A church whose story began nearly 80 years ago with 10 people gathered for a prayer meeting celebrated another new beginning Sunday morning. Southside Baptist Church in Hazlehurst held Relaunch Sunday on August 23, marking the congregation’s first Sunday worship service in its newly renovated sanctuary. Members gathered for breakfast and fellowship before entering the refreshed worship space for the special service.
But for Southside, the relaunch is about much more than new surroundings. The renovated sanctuary represents a new season in the life of the church and an opportunity to refocus on what has remained at the heart of Southside throughout its history — worshiping Christ, growing in relationship with Him and reaching others with the Gospel.
The church describes its mission as helping people connect with God, His Church and His mission, encouraging families to find direction for life by reaching upward to God, inward to the local church and outward to serve Jesus in the world around them. Under the leadership of Lead Pastor Rev. Bryan Herrington, Relaunch Sunday provided an opportunity to celebrate what has been accomplished while looking toward what comes next.
The history of Southside Baptist Church stretches back to the spring of 1947, when J.D. Golden had a vision for a new church in Hazlehurst. According to a written history preserved by the church, a prayer meeting was held at the home of J.O. McLeod with just 10 people present. Prayer meetings soon moved beneath a tent, and later that year the growing group began meeting at Primitive Baptist Church on Cromartie Street.
Bro. Thomas P. Whitfield pastored the congregation during its early development. On June 6, 1948, Southside Baptist Church was officially constituted, and construction of its first sanctuary began that October under the leadership of Bro. Alvin Lynn. The congregation continued to grow, and in October 1954, its first service was held in a new sanctuary. Through the following decades, Southside was led by a number of pastors, including Bro. Bob Vinson, Bro. E.B. Peacock, Bro. Kelly Runyan, Rev. Alton E. Towe, Rev. C.C. Culpepper, Rev. John Lewis, Rev. Jack Belcher and Rev. Ricky Baldwin.
By the early 1980s, growth had once again created a need for additional space. On June 29, 1986, the congregation broke ground on a new Worship Center designed to seat approximately 600 people. Church members contributed to the construction, and the new sanctuary was dedicated on February 8, 1987.
Later that year, Rev. Ricky Baldwin resigned after 12 years of service, and Dr. Ben Glosson was called as pastor in September 1987. Glosson would go on to serve Southside for approximately 28 years, becoming an important part of the church’s modern history. Following Glosson’s tenure and an interim period, Pastor Deek Dubberly led Southside from 2015 until November 2022. Pastor Bryan Herrington later assumed the role of Lead Pastor and continues to lead the congregation today.
While buildings have changed throughout Southside’s history, its ministry has continued to reach beyond Sunday morning worship. Today, the church offers Sunday Life Groups, children’s and student ministries and midweek activities, along with opportunities designed to help members grow in their faith and serve others. Southside also hosts S3 Recovery, a faith-based ministry providing support to individuals working to overcome addiction and other personal struggles. Those ministries reflect the larger message behind Relaunch Sunday.
A renovated sanctuary may provide a beautiful place for a congregation to gather, but a church is ultimately more than the building in which it worships. Nearly eight decades ago, Southside began not with a sanctuary, but with 10 people praying together in someone’s home. From a home, to a tent, to borrowed meeting space, to its first sanctuary and eventually a Worship Center seating hundreds, each chapter of Southside’s history has represented growth and change. Sunday morning opened another chapter.
Relaunch Sunday celebrated a beautiful, renewed sanctuary, but more importantly, a renewed commitment to Christ, to one another and to reaching people beyond the walls of the church. And perhaps that makes this newest chapter remarkably similar to the very first one in 1947 — people coming together with a desire to seek God and reach their community.
