The Mural in Fellowship Hall was sculptured by Al Dye of Williamstown, WV. Done in bar-relief hyrdostone, is 28 feet long and 6 feet high. It weights 3500 pounds. The only color is India ink, with lacquer to preserve the finish.
The center of the mural is a replica of the present church building, under which are the words, “Enter to Worship – Depart to Serve.” To the left of the church are fourteen scenes from the life of Jesus, from the Nativity through the Ascensionh, and includes the flight to Egypt, the Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion, and the Empty Tomb, among others. One dominant scene depicts Jesus writing in the sand, a woman standing in the background, and two men – one ready to throw a stone and other dropping his stone (John 8: 1-11)
To the right of the church are shown two adults and two children leaving the worship service to serve in the world. Above them is a panoramic view of Marietta, including the two rivers and the downtown area. There is an aerial view of the college campus. An airplane flies overhead, a barge plies the waters of the Ohio, and a radio tower beams its message. There are also replicas of the first two meeting houses of the First Baptist Church. There is a scene of a lighthouse and a sailboat on the river.
The viewer is eventually drawn to the world in the shadow of the cross, then back to the center of the mural and the church, whose mission is to declare to the whole world the good news of God’s love and peace in Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ.