In March of 1871, 46 people met to organize Sharon Baptist Church. Their first meeting place was a school house at the corner of Bishop and Emory roads in the Knoxville, TN area. In 1873, they were given a one and one-half acre site on what is now Pedigo Rd. The first church was a weatherboarded house 46 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 14 feet high with a cost between $600 and $1000. The year was 1882.
In 1895, a vestibule 8 feet by 10 feet was built with Sunday School rooms added in 1934. New pews were purchased and the building was bricked. A building fund was started for a pastorium which was dedicated in 1950. It was later sold in 1976 as a cost effective measure. The Trusler Educational Building, was dedicated in April of 1959. The Dunkel Wing was built at the rear of the Trusler building and dedicated on January 5, 1969.
In 1972, a Planning and Survey committee was elected to study the feasibility of a new sanctuary since the church had been having two worship services each Sunday morning. In September of 1975, ground was broken and on October 10, 1976, the new sanctuary was dedicated. In April of 1977, the hallway between the educational buildings was finished and the old sanctuary was demolished. A permanent memorial was built with bricks and other materials from the old building and constructed at the site where the bell tower is located. Additional educational space was constructed in 1979 between the Trusler Building and the entrances to the Dunkel Wing and the new sanctuary. This area was named Robertson Hall. Also, a new fellowship center was finished on the lower level. In 1989, extensive repairs and renovations were made to the entire church.
In 1997, with much prayer and dedication, the Church began the “Faith In action…Hope for the Future” campaign. The goals reflected three phases: to pay off the church debt, to remodel the sanctuary, and to look forward to the construction of a ministry center. With faith in God and with His leadership, two of these goals have been met. The third goal, raising enough funds to begin ground-breaking and then paying off the debt is our present goal. With in excess of $400,000 in reserve, this third phase will begin when the total funds reach $500,000. We have completed those goals and are now excited about our new Ministry Center and are enjoying an “Advancing our Ministry…Building by Faith” campaign to pay off the debt of the building – to God’s Glory!
Years ago, those who were led of God to begin a church here at Sharon sacrificed their time, their talents, and their finances to see that we today can enjoy worship services in a beautiful setting. A precious Christian brother stood in front of his fellow church members and said “ I pledge one dollar!” Those were the times when one dollar was a sacrifice to him and his fellow church members. As we read back over the history of the church, we can see how those saints loved the Lord and how they saved to see that their children and their neighbors could work for the Master in comfortable surroundings. Can we sacrifice in the same manner?