"Hard working people hold this town together."
First
Baptist of Greeneville was formed in the early 1870’s, when E.W.
Headrick and his wife resolved to aid in the institution of a Baptist
church in Greeneville. Construction began in 1871, with the purchase of
a plot of land on Summer Street, and was completed in July of 1872.
Today, First Baptist has just finished renovations on the new
sanctuary, and the church still utilizes the Old Sanctuary right behind
the new sanctuary as a place of worship on Wednesday nights.
First Baptist is credited with the formation of two mission churches: Second Baptist Church, which was formed in 1891, and became Towering Oaks Baptist Church in 1980. Cavalry Baptist Church was formed in 1948, and still practices under the same name today.
Dr. David Green has been the pastor of First Baptist since 1999. Aside from genuinely feeling God’s call to preach here, he is also attracted to the architecture, which he says is neat, the historic community, and the performance arts.
When asked about Rediscover Greeneville, Dr. Green said that the project has its pros and its cons. The impact on the area will be great he said, in particular regards to the high school and the Capitol building. One thing that he insists on keeping alive however, is the historical feel of the downtown area.In
terms of expansion, Dr. Green is not a this or that person. He feels
that both “outward” and “upward” expansions are underway, and does not
see either one as particularly negative nor positive. He does cite the
particular influence of agriculture in the community, and cites
Greeneville as the “largest agrarian community in the state.” Because
of this, Dr. Green feels it is vital that no matter what type of
expansion goes on, that it do whatever it can to maintain the agrarian
society that comprises Greeneville and County.
What
Dr. Green vigorously opposes is the formation of an adult night life in
the downtown area, as he feels it will be a slight against the
traditional, family oriented values the community rests on.
Instead of a vigorous night life, Dr. Green would rather see two types
of businesses come to downtown: good places to eat, and a reinvention
of the entertainment industry.
Dr. Green is very pleased with the small town atmosphere that Greeneville exudes, and states that though people work hard, they are very pleasant. The schools are nice, the people are nice, and it is an overall nice place to raise a family. Greene County has national parks, forests, and farmland, and is therefore one of the most diversely featured counties in the state, which contributes to the “neat” feeling Dr. Green described throughout the interview.
