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Our First 50 Years! (1954-2004)
“To God be the Glory, Great things He has done!”
During our 50 years as a church, we the people of Faith Baptist Church, formerly First Baptist Church of Springfield, have watched the Lord work in many wonderful ways.
He has grown us spiritually, through Bible studies, prayer, and times of struggle. He has blessed us with pastors, who have guided and cared for us, and He’s given us youth directors and a youth pastor to nurture our youth. He has put a song of joy in our hearts, and allowed us to share its melody with the community. He has given us a heart for missions; then helped us to reach our neighbors, our community and our world for Him.
He has called many to serve, through new ministries within the church, and through mission opportunities in other places. He has given us a bond of love and fellowship, so that when hard times come our way, we know that we can count on each other. He has given us the strength and the resources to build, improve, and maintain our original church building and in recent times to build a new place to worship. Best of all, He has given us a heritage of faith to light the way for future generations.
A Brief History
The church was started as a mission of the Liberty Missionary Baptist Church of Toledo, Ohio in the spring of 1954. It first met in the Union Hall at 80 Shephard Street. The mission constituted as a church on November 19, 1954 as the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, and had 49 charter members. Rev. Lawton Horne was instrumental in starting the mission and became its first pastor.
In March of 1956, while under the leadership of Rev. Albert Greer, the church voted to affiliate with the Motor Cities Association of Southern Baptist Churches in Michigan. The church became a charter member of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan when it was organized in 1957. Thus since 1956 the church has been a cooperating member of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The church continued to meet at the Union Hall on Shepard Street until April of 1956 when it began renting the Seventh-Day Adventist building at 48 Hinman Avenue. In September of 1956 the church voted to purchase two lots located at 420 N 34th Street in Springfield. Work began on the first unit of the building in 1957, with most of the work being done by the church members. The first service was held in the new building on December 20, 1958. Over the years several improvements and an addition was added to the building. On August 1, 1959, the church voted to change its name to the First Baptist Church of Springfield.
Services were held at the church building on 34th Street until 2003 when a new building was erected on Helmer Road.
The church has had seven pastors since its formation. Rev. Lawton Horne (1954-1955), Rev. Albert Greer (1955-1959), Rev. Claude Roy (1959-1963), Rev. Roy Adams (1963-1968), Rev. Joe E. Jones (1968-1974), Rev. Joe. D. Hamilton (1975-1978), Rev. Glenn Huisinga (1978-2007)
The Pastor
The Rev. Glenn Huisinga, who served as pastor of the church since July, 1978, retired in 2007. Under his leadership the congregation has doubled in size. During his ministry, ‘Brother Glenn’ as he is known by the church family, has preached through much of the Bible. He has also led a number of Bible studies to help people grow in the Lord and be more effective witnesses for Him. Church members say they most appreciate his teaching and preaching ministry and the caring attitude he has toward each of them and to others.
Approaching the church’s 50th anniversary, Brother Glenn said he enjoyed each moment at the church. A spiritual harvest is still being reaped at the church, and that is rewarding. One highlight for him was to observe the people of the church as they worked through the process of building and relocating the church. He purposely wasn’t over-actively involved with the construction and was delighted to see the unity of the people as they completed their tasks. Like the rest of the church family, Brother Glen is thrilled with the new building.
He especially enjoyed his new office. The east wall was most prominent, and it is covered by a mural of two large eagles soaring over a valley. Centered on the wall was a large picture of Brother Glenn and his family, taken in 2007 when the new pictorial directory was made. Brother Glenn always had pictures of his family positioned in prominent places in his offices and home. “I wanted to be constantly reminded that, next to God, my family is of first importance in my life,” he said.
Glenn Huisinga married Patricia Gipson on August 3, 1963. Their sons, David and Ralph, were born in Louisville, Kentucky, while Glenn attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After he graduated in May, 1968, the Lord moved the family to Anchorage, Alaska, where Beth was born. John was born in Mt. Vernon, Illinois in 1977. In 1983 Daniel was born here in Battle Creek, Michigan. At present, the Huisinga’s are blessed because all five children and their families, including five grandchildren, live in or near Battle Creek and remain active members of the church.
Pastor Glenn celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ministry at the church in 2003. Church members observed it by publishing newspaper announcements, holding a reception in his honor, and by presenting him with a plaque.
