​​Oakland City First General Baptist Church History

compiled by church clerk Judy Phillips 

Sunday, July 28, 2024

(the 171st  anniversary)

 

Oakland City First General Baptist Church was first organized as Keg Creek Church of General Baptists on July 23, 1853, by Jacob Spear and William Reavis (first pastor) with a group of 8 charter members.  The church was in the Old Johnson School where Montgomery Cemetery is now on the southeast end of town.  In August 1858, the name was changed to “Oakland Church of General Baptists.”

In the spring of 1859, a building was started on the present site (224 W. Harrison Street) facing what is now an alley.  By winter, while the new church building was not finished, it could be used.  The completed building’s cost was $1400.  For many years, this was the only church building in Oakland City and was used by other denominations since our congregation only had services once a month.  Almost every church in town was organized within its walls.  It became a center about which the town was built.  Additional Sunday School classes were built on the south side of the building in 1904.  The church had a new parsonage in 1908.  The church experienced two fires in a period of three years.   The parsonage burned in 1931 and was rebuilt, and the church itself was destroyed by fire in February 1933, just a few months after a basement to the church had been built.  This is the fourth building.

 

Rev. Hugo Harmeyer led the church to complete the rebuilding program after the 1933 fire.  He and his wife Nola later became missionaries in Guam.

 

The baptistry of our church was graciously installed (welded and engineered) by Millage Winkler, a mechanic at the mine and a member of our church, with help from other men at the mine.

 

For a three-week period from Jan. 30 to Feb. 20, 1944, Rev. A. C. Weir was the evangelist for a revival here.  Rev. Weir generously gave a tithe of his honorarium to the organ fund which had been started.  The pipe organ was paid in full ($5100 organ and installation) and dedicated Mar. 16, 1947.  The chimes were installed Mar. 31, 1954, as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Wendell P. Wiggs, Mrs. Ruth Richardson, and Mr. and Mrs. Bret Chappell.

 

Highlights of the church’s 170 years of service include a Centennial Celebration in 1953 which lasted three days and concluded with the dedication of the former church annex—which was the former J. W. Cochrum Printing Company across the street from the church.  (Note:  that former church annex building was torn down in August of 2018.)  Record Sunday School attendance of 655 was recorded in April of 1955 when Dr. Onis Chapman was pastor.  While Alva Willis was pastor, a revival was held in April of 1962, where 49 people were saved or rededicated, 44 joined the church, and 43 were baptized.

 

The church began its Community Day Care Center as a half-day nursery school in 1970, and the current education building which houses Sunday School classrooms, and the church fellowship hall was built and dedicated in 1973 at the church’s 120th Anniversary while Rev Bill Brown was pastor.  In the mid 1970’s while Rev. John Clanton was pastor, the bus ministry was started and a worship attendance goal of 400 was reached one Easter.

 

While Rev. Terryl Almond was pastor, the Bell Tower (which houses the original church bell dating back to 1859) was built and dedicated on Anniversary Sunday of 1989, and the church sanctuary was extensively remodeled and redecorated in the early 1990s.

 

On Anniversary Sunday of July 1994, the original lighted church sign and message board west of the church was dedicated.  This sign, several windows, roofs, and gutters had to be replaced in 2012-2013 following the July 2012 severe hailstorm Oakland City experienced.

 

A structural improvement to the church was the elevator lift, which was dedicated on Anniversary Sunday of 2000.

 

The church celebrated its Sesquicentennial Celebration on July 13th of 2003 when Rev. Rodney Walls was pastor.  This 150th year celebration brought together a large gathering of many former members and participants in two services with the annual carry-in dinner scheduled between the services.  Former members of the Hues of Song (a young women’s choir from the 1970s) and the Joybells Bell Choir (a youth group from the 1980s) participated as did former pastors Rev. Glenn Lashley, Rev. John Clanton, and Rev. Terryl Almond, former youth director Rev. Ernie Rogers, and many talented musicians.

 

The Oakland City Community Daycare closed its doors on December 31, 2013, after 40 years of service to the community with quality childcare.  Decrease in enrollment and cutbacks in federal and state aid for students and programs led to the closing.  Jim Trentham began as a janitor here and retired as the director of the Day Care, Director of Christian education and was a loyal minister of visitation of church members.  He served the church for 46 years. 

 

Other ministries of the church that were commonplace during the latter part of the twentieth century and early part of the twenty-first century included weekly van pickups and a Sunday morning service at Good Samaritan Nursing Home, various mission trips taken by various mission teams (often accompanied by pastors including Terryl Almond, Rodney Walls, and Larry Johnson), the Sunday afternoon GriefShare ministry, daily Meals On Wheels delivery; and annual projects such as Vacation Bible School, and sending campers to Camp Brosend.

