Bethany Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio)

Bethany Baptist Church
First Baptist Church
Location	Corner of North St. and N. Buckeye St. Wooster, Ohio
Country	United States
Denomination	Baptist
History
Founded	1812 (1812)
Dedication	Bethany Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio), 1812-approx. July 16, 1966, became First Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio), Approx. July 16, 1966-
Administration
District	Ohio Baptist Convention
Clergy
Minister(s)	1810 - David Kimpton (Overseer), 1812-1839 - Thomas Griffith Jones, 1812-1839, 1819 - Thomas Hand, supplied as pastor, 1832 - Frederick Freeman, Thomas Fisher, Rev. J.B. Swaine, 1839 - Charles Morton, 1845 - S. B. Page, 1850 - E. T. Brown, 1856 - T. J. Penny, 1862 - P. M. Weddell, 1868 - no pastor, 1869 - G. M. Preston, 1871 - no pastor, 1873 - Alexander McFarlane, 1874 - Hugh A. Marshall, 1875 - J. B. T. Patterson

Church name

• Bethany Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio), 1812-approx. July 16, 1966
  • became First Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio), Approx. July 16, 1966-

Historical documents

• Church History in Brief First Baptist Church

Ministers

• 1810 - David Kimpton (Overseer)
• 1812-1839 - Thomas Griffith Jones, 1812-1839
• 1819 - Thomas Hand, supplied as pastor
• 1832 - Frederick Freeman, Thomas Fisher, Rev. J.B. Swaine
• 1839 - Charles Morton
• 1845 - S. B. Page
• 1850 - E. T. Brown
• 1856 - T. J. Penny
• 1862 - P. M. Weddell
• 1868 - no pastor
• 1869 - G. M. Preston
• 1871 - no pastor
• 1873 - Alexander McFarlane
• 1874 - Hugh A. Marshall
• 1875 - J. B. T. Patterson
• 1936 - T. D. Rees

Newspaper articles

• October 31, 1862: "Wayne County's First Church is 150 Years Old: Wooster Bethany Baptist Schedules Observance Sunday", The Daily Record, p. 1.

• October 31, 1962: "Kramer, at 62, Too Busy Looking Ahead to Reminisce" by Unknown Author, The Daily Record, p. 16.

• October 1962: "Bethany Baptist Marks 150th Anniversary; Installs Pastor", The Daily Record, p. 24.

• July 16, 1966: "Wooster's First Baptist to Leave 'Church Corner': Bethany to Become 1st Baptist and Move to new Location", The Daily Record, p. 6.

• August 20, 1969: "Oldest Wooster Church May Still Continue to Serve Congregation", The Daily Record, p. 30.

• May 01, 1993: "Genealogical Society 'Surprise Tour' [photograph]", The Daily Record.

Notes

• Oldest Wooster, Ohio church

Timeline

• 1812 - Organized
• 1812-1814 - Bethany Baptist Church as a log block-house, meeting house
• 1814 - First meeting house Fort Stidger, frame structure church built at rear of lot where Reformed Church now stands. County paid $50.00 a year to rent to hold Wayne County Court sessions there-- theology and courts in harmony! Attending first meeting: Kimpton, Jones, Robinson, Griffith and Kirkendall families. Thomas G. (Priest) Jones was elected their first Pastor.
• 1818 - Membership was 115 members
• 1831 - On this date the church and land was purchased from Martha McMillan estate for $75.00 (which estate donated). The kilns were brought in to fire bricks for the new church in 1831.
• 1834 - Present church site was purchased from Mrs. Martha McMillan for $75.00
• 1835 - Regular Baptist Church name Bethany Baptist Church (Wooster, Ohio).
• 1835 - Cornerstone was laid
• 1839 - Church was not completed until 1839, as money was scarce.
• 1840 - Church was built.
• 1851 - Membership was 248 members
• 1853 - Baptistery and vestry were built into church.
• 1855 - Helped formed Millbrook church
• 1886 - Church organ bought, it is a "Tractor Action baroque style" make style EORG. The first organist was Ellen Nachtail. Had to have sentry outside church in case of Indians. The organ had to be pumped by young men of the church. John Long was one who helped. Do not know the cost of the organ.
• 1893 - Church parsonage built.
• 1876 - Lecture room on the west side of church completed, along with the baptistery deepened and heated.
• 1896 - Parsonage built beside church
• 1906 - Stained glass windows installed for $1,000.00
• 1912 - The second parsonage, church flourishing by 1912 centennial
• 1913 - Storm blew the belfry off the church.
• 1952 - September 28, President Harry Truman and daughter Margaret visited the church. They sat in the fourth pew. Frank W. Hoover drove the second car behind the President and the Mayor of Wooster rode in Frank's car. Mary and Frank Hoover were married at the church. It has to be the very best place to get married because this June ?? it will be 40 years ago.
• 1962 - Celebrated Sesquicentennial.

Trustees

• 1816 - Philip B. Griffith, William Jewel, Oliver Johns, John Lawrence, William C. Larwill.
• 1831 - John Smith, Samuel Quinby, Benjamin Bentley.
• 1835 - Hugh Morton, Peter Ambrose, John Smith, T. L. Punches.
• 1837 - Hugh Morton, John Larwill, Alfred G. Glass.
• 1840 - John Larwill, Samuel Quinby, John Ziegler.
• 1841 - John B. Larwill, Jacob M. Eberman, Samuel Quinby.
• 1875 - S. Routson, John Myers, James Taggart.
• 1876 - S. Routson, John Myers, H.B. Swartz.