Brother Glenn said that when he feels that God is directing him to preach about something, he prays and waits for confirmation that it is God’s will, before planning the sermons. He preached through the Ten Commandments several times. He also preached sermon series’ on Exodus, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, John, Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Hebrews and Revelation. He delivered sermon series’ about spiritual authority, grace, prayer, “Seeking God’s Will”, “Soul Care”, “Our Heart”, and even a series based on a baseball analogy, called “Play Ball…Play Life.” As the Lord directs, Brother Glenn did, during the Sunday night service, expand on a sermon preached that morning or maybe weeks before. He also repeated a sermon occasionally, if the Lord lays it on his heart. Brother Glenn recalls, “A professor in one of my seminary classes was asked if it’s okay to repeat a sermon. The teacher answered, ‘Son, if you don’t, it wasn’t worth preaching it in the first place.’”
Brother Glenn had led many of the church members through small group Bible studies and discipleship training courses. “Master Life,” required that participants commit to intense study for 26 weeks. The sessions continued for more than three years. About six classes of students worked through “Continuous Witness Training,” a study which was adapted by the Southern Baptist Convention from a model written by Dr. James Kennedy and used by the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida. “Experiencing God,” by Henry Blackaby and The Mind of Christ,” by T.W. Hunt were well attended and appreciated studies for church members. These Bible classes “put the church on a solid footing,” Brother Glenn said. In 2007 he taught four classes on prayer, which he titled “Prayer 101.”
Brother Glen continuously encouraged the church family at Faith Baptist to grow in the Lord. At the beginning of 2004, he asked us to ‘sign up’ for a five- part spiritual challenge, including a 30 minute personal quiet time each day, to pray faithfully, to attend this or another church each week, to contribute a regular tithe, and to be involved in a small group study or ministry. 70 people took on the challenge.
The Youth Pastor
James Beavers was called to be the youth pastor at Faith Baptist Church in March 2000, and shares how God brought him to this place:
“I grew up at Our Lady of Great Oaks Church in Lacey, Michigan. I attended catechism classes and when I was eight I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. When I was thirteen, I was confirmed in The Catholic Church and dedicated my life to serving God. When I was seventeen I rededicated my life to God and became aware that God was calling me to a closer relationship with Him. In 1989, I met my wife, Beth Huisinga, whose father pastored First Baptist Church of Springfield. We were married in 1991. That year we started attending a small group Bible study started by my mother-in-law and supported by First Baptist. Through this study, I grew closer to God.
In 1996 I attended a Promise Keepers conference with some men from First Baptist. At that point I felt called to join the church I was then attending (Baseline United Methodist) and get involved in the leadership. I began by teaching Sunday School and started a men’s study group. My wife and I were asked if we would consider working with the youth group. After much prayer and consideration, we accepted and began working there with another couple. Eventually the church called the other youth leader as our youth pastor. It wasn’t until I attended a Dynamic Communicators Conference in Colorado that I really felt God was calling me to full-time ministry with youth. That was in 1999. In the spring of that year, the pastor of First Baptist approached me about working with the youth. That summer the church and I worked together to write a job description for a youth pastor and we entered into prayer to determine if I was called to that position. I went on a mission trip to Mexico with the youth in August. In September 1999, we joined First Baptist Church of Springfield and began working with the youth and teaching Sunday School. We were working with the then current youth leaders, Phil and Connie Qualls. In March of 2000, the church voted to call me as their youth minister and I accepted the call.”
James and Beth live in Bellevue with their children, Esther (5) and Isaac (1).
The Church Building
Since the Huisinga family had purchased a home of their own, the church was able to sell its parsonage in 1980. The congregation undertook a number of renovations to the church building on 34th Street during the years from 1983 to 2003, including installing a new baptistery, remodeling the auditorium, and installing a bathroom upstairs, new windows, new carpet, and central air conditioning. Outside the building, a ramp was constructed to make the building accessible to people with disabilities. Repairs were made to the roof and steeple, and the parking lots were expanded to accommodate the growing group. An especially joyful moment in church history occurred in 1988, when the property was paid off, and its mortgage burned.