 

The World Coronovirus from China (referred to as COVID-19) began spreading from China through other countries and the United States and was declared a world pandemic on March 12, 2020.  To try to curtail the spread of the virus in the U.S., schools and universities began closing to have online teaching. Sporting events were canceled, and stores and businesses that were deemed non-essential either closed, had workers who began working from home, or created alternate delivery methods that allowed them to continue operations in some form. The First General Baptist Church of Oakland City closed indoor services March 15, 2020.  Sunday morning worship services were exclusively streamed live on Facebook (this practice had been started in years prior, but it  became much more crucial during the pandemic).  People could also participate in Sunday morning worship by parking in the west parking lot and tuning into a limited radio signal on 88.5 AM.  All other services (Sunday School, Wednesday night Bible Study, and choir practice) as well as youth programs were canceled.

 

Although there were times that inside services were held as Gibson county COVID numbers improved (and then were stopped again as Gibson County COVID metrics went up), only the sanctuary was open, only every-other-pew was utilized, and attendees were encouraged to social distance in each pew, wear face coverings, and use hand sanitizer. Until vaccines became available in the months of December of 2020 to February of 2021, many still participated by watching Facebook Live, watching the recorded service on Facebook, or by listening from the parking lot over the radio waves.  By March 7, 2021, (after one year) every pew in church was open, and congregants could distance and wear face coverings if they chose to do so.

 

Sunday, March 14, 2021, the adult Agape Sunday School Class began meeting again in the church Fellowship Hall with all adults invited to attend.  Wednesday night Bible Study resumed later with Dr. Douglas Low returning as leader.  Children’s church resumed in the fall of 2021 led by Sherry Hazelwood, and Rita Byrum also resumed teaching a youth Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings.  Unfortunately, we have not been able to restart other children’s groups, a youth group, Vacation Bible School, or choirs of any sort.  We have been seeking a part-time Minister of Music for a little over a year.  We do appreciate the assistance of Jamie Englehardt, Austin Glover, and church volunteers who assist our most talented pianist Phil Hamm.

 

Concerning physical improvements to the church since 2020, a problem with the sewer line collapsing underneath the church library on the first floor of the education building prompted a major renovation of the library which was completed in 2021.  When Rev. Alec Hensley resigned as our pastor in June of 2021 and his family moved from the parsonage, it prompted an upgrade and refurbishment of the parsonage from 2021 to 2022.  Last fall we were able to find a renter for the parsonage, which seems to be working out well.

 

Also during 2022, the church basement and north wall of the balcony here in the sanctuary required extensive work because of water damage.  On the exterior of the sanctuary, the discolored storm windows over the stained glass were replaced.  The new circle drive from the main parking lot to the west sanctuary entrance (where passengers may exit) and ending at Harrison Street was completed and first used on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022.  Prior to that the sidewalk leading from the parking lot was widened by the use of additional concrete and memorial bricks which were donated by past and present attendees.  The roof was installed over this west entrance and first used August 28, 2022.  This circle drive project has been most helpful for handicapped worshipers and for funerals.

 

Our new digital sign that replaced the old lighted sign by the church on Harrison Street was officially up and running on March 13, 2023.  It is significantly bigger and can display colored pictures, graphics, and scrolling messages.  It can be programmed electronically from inside the church rather than the old sign which the letters had to be placed manually on the sign and sometimes the person might be “conked on the head” by the safety glass cover.

 

The most recent improvements to the church include the installation of a new laminate floor this spring in the Fellowship Hall and the addition of a dishwasher and a new ice maker in the kitchen area just this month.  There are plans to complete a divider wall with sliding doors to separate the Fellowship Hall from the Agape Sunday School Classroom and from the storage area in the back corner.

 

Rev. Jeff Bralley and his wife Donna were officially installed as pastor at the 169th anniversary service here two years ago.  They have begun their third year of ministry with us.  In 2022, Pastor Jeff began a monthly “Lunch with the Pastor” that usually meets on the third Wednesday of the month at various local restaurants for anyone to attend.

 

Margo Hendricks has now served as our very capable administrative assistant/church secretary for the past two years.  Roger Sermersheim is in his second year as church treasurer.

 

The technology and sound booth is manned at different times by David Pressley, Tucker Pressley, Kathi Thurston, Tammy Wiscaver, and Roger Sermersheim.  Greeters and ushers on Sunday morning consist of Lew Cline, Greg Burke, Donny Wiscaver, and David Pressley.

 

Many others work faithfully behind the scenes on the Deacon Board, Trustee Board, the Music & Worship Ministry committee, the Christian Outreach committee, Missions, and the Education Ministry committee.  Our Kitchen and funeral meals committee keeps us well fed (including making preparations for our anniversary meal following this morning’s service).  We also appreciate our new custodian, Curtis Stewart.

 

It takes all of us working together to further God’s kingdom!  We need to all work to recruit additional members and families—working to envision new ministries in our Oakland City First Church community and throughout our world.