Celebrate Fayetteville: Exploring the Greater Fayetteville Region

F I R S T B A P T I S T C H U R C H
The organizing ministers of First Baptist
Church were Dr. David Williams and
Dr. James McDaniel. The church was
constituted in November 1837. The church
was organized from a movement in rural
areas of the county that moved to the present
site in downtown Fayetteville. The first
church building was demolished in 1906
before the current structure was completed
in 1910. The church was renovated
and expanded in 1926 for education space.
The auditorium was later enlarged, the
education building was also added and
another renovation took place.
E V A N S
A . M . E . Z I O N
M E T R O P O L I T A N
C H U R C H
Henry Evans, a licensed Methodist
preacher and black shoemaker, passed
through Fayetteville in the late 1780s on
his way to Charleston, and decided to
call Fayetteville home, where he could
minister to other African Americans. Evans
Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church was
founded and the Methodist denomination
also started in Fayetteville. Evans preached
to both blacks and whites, which was rare
at the time. The grave of Evans is marked by
a tablet in the basement of the church.
Today’s church building is the fourth for the
A.M.E. Zion Church.
✧
Above: Evans Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church.
Opposite, top: First Baptist Church.
Opposite, bottom: St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church.
C E L E B R A T E F A Y E T T E V I L L E : E x p l o r i n g t h e G r e a t e r F a y e t t e v i l l e R e g i o n
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