Title	Sardis Baptist Church: interior of sanctuary
Creator(s)	West, Carroll Van, photographer
Date	2003
Coverage	2000-2009
Property name	Sardis Baptist Church
Property type	Church
Community Name	Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL
Latitude/Longitude	33.525575,-86.830038
Description	Black and white photograph of church interior from above; wood altar center with cross on front; choir chairs at back wall; white door on either side of the photo; pews at botom; three wood bishop chairs behind altar; wood table with cross and candles, and two chairs in front of altar; large cross above choir chairs.
Historical Notes	Sardis Baptist Church played a key role in the advancement of civil rights in Alabama, most notably as the site of a 1956 meeting at which the Alabama Christian Movement for Civil Rights (ACMHR) was formed. ACMHR replaced the NAACP, which was banned by the State of Alabama, and was a contributor to formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Sardis Baptist was one of many African American churches in Birmingham and elsewhere that hosted regular mass meetings to combine worship with advancement of civil rights efforts. The congregation of Sardis Baptist Church dates to 1884 but its buildings were constructed during the twentieth century: a Gothic Revival building in 1907 and a large education building in 1962-63. The church served a stable working-class community on Enon Ridge and was very much a community center.
Collection Name	African American Churches
Subject-LCSH	African American churches Church buildings -- Alabama
Subject-TGM	Churches
Type	Still image
Format	jpeg2000
Genre	Photograph
Extent	5 x 7 in.
Copyright status	Copyright of the creator. Reproduced with permission
Conditions for use	Credit Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Source file	sardisbap00003