The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-20
1T DATES BACK TO 1922
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HAS A REC
ORD OF WHICH TO BE PROUD.
Sevcnty-Fifth Anniversary Services
This Wee1<-Incidents in Early
Days of the Congregation.

| DAys Oh the compensation.
This week the members of the congrega-
| ton of the First Baptist Church will de-
vote most of the time to the celebration of
the seventy-hfth anniversary of the organi-
zation of the church. 1t was a very differ
ent city from the present, scarcely a small
| town, when a group of Baptist loving peo-
pie gathered one day in September TO begin
a series OF meetings for divine worship UNI
der the injunction OF when two or three
are gathered together" The early records
of the church were kept by the first clerk,
! John Redng, in a book which now shows
| the signs of old age, and the strawboard
which formed the stiff covers is not diffi-
cult to analyze, for the straw is distinctly
visible. 1t records that the clerk waited a
year for book and finally bought the pa
per and had one made.
| The few who constituted the organization
met and presented their letters; these were
passed upon by the board selected, ana
| Sept Il, 1922, the organization was effected
and pronounced a church. The first mem
bers were Benjamin Barnes, jeremiah
Johnson, Thomas Carter, Otis Hobart, John
| Hobart, Theodore Denny, John Mccormick,
| Samuel Mccormick John Thompson, Will
liam Dodd, Jane Johnson, Nancy Carter,
! Nancy Thompson Elizabeth Mccormick,
| Polly Carter, Hannah Skinner and John
Reuing, the clerk. The first meetings were
held in a schoolhouse, with irregular pas
tors, for several years. The first pastors
We're Benjamin Barnes and Ezra Fisher,
who probably alternated. The third Satur-
day OF each month the business meeting
was held and the following Sunday there
was preaching. Samuel Holmes, Guilt
waited man, was one OF the early preachers,
| then Joshua Bradley, who was also a teach
er. served Tor several months, and James
Bradley, VINO was a great worker In the
church, helped to conduct services. byron
Lawrence was another minister who
preached iii those days.
In 1888 DR.. John L. Richmond, grand
| father Of Mrs. John l.. Grntns, came TO
TINS city ana Was partner OF Or. Mears.
| Though a pracucing physician, he was
| called to the church, accepting with the
| condition that he would preach when ms
| pracuce did not interfere. lie was engaged
! by the year. All OF the pdStorateS were
| short and Irregular until Rev. George e.
| Chandler came in December, 1853, ana re-
| NAMED until september, lo4S. lie lett the
| church to become president OF branklln Col
| lege He returned to this city IN looO anu
| preached several times, afterwards leaving
| for Oregon, where he went 10 become
| worker IN the home mission field Rev
! lara Fisher was pastor IN lo45 ana Or.
| Richmond took charge again IN 1870. MAJOR
! Chinn offered the use of his house Tor serV-
| ices one summer. The first lot, where the
| Market-StreeI temple now STANDS, was
| bought There was q small house on the
| lot and the congregation Worshlped IN It.
The male members only We're assessed Tor
| the purchase and for expenses. IhlS lot
| was sold and one was bought at the south
| west corner of Meridian and Maryland
| streets. There was built small one-story
| church. which was used until 1913, When II
| was removed and tWo-story brick erected
| While the building was going up services
were held in the old courthouse As soon
| as possible the congregation went INTO the
| basement of the new church, Whlcn lney
| used for their services the WINTER OF -otsosy'
| and the new church was dedicated IN lool'
| Services were continued IN IL until lo0V
| when one Sunday morning 1t was burned.
| Many of the compensation Witnoul d pl pas
! for worship, went to the Christian Churchs
| where Alexander Campbell, the 1ounuer OF
| the Christian, or Campbellite, Church' was
# was during the years between '45 and
] 80 that many Eastern people came 10 HI
dianapois and new life was put INTO er Inc
! Cincinnati in 1886 and took charge OF the
| re pidly-growing compensation. lie lelt n
/ M Dyer. present member came TO , tne
/ church Mr. Dyer is still living ana maKes
his home in Florida The lot where the
| present church stands, at the corner OF
| PENNSYLVANIA and New York streets, was
! bought in 1858, when the church was under
/ the pastorate of Rev. James Simmons, the
| MarvIand-street location being no longer
| desirable on account or business OF Tue
town, which was growing up IN that 10
| Hall after the fire. There were numerous
| camps in that locality during the war ana
the soldiers attended me seTvlcsS an NJ M
! Simmonds was educated az BroWn Ohl7
/ versity. He was strong Abohuonist anq
! radical He drew large congregation o.
| the thinking men of the community, who
! took sittings and contributed to the sup
port of the church, but who did not be-
oJ The new new church building, on the present
! site was not begun until Rev. Henry Day
/
| Philadelphia and came to this city the old
home of his wife, for season OF rest and
! pastor and Mr.. Day was asked TO preach
| This he did for two years, when ne regu-
! larly became the pastor and renamed
| fourteen years. The church grew ana pros
! pered under DR. Day. After his resigna-
| tion he was followed by Rev. DR.. Randolph
! now of Providence, r. l.; Rev. II: c. Mabie,
/ now secretary of the Foreign Mission So
/ ciety of the Baptist Church; Rev. Reuben
! Jeffrey. deceased; Rev. w. +. Taylor, now
of Dayton, o. and the present pastor Rev.
| The Oldest members, who have been mem
| bers continuously, are MRS Mary Brady
! who Joined in March, 1872, and Mrs. w. H.
/ Jones' who joined in July of the same year.
| Mr.. James Bradley has attended as long as
| any man. Mrs. Lucy Ellick came TO TINS
| CITY from Boston in 1888. -Four generations
| have succeeded her in the church, making
! I'VE generations, numbering the Elck
| SMITH Rhodes and Turner families. There
! are several families representing four gem
! eratioDs in the church; Among the older
! Laughlin and Jordan.
| Rev Mr.. Phillips was one of the first to
/ take part of the congregation and found
! a new church. This church did not prosper
and the members either returned to TIL, the
/ mother church or went to some other. The
/ First Baptist Church has organized ten
! other churches: The South-street; the
! Garden Baptist (named so because the first
/ service was held in a beer GARDEN; North
! Baptist Church. now the College agenue
| Baptist: River-avenue Church, in West IN
! dianapolis the German Baptist; the Wood
| ruff Place Church; the University Baptist
| one at North Indianapolis one at Bright
| wood and one at Haughville. There is
| large Baptist church among the coiored
! people This. the Second Baptist Church,
| had a membership at one time Of 100
! The First Baptist Church had at the close
| of the first ten years Of its existence sew
| enty-two members. but now numbers be-
tween seven and eight hundred It is
| among the oldest churches of the city The
! meeting Tuesday evening viii be historical
| and the one Thursday evening reminiscent.
/ Sunday there viii be three services, the
| one in the afternoon devoted TO the Sun
L In e4.I4rN Al