Dauphin Way Baptist Church marks 120 years in Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Members of a Mobile church mark more than a century of faith and tradition. A special service was held Sunday at Dauphin Way Baptist Church to mark its 120th anniversary.

From an energetic service to dozens of pieces of church history, this church has a lot to look back on and look forward to.

"The church continues to be resilient in these difficult days of ministry out of all of the challenges that we face. But God has been faithful, and the reality is that the changes are beginning to take place even now," Dauphin Way Baptist Senior Pastor Lee Merck said.

Church members mingle in the lobby, or look over how the church has evolved through its long history. Former Dauphin Way pastor and current Southern Baptist Convention President Clint Pressley says this place is a foundational church in the denomination.

"Early on in our existence, Dauphin Way was a strong leader in evangelism who was a strong leader and innovation, this church has always had an outsized presence in Southern Baptist Convention," Pressley said. From the people who are relatively new members to families that have been coming here for decades, this church has become like a family for some.

"I got saved here," church member Shannon Tate shared. "My children grew up here and my family, all my. It's. It's great. It's just hope. It's not the way it's always been home. Members of this church say there's a lot to be proud of.

"People all over the country know Dauphin Way Baptist Church, because in some way the church has touched their lives. And so that makes it pretty unique place," Pastor Merck said.

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Authorities have identified body parts found in a freezer earlier this year in Colorado as belonging to a teenager who went missing nearly two decades ago. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the remains are those of Amanda Leariel Overstreet, who had not been seen since April 2005. Her head and hands were discovered in a freezer at a home in Grand Junction, about 240 miles west of Denver, in January. Overstreet was the biological daughter of the home's previous owners. The remains were found when the new owners, who had recently purchased and remodeled the home, attempted to give away the freezer. Investigators have emphasized that the current owners are not connected to the case. Overstreet's disappearance had never been formally reported, and the case remains under investigation, according to the sheriff's office.