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Interior Alterations

by admin last modified July 05, 2004 12:16 PM

Next door to the church was a house and lot known as the Stevens Estate. The church members decided it would be advantageous to purchase this property for possible future expansion. This was done in 1928 for $5,000. The house was dismantled and the lot was graded and grassed-over. In 1930 a Building Council was formed to plan various alterations to the interior of the church and also to consider an addition. Because of lack of funds, plans for an addition were dropped at that time but interior changes were made.

The most significant alteration to the interior was the platform change in the front of the sanctuary. The Trustees worked with the Department of Architecture of the American Baptist Home Mission Society to prepare drawings of the change. An Organ and Pulpit Fund was established to handle the costs. The work was underway in 1932 when Rev. Holmes resigned and Rev. Buell W. Maxfield was called as pastor. The original platform had a portable pulpit, a baptistry beneath the floor, and an organ centered against the back wall of the platform. The space to the left of the platform contained pews. The alteration resulted in the platform seen today. One of the main objects of the change was to place the communion table in the center and in front of the baptistry so that "the symbols of the two main ordinances of the Baptist Church, immersion and communion, would always be plainly in sight." This was all accomplished for $9,200 and the new "chancel" was dedicated on Sunday, October 1, 1933, by three services which included an organ concert on the new organ. New sanctuary entrance doors were dedicated in 1939.

In 1943 the church government was changed again. New By-Laws were written and for the first time deaconesses were added to the Board of Deacons. In 1945 Rev. Maxfield resigned and Rev. Milton G. Baker was called as pastor.

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