A New Site
A much-loved neighbor of the Huisinga family, Clara Fuller, once told Brother Glenn that, when she looked out her window at the 10 acres she owned on Helmer Road, she envisioned a church with a steeple on the property. Before her death, she deeded the property to our church. Members voted to start a Southern Baptist mission there, and to name it Faith Baptist Church.
But by 1992, the Helmer Road mission had not grown past a handful of people who got together for Sunday afternoon prayer and Bible study at the Huisinga home. So, we deeded the property to the area’s Southern Baptist Association, to be used for church related activities. Even so, church members continued to mow the property, which sat vacant until 2003. Attendance grew until it was necessary to hold two morning services each Sunday.
In 1999, the Association deeded the 10-acre parcel back to our congregation, and members decided to build a new church on the site, and appointed a committee to begin the planning for it. The church hired architects in 2000 and in 2001 launched the “Challenge to Build” fundraising campaign, with a goal of $234,000. A committee met several times in 2001, to pray and consider several suggestions for a new name for the church, which would no longer be housed in Springfield. They recommended it be named “Faith Baptist Church”.
Members grew excited about the new church home, which they hoped to build and inhabit by 2002. It was initially projected to cost $1.5 million. After much prayer and discussion, the building committee, headed by David and Heather Martin, recommended the congregation postpone the building process, and alter some of the building dimensions, making it less expensive.
Working with the Lord’s Help
The groundbreaking for Phase 1 of the re-configured church-which would cost $1.3 million, was finally held on March 16, 2003. The following seven months were challenging, exciting and joyful for members of Faith Baptist Church. Skilled and unskilled church members helped with the project, some spending their evenings and Saturdays to lend a hand. A building crew from McGregor Baptist Church in Florida also came to work for a week in the summer.
“They did the work with the Lord’s help,” said charter member, Ethel Young. “Our people did some things they didn’t particularly have the skills for … like building up the stones and cross at the front, but the Lord helped them and it is beautiful.”
Faith Baptist Church was nearly filled to capacity for its first service at 13840 Helmer Road. During the 11 a.m. service on December 7, 2003, while members- led by the musical team- stood to sing, “We Are Standing on Holy Ground,” they were awed by the Holy Spirit when His presence filled the worship center. Some said it was as if, with the congregation all gathered there to praise Him, God had moved in to make it more than just a beautiful building, constructed with the hands of His people. At that moment, it became a true place of worship.
Members dedicated themselves to serving the Lord in their new church home, and held a service for that purpose at 3 p.m. on February 29, 2004. More than 300 people attended the joyful event, including several pastors from around the Battle Creek area. Brother Glenn’s close friends, Pastor Kyra Jackson of the Family Altar Chapel and Pastor Bob Zuhl, of the First Wesleyan Church, prayed and welcomed those in attendance, as did Jim Glidewell, director of the South Central Baptist Association. Dr. Michael Collins, executive director of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan, presented a challenge to the church. The congregation presented plaques of appreciation to all the members of the building committee and the people who were most directly involved in the construction.
To date, 98 percent of the “Challenge to Build” pledges have been collected, and the church family praises the Lord for the faithfulness of His people.
As we prepare for our church’s 50th anniversary commemoration, the word ‘construction’ is once again becoming part of the conversation at Faith Baptist Church. The men’s Sunday School class is in the process of constructing a storage building on the property. Noticing an increasing number of visitors and crowded conditions in some Sunday School classes, members are already eagerly anticipating the construction of Phase Two, which will provide the much-needed classrooms.
Church Ministries
During its second 25 years, the congregation has initiated or continued previous ministries with the goal of reaching men, women, and children with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and helping them to grow in Him.
Prayer
A faithful group of members have, through the years, prayed for the needs of the people and the ministries of Faith Baptist Church. Ethel Young has led this ministry for many years. At the present time, 59 people in the church make up its six prayer chains.
A group, led by Ethel, gathers each Sunday about 10:30 a.m. in the prayer room, just inside the north door, to pray for the pastor and the morning worship service.
Sunday School
With classes for all ages, the Sunday School is a key ministry in the church, both as an outreach tool and as a way to integrate new members into the fellowship. Attendance has varied, but on average through the years, 177 were recorded on the Sunday School roll, with an average attendance of 87. Today our enrollment is over 250 with an average attendance of 145. The Sunday School has reached many children, but adults make up the biggest part of its attendance. Southern Baptist materials provide a solid spiritual foundation, and their proceeds are used to produce materials for other language groups, with the excess contributing to missions around the world. Lifeway also holds training sessions, and workshops for its Sunday School teachers, both within the Association and the state.
