1971 and has taught Sunday School for the same time, the churches that make up the Union Baptist Association are Cherry Lane, Glade Creek, Liberty, Mountain Union, Pleasant Grove, Saddle Mountain and Whitehead. Meanwhile, Gwyn Hamm serves as an associate pastor and has been there for several years.

The Whitehead church was dedicated in September 1939, at which time pictures were taken and the first Sunday School was held.

In April 1973, nearly 35 years later, the church was destroyed by fire, Edwards said. The cause behind the fire was a faulty furnace.

"The members quickly came together and rallied on faith and determination and hard work and exactly three months and 14 days later, services were again held in the building that now exist. When we got through with the last pews that were installed, everything in the church was paid for. You couldn’t beat that."

When asked to address the changes at the church through the years, Edwards replied, "As a church, it hasn’t changed. Quite a few people have passed away, some have got their letter, some have joined. It pretty well balances itself out, but as far as the doctrine and principles and things of that nature, it stays the same. As a matter of fact, in the deed that was written to the church, it was written to the trustees…I’m one of the trustees.