Southside Baptist Church sits along South Highway 123 on the south side of Ozark, Alabama, in the heart of Dale County. Founded in 1949 as a mission Sunday School out of Ariton Baptist Church, it has grown from a meeting in a living room into a multi-building campus with a sanctuary that seats several hundred and a Family Life Center that anchors nearly every ministry the church runs. Known for its blended worship that weaves contemporary praise with traditional hymns, a deep music ministry that ranges from a cherub choir to a full sanctuary choir, and a multi-generational set of ministries built around Sunday School, small groups, and Wednesday nights, Southside is the steady Wiregrass congregation that the south side of Ozark built for itself.
From Julian Godwin's Living Room to a 600-Seat Sanctuary
In March 1949 there was no Baptist church on the south side of Ozark, and the Director of Missions for Dale Baptist Association believed one would prosper there. He asked Mr. Julian Godwin to host the first gathering of a mission Sunday School. Fifty-eight people attended that first meeting in Godwin's home, and during the following months another 25 were baptized into the new mission under the care of Ariton Baptist Church.
By July 31, 1949, a constitutional service had been called. After discussion of the need for a new church on that side of town, the council approved the formation of Southside Baptist Church and accepted the letters of 37 charter members. Officers were elected to carry on the work, and the first official service was held on August 14, 1949. At first the congregation met only on the second Sunday afternoon and night of each month.
A block building measuring 38 by 58 feet was constructed on a 2.6-acre plot and dedicated on July 30, 1950. Services stayed part-time until October 2, 1960, when the church voted to begin full-time services and called its first full-time pastor. Growth came quickly. On January 1, 1961, members approved a 10-foot addition across the back of the building that included two bathrooms, two dressing rooms, and a central baptistry, finished at a cost of $2,385.15. The new baptistry was first used on July 3, 1961.
Through the mid-1960s the church added Sunday School rooms and a fellowship hall, and a pastorium was purchased. On August 22, 1965, the first service was held in a new auditorium that seated about 250 people. By 1975 the church had grown enough to hire a part-time secretary and a part-time Minister of Music and Youth, and a newsletter was mailed twice a month. In the middle 1980s a third auditorium was built that seats between 500 and 600 people, and a Family Life Center was added to handle continuing growth.
That brings the story to today, with Pastor Tim Bates leading the congregation alongside Children's Ministry Director Shelley Bartlett and Youth Minister Mac Bates.
A Blended Sunday Morning on Highway 123
Visitors find a straightforward rhythm on Sunday morning. Sunday School begins at 9:30 in the Family Life Center behind the main sanctuary, with preschool classes meeting in the middle building. Members enter through the glass door by the church office and follow a winding hallway to the preschool facilities. A nursery is available for babies, and classes run from preschool through senior adults. Sunday School ends at 10:15, and the congregation moves into the sanctuary for worship at 10:30.
Worship at Southside is deliberately blended. The praise band includes keys, strings, and drums, and the choir sings across a range of styles. The song service usually runs about 30 minutes and preaching runs 30 to 45 minutes, so the service is generally finished before noon. Pastor Tim Bates typically preaches from the English Standard Version and walks verse by verse through the text, working to show what it meant when it was written and how it applies today. His favorite verse, Matthew 6:33, is the anchor of his ministry - "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
There is a time of greeting during the service, and visitors are invited to fill out a card so the church can get to know them better. Children in grades 1 through 3 are dismissed during the offering to Children's Church in the middle building, where they stay until a parent picks them up after the service. Dress is fairly conservative - some members wear Sunday dresses and suits, others dress more casually.
Evening activities wrap up the weekend. A Discipleship Training class for adults meets at 5:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. At 5:30 p.m. snacks are served before small groups begin at 6:00 p.m. Services are also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person.
Articles of Faith
Southside holds to a traditional Baptist set of beliefs spelled out in its articles of faith. The Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God and the final authority in faith and practice. There is one God, eternally existent in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is affirmed as true God and true man, begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, rose bodily from the grave on the third day, ascended bodily into Heaven, and continues His ministry at the right hand of God as Advocate and High Priest. He is personally, visibly, and imminently returning to earth.
The Holy Spirit is recognized as fully God, and the present era is described as a special dispensation of the Spirit, whose ministry includes reproving, regenerating, indwelling, guiding, and empowering believers.
Humanity is understood to have been created in the image of God, innocent at first, but fallen into sin by an exercise of free will, leaving all descendants under condemnation and in need of a new birth. Salvation is described as a gift of God's grace, received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, with no other means of being saved. Believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper are observed as the two ordinances given to the church. Members are also taught the eternal security of the believer, the priesthood of all believers in tithes and time, the reality of divine judgment, and the urgency of personal witness.
Music From Cherubs to Sanctuary Choir
Music is woven through the life of the church. The Music Ministry's purpose is to worship the Lord and lead others to do the same, and the congregation is led across southern gospel, traditional hymns, praise and worship choruses, contemporary songs, and anthems. Selection is driven first by the text - songs are chosen to be biblically sound and to lift up the cross, the blood, and the name of Jesus.
The Sanctuary choir is the heart of the music program for adults, and rehearsals are treated as a time of ministry as well as preparation. There are also special ensembles, dramas, musicals, and an occasional passion play.