Children’s Ministries
Vacation Bible School became a summer staple at the church, with many of the members participating to make it a success. A high number of 212 attended VBS in 1979.
Barbara Martin started a Children’s Church program in the middle 1980’s. By the middle 1990’s, Children’s Church grew so large that Barbara was calling for more help. It was eventually split into several age groups, and continues to be well attended and appreciated. Recently, the 5th and 6th grade students have begun to sit in on the worship service for one Sunday a month, and to take notes on the sermons. Leaders believe this will better prepare them for 7th grade, when they will not be in Children’s Church.
Young Missionaries
A 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School teacher, Carol Hinton, was led to start a new children’s ministry aimed at training them to have a heart for missions. Their first missions offering was taken over a period of months, and placed in front of a cross, their gifts to the Savior on Easter Sunday, 1992. They began to meet weekly, between Sunday School and church, to practice a memory verse, and learn about missions. They would collect money from the congregation and present it up front, and recite the verse. “They learned not to fear being in front,” Carol said.
The children met one Saturday a month, to distribute tracts, and invited people to church. They canvassed Springfield and part of Lakeview, to invite children to VBS, and to distribute “Jesus of Nazareth” videos. They collected 400 pounds of canned goods and other staples for the needy.
The group initially gathered about $15 a month; now it has offerings of $300 to $400 monthly, usually designated for Southern Baptist Missions special offerings for state, national, and worldwide outreach. In January and October, the group helps causes such as the Salvation Army, the Food Pantry, the Gideons.
Now the Young Missionaries include 1st through 4th grade students.
Youth Groups
Pat Huisinga led a very active Acteens ministry during the 1980’s, and, through the years, the Lord has led other church members to lead the youth. In the 1990’s, Phil and Connie Qualls, assisted by Darrell Harris, established Kingdom Seekers, for youth in grades 7 though 12. This group continues to meet under the leadership of Youth Pastor James Beavers for worship, study, games, and fellowship each Sunday night. On Wednesday nights, junior and senior high students meet separately, for prayer and Bible study.
The Kingdom Seekers goal is to encourage youth to live out Matthew 6:33, where Jesus tells His followers, “Seek first the kingdom of God”. The group is designed to provide involvement inside and outside the church, so teens can see that their faith in Christ relates to everyday living, giving youth a place to come and be ministered to and to minister to others.
The five-fold purpose of the youth ministry at Faith Baptist Church is to Reach out to the lost to introduce them to the person and personal ministry of Jesus Christ, to provide a safe and loving environment where youth can Connect with other Christians and Express themselves without fear of judgment or persecution, and to help them Grow in their faith by providing them with the tools necessary to live a life consistent with Christ’s teaching in order that they might Accomplish God’s will for their lives. “As leaders, it is important that we model this to our young people, and I am privileged to have a staff of volunteers which includes my wife Beth, Larry and Claudia Lindsley, Ann Little, Chris and Elizabeth Burdett (youth coming up through the group now serving as interns), who have made this their goal,” James said.
With volunteer help and God’s leading, the youth have gone on mission trips to Detroit, Chicago, Mexico, and Romania. They have also attended Acquire The Fire, a weekend youth conference, every year since 1999. The youth have been involved in numerous outreach/service projects including migrant missions, cleanup and repairs of churches, leading concerts of prayer, collecting food and clothing for food banks, and serving in local missions such as the Salvation Army. They have also participated in the 30-Hour Famine, a worldwide donations drive for world hunger relief since 2001, this year raising more than $3,600.
“Our young people are incredibly talented and gifted by God and have always been willing to use those talents/gifts to help other people and to witness to the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ,” James said. They have handed out hundreds of Bibles and Jesus Videos.
Women’s Ministries
Women’s Missionary Union has continued through the years. The adult women’s group, called Women on Mission, meets monthly. At its meetings, the group learns about missions through hearing mission stories, watching videos, and visiting missionary speakers. WMU members pray and give to missions, learn about missions, develop spiritually toward a missions lifestyle, and participate in the work of the church and denomination.
