Faith Independent
Baptist Church
History of Faith Independent Baptist Church
Faith Independent Baptist Church was a split-off from another church.
Pastor Richard Henderson had come to the church in June of 1971.
He was a thirty-five year old man who had given up a good job in
California, sold his home and brought his wife and children back east
where he was to find another job and go to school at the same time.
Pastor Henderson came to the Tabernacle having just graduated from Bob
Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Just as many
people make mistakes when they start their first jobs, Pastor Henderson
made a few of his own. Most people are given a chance to rectify
their mistakes, not crucified like Pastor Henderson was by his flock of
people.
Even though the church was a
non-denominational church, the church as a whole has been critical of
anyone who believed in eternal salvation. Pastor Henderson believed
in eternal salvation and therefore let his beliefs be made known in his
messages. Several of the members were upset about this and thus
began their goal of making him so miserable that he would resign.
They accomplished what they set out to do and one Sunday night in late
November, Pastor Henderson resigned and several members walked out with
him.
On the following Wednesday night, the
people who left the church, along with some other people, met at the home
of Randall and Katherine O'Neal in Mitchell Heights, West Virginia for a
good ole-fashioned prayer meeting, asking God to give them direction as to
what they should do. God answered those prayers the next day by
directing Pastor Henderson to an old building that had not been used in
years. It was the "Sons of Italy Hall" located at 555 Pine Street in
Logan, West Virginia. It was called "the dancehall" by many who were
critical of this move. The group of people were able to rent the
building and after some fast cleaning, services were held the following
Sunday. Not a service was missed during this time. God allowed
the group to purchase the building on May 10th,
1972.
In December of that year,
the church held its first Christmas dinner at the Stollings Grade School
gym with approximately fifty or sixty people in attendance. Also in
December, in that scrungy old building on Pine Street, the church had its
first wedding. Johnny Mon and Kathy Ellis were married on Christmas
Eve.
Faith Independent Baptist Church
was officially organized on January 16, 1972, with twenty-two people
joining the church as charter members and a few more who supported the
church and would become members at a later date. Reverend Richard
Henderson, who God used to establish the church, served as its first
Pastor.
The first deacons of Faith Independent
Baptist Church were George Boytek, Ron Craddock, Randal O'Neal, Jack Slazo, David West, and Richard
Zigmond.
The
song leader was Victor Noe and the pianist was Patty Cook, who along with
her husband, Conrad, did much of the singing in the church. Conrad
and Patty now sing professionally with their daughter and
son-in-law.
Reverend Henderson was to see the
church grow and led many to the Lord before he resigned in February of
1974 when he and his wife Lois, and children Rick, Jeanie, and Bruce left
to pastor a church in Virginia.
Closing Remarks
Faith
Independent Baptist Church has had its good times and its bad times, but
God has always blessed. He's brought us through floods and fires,
sickness and death. Our church had a fire that did considerable
damage, but we still had services, sometimes in homes of members. We
also had floods, and two rock slides that came right through the church,
one coming right through the ceiling during Sunday Services. God is
good; no one was injured. The devil was defeated. We still had
services. I believe that God will continue to bless this church if
they remain faithful to Him. [Addendum by Jon Browning] Since the
writing of this paper the church's history has seen many members die, and
many others join the church. It is our duty in life to go on with
life in this world no matter the circumstances. We trust that by
reading this History that you will be encouraged and know as the Lord
proclaimed to Peter that upon the Rock of which He builds His Church, the
gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
Taken from a paper written by Geoffrey Sean Noe in April 1995 with current material appended by Jon Browning in October 2002.
Calendar of Events
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Pastors of Faith
Independent Baptist Church
Reverend Robert
Kneff
1974-1976
Larry Browning-Interim Pastor and
Deacon
1976-1995
Pastor Bill Gallagher
1979-1980
Pastor
Terry Richey
1980-1983
Pastor James
Bledsoe
1983-1990
Pastor Ronald Smith
1991-1994
Pastor
Mike
Rose
1995-Present