For younger singers, the Cherub Choir serves children ages three through kindergarten and sings in Sunday evening worship services from time to time. The Children's Choir, for ages six through sixth grade, presents three musical dramas a year and also sings in evening services. On Sundays at 5 p.m., the Minister of Music leads a Youth Choir that sings contemporary music geared for teenagers.
The musicians, vocalists, and sound and lighting technicians describe their work as anointed rather than polished. Anyone with musical gifts, sound experience, or a simple desire to make a joyful noise is invited to be part of the program.
Laying Spiritual Foundations: Children Birth Through Sixth Grade
The Children's Ministry is divided by age so that every stage has its own teachers, classes, and programs. The preschool department includes a Nursery for birth through age 2, Preschool A for ages 2 and 3, and Preschool B for ages 4 through pre-K. The stated purpose - "Love God, Love Preschoolers, and Lay Spiritual Foundations for Life" - is taken literally. The early years are treated as the most important window for building character.
For elementary-aged children, the Children's Department is divided into Kindergarten, Grades 1 through 3, and Grades 4 through 6 for Sunday School. Sunday evening programming at 5 p.m. teaches children how to find books of the Bible, learn memory verses, and understand what the verses mean.
Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. are full of activity. Children's Choir for Grades 1 through 6 begins at 6 p.m. and produces three musicals a year, along with extra fun activities for choir members only. At 7 p.m. Royal Ambassadors for boys in Grades 1 through 6 and Girls in Action for girls in Grades 1 through 6 meet to study missions in the United States and around the world. The children correspond with missionaries, raise support, and do missions projects in the Ozark community. Cherub Choir for 3- to 5-year-olds also meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday nights.
Shelley Bartlett leads the Children's Ministry. She has a long history of working with both churches and scouting and serves as the American Heritage Girls director in the area.
Wednesday Nights, Retreats, and the Youth Program
Youth meet at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings for Sunday School and on Wednesday nights from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. for their own service in the Youth Room of the Family Life Center. On Sundays at 5 p.m., the Minister of Music leads the Youth Choir, which sings contemporary music geared to teenagers.
The stated goal is to help students grow in their Christian walk and develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A youth committee helps plan and organize youth events throughout the year, including retreats, fun activities, and outings outside of normal church times.
One annual highlight is the Youth Evangelism Conference (YEC), a statewide opportunity for students in grades 7 through 12 to gather for inspiration and motivation in reaching Alabama youth for Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal is for students and their adult leaders to return to their communities equipped to share the gospel.
Mac Bates, the Youth Minister, is a student at Troy University. He grew up with his father in youth ministry and now serves alongside him as he pursues his first ministry position.
Women on Mission and the Whole-Church Family
The Women's Ministry gathers about every 6 to 8 weeks for an evening meal, fellowship, sharing, and a short devotion. Members describe the gatherings as a place where women of all ages get to know each other personally, so that the older women can encourage the younger women through the everyday and critical situations of family life.
Within the broader women's program is Women on Mission (WMU), which meets the second Tuesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. in Snellgrove Hall. The meetings include prayer, a program from "Missions Mosaic" magazine with prayer patterns for missionaries, and refreshments. WMU leads the church in promoting the Annie Armstrong Easter offering and the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, both of which assist missionaries in the field. WMU also blesses the church's homebound members with Valentine baskets, Easter bags, and other seasonal care.
WMU's age-graded missions organizations for children and students include Mission Friends (age 3 through 1st grade), Girls in Action (grades 1 through 6), Royal Ambassadors (boys grades 1 through 6), and Acteens (grades 7 through 12).
The Men's Ministry is open to men who want to step up and lead or take part, and the Adults and Senior Adults ministry is being built out to serve every stage of adult life in the church.
Reaching Ozark and the World Beyond
Missions shape the life of the church. Southside gives regularly through the Cooperative Program and the local association and tithes a portion of what comes in back to missions. Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings have always been well supported. The church also directly supports missionaries, including Joel Indico in the Philippines, and recently sent a recent high school graduate on a long-term mission trip, joined for nine days by the pastor and another church member.
Within Ozark, Southside conducts a monthly Prayer Walk at Mixon Intermediate School the first Tuesday of each month during the school year. The Sew Love for Christ group uses its talents to make items that bless others. The ladies help feed the local high school band and community play cast members, organize year-round supply drives for Christmas shoeboxes sent around the world, and Baptist Women meet for Bible study and send cookies to first responders.
Online giving is available through the church's giving page, and Sunday bulletins are archived so members can follow along with the sermon series from home.
Becoming a Member
Membership at Southside is taken seriously, not as a formality but as a way to commit publicly to the body of believers and to find the gifts God has given. The church describes its reasons plainly: Christ loved the church and gave His life for it; formal membership shows real commitment in a day when commitment is rare; it defines who can be counted on; and it protects the unity and testimony of the church.
Members are received in three ways: by profession of personal faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord followed by believer's baptism by immersion; by transfer of letter from another church of like faith (handled by the church clerk); or by statement of personal faith and prior baptism by immersion in a church that believes the same way about salvation and baptism. Anyone interested can come forward during the invitation after the sermon to speak with the pastor, who will guide them through the decision.
Becoming a member is described in the church's own materials as a way to live out its stated priorities: act in love toward other members, refuse to gossip, follow the leaders as long as they are acting under God's leadership, invite the unchurched to attend, warmly welcome those who visit, attend faithfully, live a godly life, and give regularly.