The Women on Mission have conducted a number of mission projects during the past 25 years. Locally, they have encouraged nursing home patients with cards, gifts, and lap quilts. They have also taken meals and flowers to the sick and shut-in members of the congregation, given money and supplies to Inasmuch House, a shelter for homeless women and children, and volunteered at the Charitable Union.
For a few years, they partnered with Good Samaritan Baptist Church in Lawrence to collect and pack groceries for distribution to needy migrant workers. In recent years, they have assembled items for shoe boxes which were donated to Operation Christmas Child.
When members of the church have been called to go on volunteer missions trips, such as the medical mission to the Philippines recently, the WMU members purchased supplies, vitamins, and medicine, and prepared craft items for children’s workers. Members have also assisted with craft projects for Vacation Bible School teachers.
Women of F.A.I.T.H. (Friends Are Important To Have) was formed in 2003. The Women of F.A.I.T.H. volunteer regularly at the Charitable Union, and at the Bibles For Missions Thrift Store. They have conducted craft and bake sales to raise money for items for kitchen items and for the sod, which was planted around the new church building.
The group has also organized an 80-Plus Party, and a Mother and Daughter Luncheon.
Women’s Retreat The women at Faith Baptist retreat together each year, in the fall. They enjoy a time of fellowship and sharing with each other from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. Speakers within the group present Bible studies or share devotionals or skits, all centered on a common theme.
Men’s Groups
A group of men formed a softball team and played together through most of the 1980’s, helping them to develop lasting friendships with each other.
From 1993 to 1998, men of the church got involved in Promise Keepers and its Bible studies. They were encouraged spiritually, and as husbands and fathers. A group of 14 men attended the million-man rally in Washington D.C. on October 4, 1997.
The men at Faith Baptist like to get together to work on projects around the church or for someone who needs help. They also like to attend events, such as tractor pulls, ball games, or car races together.
Music Ministry
Over the past 25 years the church has continued and developed its vibrant music ministry. Banks Bradley served as its music director from 1980 to 1985, instilling in members a love for song. When he left, Victor Speck took his position. Victor’s wife, Betty, directed a youth choir in the 1980’s, with Ralph and David Huisinga, Michelle (Martin) Thorne, Denise (Berry) Scott, and Todd and Troy Winningham. Gary and Linda Winningham, (youth directors at the time,) also helped in the music department. When Victor and Betty Speck moved to Tennessee in 1998, Gary and Norma Gallaway succeeded them as music department leaders.
A youth singing group, Heaven Bound, was formed in 1990. Two of its original members, Heather (Bennett) Martin and Ralph Huisinga sing in our current Praise Team. As a group of 30 young people, Heaven Bound members sang the first youth musical, “Heartsong”. The Heaven Bound group sang together for about five years, and presented concerts in the Battle Creek area, at Pope Church in Jackson, and at Starr Commonwealth for Boys in Albion.
In the mid-1990’s, the adult choir participated in a community wide choir from area churches for the musical, “Make Us One,” at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium. The present choir has 20 -25 members.
Although there have been many changes and additions to the worship service through the years, the congregation graciously accepted all of them.
Gary and Norma Gallaway introduced the congregation to electric guitars and electric keyboards in the 1990’s. They continue to direct the music team and lead the music in the worship services.
The Gallaways felt led of the Lord to start a Praise Team in 1998, and currently have eight to ten singers each week. A Praise Band was formed shortly afterward, and has about 10 musicians, playing flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets and bass clarinet. Drums were introduced to the church for the first time in 1999. Together, the groups form a musical team and add a strong presence in the worship service. The musical team presented its first musical, “God for Us,” in November, 1999, and repeated it in 2001. While at First Baptist Church of Springfield, the team alternated musical styles each week. It would present a traditional service for one Sunday, singing from the hymnals with Praise Band accompaniment. The next week, the Praise Team led worship with praise songs, their words displayed on a screen, using an overhead projector. Since moving to Helmer Road, the congregation has enjoyed a blended service, with both traditional and praise and worship music styles.
The Christmas concert remains a highlight of each year. For the past several years, the music ministry at the church has also hosted gospel concerts on the third Sunday night each month. Some of the groups who have ministered include Alliance, Ray and Millie Overholt, Living Truth 2, Unto Him, No Greater Love, Heirborn, Buddy Houghtaling, and The Chosen Ones.
