Sunday, June 14, 1992 Pastor William D. Odom and his wife, Pam, came to Atmore from Troy, Missouri to assume the pastorate of Atmore Baptist Temple.  Sunday, the members of Atmore Baptist Temple honored Odom and his wife for their 20 years of ministry to the church by proclaiming the day Pastor Appreciation Day. The highlight of the event was a Lunch Fellowship in their honor immediately following the morning service.

Odom was born October 12, 1946 in Century, Florida.  In 1966, he entered the military and served in Korea until 1969.  Upon discharge, he met and married Pamela Annette Winder of St. Pauls, NC.  The two then returned to his hometown of Century, Fla. where they were blessed with three children.

In 1971, the couple came to trust Christ as savior at Tabernacle Baptist Church.  Nine years later, Odom was called in to the ministry.  The Odom family then moved to Arlington, TX in 1980, Mr. Odom studied for the ministry at Arlington Bible College.  Upon completion of his studies in 1984, the family returned to Century, where Odom served as the associate pastor of Faith Bible Baptist Church until 1987.  He was then called to serve as pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Troy, MO.  The family would remain there until Odom was called to Atmore Baptist Temple in June, 1992, where he has served as pastor ever since.

The Odoms are the proud parents of three children:  Mrs. Tammy White of Loveland Col; Pastor Kevin Odom, pastor of Faith Baptist Church of Thomasville, GA; and Mrs. Angel Lister of Wetumpka, Ala.  They have been blessed with nine grandchildren.

Since Odom came  to Atmore Baptist Temple , the church has completed the second floor of their educational building, which was started in 1991, adding five additional classrooms and a prophet’s chamber to the facility.  In addition to serving as the church’s fellowship hall and educational building, this facility also serves as the home of Temple Christian Academy.

In 2005, the church was able to pay off the note on the fellowship hall.  That same year the church had the opportunity to purchase a one and a half acre parcel of land located directly behind the church auditorium.  The property was cleared and converted to a playground for both the church and Temple Christian Academy.  The note on this property was paid off in 2009, and the church has been debt free since that time.

In 1993, the Odoms started a Christian kindergarten named Kiddie Kollege. At the end of the first year of operation, parents were so pleased with the educational program offered by the kindergarten that they asked Odom to consider adding a first grade class.  With the addition of a second grade class in 1995, it was decided that the school should be renamed Temple Christian Academy.  Today the academy offers academic instruction from preschool through eighth grade.