About Us

The heritage of our church is a story of families. In 1850, Dick Brakefield, Leonard Hudson, and their families left Chester, South Carolina, to move to Alabama. They first settled in Blount County, but in February 1852, they moved to Walker County. They settled in the north central part of the county about eight miles north of what is presently known as the city of Jasper.

In 1856, realizing the need for a church, they went about six miles from the South Lowell community and established a small missionary Baptist church. The church was named New Prospect. After the Civil War, the families of New Prospect decided to move the church to the present site which is two miles north of downtown Jasper.

The church has remained a lighthouse for its community, pointing people to Jesus, for over 150 years. The first pastor of the church was S.A. Smith. Through the years, there have been many faithful men of God who have led the church as pastor. Jim Hudson, Garland Mays, Tommy Briggs, Delmus Anthony, Fred Karthaus, Dwayne Norman, and Howard Thompson are just a few of those faithful and beloved men. Blake Prater is currently the pastor of the church.

The church has experienced an expansion of its influence. The have been three sanctuaries and an addition to the third sanctuary which is known as “Anthony Hall.” The church has purchased 45 acres of land adjacent to its present location and has built a Christian Life Center, which is the first building of the new campus of New Prospect.

Throughout the history of New Prospect, thousands of people in Walker County have been touched by the faith of our people. From this family of faith, God has called pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, and many other Christian workers. The church continues to train and prepare the next generation of Christian leaders.

Although the church has a strong heritage, it is our future that fills us with much hope. Until the day that Christ returns, we hope to be found faithfully working for the Kingdom of God.