Some church members have also ministered in the special Sunday concerts, and have formed independent musical groups, ministering throughout Michigan and in neighboring states. One Accord, with Gary and Norma Gallaway, Anne Meredith, David Martin, Scott Lorencen, and Doug Thorne, started singing together in the late 1980’s. Bought and Paid for (Bruce and Vickie Hill and Tim and Karen Smothers); Friends of the Father, (Carle and Charlene Smith); and the Mountaintops, (Bob and Betty Johnson,) also have traveled and sung for the Lord for many years.
Activities with the Association
The church is an active member of the 17-member South Central Baptist Association (which takes in the Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Coldwater areas) of the Southern Baptist Convention in Michigan. It is represented on the Association’s board of directors, and often hosts one of the semi-annual Association meetings.
Through the Association, the church has participated in training events and world missions conferences. It also has helped with collections of food and clothing for migrant workers, staffed an Association outreach booth at the Kalamazoo County Fair and has, with volunteer time, money, and donations, supported a Kalamazoo ministry to recovering substance abusers.
Starting a Mission Church
The church continues to have a vision for planting Southern Baptist missions in the area.
From 1980 to 1983, it sponsored the Harper Creek Baptist Chapel, which became known as Harper Creek Baptist Church, and saw it through the calling of its first two pastors, and choosing a site for its building. Harper Creek Baptist Church established a constitution in September1983, marking the beginning of its independence. Several church members, including Bert and Janette Rial, helped to start and build Harper Creek Baptist and served there for a number of years. Harper Creek Baptist continues its witness to the community, under the leadership of Les Seal, a former member of our church.
The church also sponsored a mission to Southwest Battle Creek, but it didn’t develop into an independent church. The land set aside for the mission in Southwest Battle Creek was eventually used as the site for the new Faith Baptist Church.
Evangelism at Home and Around the world
We at Faith Baptist Church have a burden to reach our neighbors and people around the world for Christ. Locally, during the past 25 years, members have supported and participated in citywide outreach, such as the 1984 Clyde Dupin Crusade, and events planned by CityLinC Ministries.
The church has also hosted annual revival services with invited speakers. Some were evangelists and some ministered more to those who were already saved.
After one revival, in the early 1980’s, 16 people were baptized, and in September 1996, 18 were saved. At another revival, held in 2003, many of the church member’s lives were changed through the ministry of Evangelist Jerry Moore.
Church members have participated in a number of short term missions, including trips to Romania, Mexico, and the Philippines. They also faithfully pray for the Southern Baptist Convention missionaries, and support them with the Lottie Moon offering for world missions ($2,044.09 this year,) the Annie Armstrong offering for home missions ($2,522.81 this year,) and the Francis Brown offering for state missions, ($1,798.73 to date.) Ron Roy, who grew up in the church, and his wife, Carol, are our “adopted” missionaries in Uruguay.
Deacons
Faith Baptist Church, (formerly First Baptist Church of Springfield) has been served by the following ordained deacons from 1979 to the present (listed chronologically):
Luther Young, Howard Vaden, Arnold Malcuit, Grover Allen, Vic Denny, Earl Holcomb, Bob Storer, Jim Weickersheimer, Bill Amsler, Owen Edgington, Lyle Shearer, Clyde Robinson, Banks Bradley, Tom Hill, Jack Martin, Harold Heath, Ken Kyser, Tim Smothers, Les Seal, Kirk Kyser, LaWayne Yoey, Darrell Harris, Roger Vaughn, Bill Proffitt, Pete Peterson, Harry Burdett, David Huisinga, Don Garrett, Shelby Robertson, Brian Ferris.
Licensed to Preach
During the past 25 years, Joe Malcuit, Tim Smothers, Ken Childs and James Beavers were licensed to preach at the church.
A Vision for the Future: by the Rev. Glenn Huisinga
I envision Faith Baptist Church to grow as a family-centered part of the body of Christ in the greater Battle Creek area. Only the Lord knows what it will be like 25 years from now, if He tarries. For the immediate future, you should expect the Sunday School to grow to an average attendance of 150 or more, with well over 200 attending the morning worship services. With the help and blessing of God, you will attain those within the next one to three years.
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