Bethel Baptist Church 1938

The information below was copied by Marlene Wilkinson of Millington, TN, from the Golden Anniversary Souvenir, 1888 - 1938, Bethel Baptist Church, Erie, PA. Please note that paragraph 4 below does not read properly, but is transcribed exactly as written. The first section below is the church history and was written in 1938 by Dr. Fred T. Hicks. This is followed by a section listing the charter members of the church, and finally a section listing the pastors over the years. If anyone has comments or additional information concerning the information on this page, please contact Marlene Wilkinson directly.

Bethel Baptist Church, Erie Pennsylvania Golden Anniversary Souvenir, 1888 - 1938

In April 1888, the First Baptist Church of Erie, located at the corner of Fifth and Peach Streets, called to their pastorate the Rev. J. Cyrus Thomas. During the ministry of this good pastor, the matter of establishing missions in outlying districts of the city came under prayerful consideration. In the absence of convenient means of transportation it was difficult for many and impossible for others of the Baptist mind in distant localities to attend the services at the First Church. The need was quite apparent and the responsibility for meeting it was assumed by the Church under the careful guidance of Pastor Thomas. Four missions in all were begun, one at the corner of Seventh and Cascade which was later sold to St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church, one which is now the Wayne Park Baptist Church, one at 18th and Poplar which was later abandoned and the fourth one is the subject of this sketch.

It was organized as a union Sunday School, largely through the efforts of William T. Hicks, on the second floor of the home of John Gow at 830 E. 21st Street where we held Sunday School for about four months. The rooms were over-crowded from the first, there being 85 present the first day. The teachers were largely from the First Church Sunday School, and Deacon Edson was the first superintendent and Miss Alice Minnig the first organist.

In December 1888, a lot was purchased at 23rd and Reed Streets upon which a plain, rectangular building was erected, the walls and ceiling of were finished with wood ceiling. The frame-work was almost completed when a severe winter storm leveled the building. The was rebuilt and was known as Faith Chapel, a mission of the First Church. A revival was started in February 1889 by Pastor Thomas, his brother and Rev. Lemon. Thirty were saved in those meetings of whom your historian was one. In 1890, this frame building was moved to the rear of the lot facing Reed Street and made into a parsonage, the First candidates to be Baptized in the new edifice were Misses Nellie Mitchell, Flora Butler Anderson and Caddie Fletcher, now Mrs. C. A. Owens of 2224 Ash Street.

Rev. J. C. Boswell was called in 1889 to pastor the new work and stayed until the spring of 1891. During the next two years, we had four pastors, Rev. Marsh, Rev. Lemon and Rev. Carmish. During this period little progress was made. The Church property was given to the new organization which in turn assumed the existing mortgage of $800; and on June 28, 1893, a charter was granted for the Second Baptist Church with the following acting on the Board of Trustees; James F. Huff, John Ripley, Henry Kent, J. D. Rathbun and E. M. Metz.

In 1917, a new parsonage was built on 23rd Street, and September 24, 1921 the lots upon which the present Temple stands were purchased. The property at 23rd and Reed Streets was sold to Bishop John Mark Cannon on May 13, 1924 for $19,000 and the Church retained auditorium and the lighting fixtures which are in use in the basement and in both parsonages, the newer parsonage later being moved to our new location and now occupied by J. W. Andrews and family. The other one was sold to J. H. Hicks and moved by him to 2318 Reed St. and remodled (sic). It is now occupied by Mrs. Blanch Curtis and family.

When the property was sold, we had to give immediate possession, so we built and equipped in one week by donated labor a tabernacle on the south side of 26th Street between VanBuren and Perry Sts. where we worshipped until the present edifice was built. Pews and light fixtures from the old church were used in this temporary structure. The present building was dedicated on June 14, 1925, during the pastorate of Rev. L. R. Williamson.

(We list the names as the records show them. Many of them have changed thru the years.)

William T. Hicks	Jason Shields	Mrs. Wm. T. Hicks
P. W. Sweigart	Miss Nellie Hicks	Henry Kent
Fred T. Hicks	J. D. Rathbun	Mrs. Emma Wells
Mrs. J. D. Rathbun	Mrs. Charles Bemis	John Ripley
William Fullerton	Mrs. John Ripley	Mrs. Eliza Palmer
Miss Etta Ripley	Foster Palmer	Miss Viola Ripley
Miss Gertrude Palmer	Miss Lillie Ripley	Mrs. S. M. Edwards
Miss Jennie Edwards	Mr. E. M. Metz	Mrs. E. M. Metz
Miss Sylvia Metz	Miss Ida Mitchell	Mrs. Eunice Watson
Mr. James Huff	Mrs. James Huff	Mrs. E. J. Morrison
Miss Rose Grobadger	Mrs. Catherine Gorr	Miss Minnie Gorr
Oscar H. Kent	Mrs. O. H. Kent	Miss Ida Gorr
John Gorr	Miss Edith Laird	Miss Helen Laird
Mrs. Olive Fletcher	Miss Caddie Fletcher	Mrs. M. Canby
Miss E. M. Canby	Miss Mary Canby	Mrs. F. D. Waldbridge
Mr. S. H. Fletcher	Mrs. S. H. Fletcher	Miss Flora Butler
Mrs. Emma Gleason	Miss Agnes Morrow	Mrs. Jennie Bunnell
Mrs.W. A. Smith	Mrs. Jennie E. Hunter	Mrs. Emma Morton
C. A. Shutts	Mrs. C. A. Shutts	Mrs. Maggie Dunker
Lewis J.. Bunnell	G. E. Catchell

These fifty-nine persons made the venture to organize our Church. Some are with us today; others have gone to be with the Lord. We honor them all on this FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY.

1889 - 1891	Rev. J. C. Boswell	Now Deceased
1891 - 1893	Rev. Whitehurst, Rev. Marsh, Rev. Lemon and Rev. Carmish
1893 - 1896	Rev. Lowe	Now Deceased
1896 - 1900	Rev. Richard Pearse	Now Deceased
1900 - 1901	Rev. W. H. Ellis	Now Deceased
1901 - 1903	Rev. Dougherty
1903 - 1906	Rev. Wilson Pugsley	Now Deceased
1906 - 1908	Rev. E. W. DeWitt	Now Deceased
1909 - 1913	Rev. L. R. Williamson	Pastor at Newfield, NY
1913 - 1917	Rev. L. C. Bennett	Pastor at Jacksonville, Fla
1917 - 1919	Rev. T. P. Rundell	Now Deceased
1919 - 1920	Rev. Hugh Kane	Bible Teacher, Chambersburg, Pa
1920 - 1929	Rev. L. R. Williamson	Pastor at Newfield, N. Y.
1929 - 1931	Rev. Baxter A. Whittin	Pastor at Niagara Falls, Ont.
1932 - 1935	Rev. Earl G. Griffith	Pastor at Johnson City, N. Y.
Since July 1936	Rev. S. Franklin Logsdon

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God".