Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Every year, a local church opens its doors to the community for a Thanksgiving gathering where everyone is invited.
King Baptist Church has carried on the tradition of serving a Thanksgiving meal to the community for decades. The church holds the event annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, it will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m. at the church.
“It’s intended to welcome everyone. The Lord did the same thing,” said Charles McKamie, the pastor of King Baptist Church. “He welcomed anybody that came to him. And that's our goal – is to welcome people like he did. That’s really what it's about, plus, it's a good time of fellowship for all of us in that community.”
While McKamie doesn’t know how long King Baptist Church has hosted the Thanksgiving meal, he said the church hosted the gathering when he first joined in 1990.
McKamie adds that there will be a substantial amount of food provided at the gathering. However, guests are welcome to bring a side dish or dessert. It varies from year to year how many people attend the meal, but they always prepare for a large group.
“It's open to everyone – everybody's welcome,” McKamie said. “No matter who you are, where you're from, you're welcome.”
King Baptist Church traces its roots to 1875 when the Baptist congregation was first organized. The church was founded by a few Coryell County families, some of which still live in the area. Although the current sanctuary was built in 1975, the church has continued to serve Gatesville and surrounding communities for nearly 150 years.
King Baptist Church is located at 6730 FM 1783 near Gatesville.
