History

The Spring Warrior congregation formed around the turn of the 20th Century by a brother Cumbie. (Our earliest legible grave stone reads 1884.)

The first meeting house was a room-sized, board-and-batter frame building. Logs were used as floor joists. It had wooden shutters at the windows. Some years later, it was enlarged to double its original size.

Most of the teaching was done by individual brethren. Preachers, such as Lee, More, and Conley would come and preach two and three-week meetings. These were usually held in the Summer.

Tent meetings were held at various places around the county in place such as Spring Head, Steinhatchee, Carbur, and Salem.

The original meeting house was remodeled, probably in the 1930s. It had glass windows with screens, and siding of that day and time. This building , with its wood heater, kerosene lamps, and outdoor toilets, was used until the mid-1950s.

In the Fall of 1953, the Foley and Spring Warrior congregations merged. The Spring Warrior building, the smaller of the two, became the house for the preacher. Enoch B. Thweatt, who was working part-time with the Foley congregation and teaching school full-time, was hired as the first full-time preacher or evangelist.

Evangelists who followed Thweatt were Gene Dortch, Paul Johnson, Tommy Thornhill, Alton Elliott, Rip Ward, and Byron J. Conley. The last to live in the old meeting house was Otis Jordan.

In 1970, a modern brick home was completed across the highway from the church building. The first preacher to live in the new house was Otis Jordan. Then came Travis Bishop and Charlie Andrews.

In December 1981, evangelist Gary Hargis and his family moved into the congregation’s house for the preacher. He left in June 1983.

In August 1983, Chuck Kozens and his family began their work at Spring Warrior, which lasted about five years.

The Foley church building was remodeled. A bapistry was added, and central hearing and air-conditioning was installed. Four classrooms were built, and the restroom facilities were enlarged and improved.

The last service held in the old Foley building was the funeral for sister Annie Rister.

A new, modern brick building was built on the original site of the first meeting house. Brother Brownie Ellis had purchased the old Foley meeting house building, and had it moved from the site upon completion of the new building. The new building had seating capacity for 200, seven classrooms, two bathrooms, a nursery, and an office for thee preacher. Worship in the new building began in October 1984. In 1989, an addition of three more classrooms, a resource room and two more bathrooms were added on the north side of the building.

The funeral service for Brother Marvin Gamble, a long-time leader in the congregation, was the first held in the new building.