Первая баптистская церковь в Гашене отмечает 190-летие со дня основания

First Baptist Church celebrates 190 years in Goshen - First Baptist Church of Goshen was established on Sept. 4, 1836, with 11 charter members meeting in various locations before constructing its first building on the corner of Sixth and Washington streets in 1859. GOSHEN — Who remembers what they were doing on this day 190 years ago? Believe it or not, that was when First Baptist Church of Goshen first came into existence, convening on Sept. 4, 1836, in the home of Mr. E. Manning. According to the church's documented history, "It was at this time that a number of the members of the 'Regular Baptist' denomination convened for the purpose of considering the property of being constituted to a church." According to the minutes taken, there were 11 people who attended that meeting. Two months later, those charter members met at the Elkhart County Courthouse "where an examination council of local pastors and elders convened to examine whether the church should officially organize. On Nov. 20, 1836, at a special meeting, Elder Levi M. Mack preached and Elder A. Miller gave the charge to the new church, and thus the new church was constituted. Having no actual church building, for several years the First Regular Baptist Church met in a variety of locations, including the Elkhart County Courthouse, the Waterloo School, the Methodist Meeting House on Sixth Street and homes throughout the area. Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, the church did not always meet weekly and at times did not have a preacher. The membership fluctuated, at times to as few as four people. One May 26, 1858, the Goshen Democrat announced that "the Baptist Society of Goshen has purchased the vacant lot upon the corner of 6th and Washington for the amount of $175 with the design of creating a church for use of the denomination." The first church building constructed on that site was a frame structure that fronted Washington Street. The church was dedicated on Aug. 14, 1859. The pastor received a salary of $400 per year with each member giving 25 cents per month to make budget. He also was provided his house at a rental cost of $8 per week. Eighteen years later, the frame building was relocated to 520 S. Third St. and construction of a new stone and brick house of worship was started on the corner of Sixth and Washington streets. It was completed on Dec. 23, 1877, at a final cost of $11,723. Additionally, a fire destroyed much of the church in January 1923, but was rebuilt and reopened only nine months later, minus the tall steeple that dominated the structure. That building still exists, although is not currently being used as a place of worship. Today, 190 years later, the church continues to thrive in its new building on the northwest corner of Plymouth and Indiana avenues. Nate Zollinger, who has been attending the church for 61 years, has become the church's unofficial historian, a title well deserved as his knowledge and memories of the church even predate its move to the present location in 1967. Now retired from Goshen Hospital, Zollinger has invested countless hours documenting the church's past, including a 13-part series of picture and informational boards that now line a hallway inside the church, documenting various aspects of the history from its earliest years to the present day. Zollinger noted that the present building was constructed 59 years ago at a cost of $400,000. Since then, it has undergone four separate renovations/additions, the most recent being completed in 2020 and dedicated shortly before COVID shut down the country. The newest addition hosts many of the church's youth group activities, as well as provides space for a Spanish-language service that takes place on Sundays. Past renovations added a gymnasium, which is often used by the community for various sports leagues and activities, and a full-sized kitchen with modern appliances. Rev. Brant VanHooser has been the church's lead pastor since February 2023, although he served as an associate pastor from July 2008 until his promotion to his current position. "The biggest thing about longevity is that this is by God's Grace that we're still here," VanHooser said. "He's given us great opportunities to be part of this community, and we're very thankful for that. "A lot of things have happened in 190 years, not just for us as a church, but as a community. You look at some of these pictures when this building was being built, there was nothing out here. And now, it has just built up around here and the community has kind of grown this direction." VanHooser lauded Zollinger for his dedication to preserving the history of the church. "He knows a lot more of the history and things like that than I do, because he's poured a lot of time and energy into all this," he said. "We're very thankful for that. He's done a good job of putting together what's happened in the church's history and what was happening in world history at the time and how some of those things coincide. It's just neat to read through because 1836 was a long time ago." Zollinger pointed out that the church owns approximately 10 acres to the west of the building. It was offered that property by the farmer who originally owned the land as the area was becoming more populated by homes and other construction. The church has no immediate plans for further building on that land, but enjoys having the open space in its portfolio. "In the early years, people who migrated to Goshen and other areas had a lot of religion in their lives, because they had to rely on God because of the hardships they endured," Zollinger said. "They came to this country because of a lot of persecution from other countries. They wanted to have a free America and live in a free society with free will. I think that's why you see a lot of churches in this area that are old, because they were started because the people believed in God in many different forms."