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Baptists Church - 1869
18th & Lincoln Streets
Northeast corner of
Block 59, Original Town Plat, Lots 1-3
From 1882 --
"The
first sermon preached to the Baptists was on the last Sunday
in April, 1869, by Rev. E. G. O. Groat, on the platform at the
railroad station, who also organized the first Sunday school.
Their church building was moved from Cuming City in the fall
of 1872. It is a neat frame building, which with parsonage, is
worth nearly $2,000, and their church membership is sixty." |
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The history of this church begins
in the former Washington County community of Cuming City where
in January 1858 an informal meeting was held at the log house
of T. C. Hungate to organize a church by those residents of
Baptist faith. Meetings were held in the various homes and G.E.
Barnes was engaged as pastor and come every two weeks on
horseback. The first baptism in Nebraska was held at
Cuming City through the ice in Fish Creek, Rev. J. M. Taggart,
an outstanding leader in the development of Nebraska,
officiated, and later became pastor of the church. A
house, formerly used for school purposes, was purchased at
auction and was made serviceable through much expense and
labor by members of the church. In 1868 a new church was
built. However due to the development of the town of Blair
many of its members left and the church declined.
In April 1869, the Rev. E. G.
Groat, pastor of the Cuming City Baptist Church, preached the
first sermon ever delivered in Blair. This service was
held on the platform of the newly erected depot. The
First Baptist Church of Blair was formed in September 1869
meeting in a passenger car on the railroad track. Later
meetings were held in a hall owned by Dexter & Smith.
Sunday School was held at the hall then was moved to the newly
built courthouse. In 1872 the church building at Cuming
City was donated to the Blair church and moved to the site of
the present building This church was used until
increasing membership and attendance made a new church
building necessary.
The present church was built
and dedicated on August 27, 1892, completely paid for at the
time. In the 1950's a basement was dug under the
sanctuary and later new ceilings and modern lighting were
added. In 1975 an educational wing was added financed by
the selling of bonds to members and community residents, which
bonds are steadily being retired. Other improvements
have been new carpeting and air conditioning along with some
remodeling of the rear of the sanctuary. The church
started with 7 members and maintains a membership of about
155. The present pastor, Rev. M. James Metzgar, has
served since November of 1972.
The church is self-governing;
however for a more effective program it affiliates with the
American Baptist Convention, the Nebraska Baptist State
Convention, the Nebraska Baptist State Convention and
Omahaland Association but none of these have authority over
the local church. The members formed a corporation of
the church in 1974. The church believes in the basic Baptist
beliefs of the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of all
believers and the separation of church and state. Only
two ordinances are observed, those of believer's baptism by
immersion and the Lord's Supper or communion. Membership
in the church is composed of only baptized believers.
Submitted by Vera Sappenfield.
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