The rafters of Woosters First Baptist Church were raised Sunday, August 26, with a little help from a 125-year-old pipe organ and a choir from across downtown.
The 2 p.m. bicentennial celebration at the church at the northwest corner of Larwill and Market streets was marked by memories, music and words of congratulations from across the street, the state and the country. Several local officials – Mayor Bob Breneman, county Commissioner Jim Carmichael and Ohio Rep. Ron Amstutz – offered words of praise for the congregation and the church, Woosters oldest, first organized amid the War of 1812 and the Presidency of James Madison. Proclamations from Ohio Gov. John Kasich and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci were read by bicentennial committee chairperson Helen Davis.
What a great thing it is to have a church in our town that is celebrating its 200th anniversary, Breneman said, noting the celebration comes on the heels of the citys 2009 bicentennial and the countys bicentennial this year. First Baptist has been a fixture in the local religion community providing a house of Christian teaching.
A video history of the church was presented by member Tony Malatesta. It detailed the congregations beginnings, a time when members met in the citys secured blockhouse across the street from the current location. That site is now the location of Zion Lutheran Church, whose own pastor, the Rev. Ann Paytner, was on hand to offer congratulations from the neighbors.
After a period meeting in its own frame building near North and Buckeye streets from 1814 until the late 1830s, the congregation was officially organized as Bethany Baptist Church and construction on the core of what is now the existing building was completed in 1838.
There were two splits in the congregation, the most recent being 120 years ago, when the churchs African American members were supported in their desire to launch their own congregation, now known as Second Baptist Church, with its own building at Grant and Henry streets.
So Sunday was a homecoming of sorts for the Second Baptist choir and its pastor, Rickey Brown. This church, some 200 years ago, was built on the right foundation, Brown said, congratulating the congregation for being on the battlefield of the Lord for the past 200 years. And 90-year-old Virginia Blackwell, a Second Baptist member, thanked First Baptist for sharing with us in many, many ways and for standing by us and with us in the early years of our building.
Along with the Second Baptist choirs renditions of Our God is Awesome and Our Father, came organ selections played especially for the occasion on the 1886 Thatcher Traction Pipe Organ by Neil Jackson of the Schantz Organ Co. and traditional hymns provided by violinist Gary Gerber.
Over the years, First Baptist has been damaged by fire and wind and in 1969, nearly closed as a result of poor finances and a shrinking membership roll. Its been through a lot, said current Pastor Ermon French, who has been serving the congregation since the 1970s. Its even been in question whether or not it would continue. But if the Lord delays his coming, the church will still be in existence because it is built up on Jesus.
