First Baptist Church of Newport
By Jim Reis-reprinted here with his
permission from
Pieces of the Past-Volume 2
On the outside, First Baptist Church of Newport
looks like many other churches
in Northern Kentucky-solid and stoic. But inside one finds a maze of
hallways,
doors and rooms. In many ways, the interior reflects the varied and
complex
character of one of Northern Kentucky's oldest congregations.
The church, which marked its 175th anniversary in 1987, started during Newport's pioneer days. Seven of Northern Kentucky's early settlers decided to form their own church on August 8, 1812. The fledgling church became a member of the North Bend Baptist Association on September 12, 1812. The names of some charter members have been lost; the four that are known are Charles Helm, Joseph McPike and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Todd.
In the beginning the congregation had not permanent building, so services were held in member's homes on a rotating basis. The congregation did not call its first pastor, Henry Roach, until 1817. By 1828 church membership had grown to 36. Records of the North Bend Baptist Association indicate that the congregation changed its name for a short time to Covington Baptist Church. Some have speculated that the name change was made because many members lived in Covington.
No church records exist for the period between 1832 to 1840. The first available records after that period indicate that the church was reorganized in 1840 and First Baptist Church of Newport was the name. The reorganization took place on February 12, 1840 when several Baptists met at the Old Mt. Pleasant School House in what is now Ft. Thomas. Among those at the meeting were charter members Joseph and Elizabeth Todd.
During the next few years, the congregation met in various places, including school buildings, halls and even the Newport Courthouse. Then on July 6, 1844, church trustees took the first step toward a building a church and purchased a lot from James Taylor for $1. The lot was on the south side of Bellevue Street (now known as Fourth Street), between East Row (now Washington Avenue) and Saratoga Street. The congregation was not wealthy, however, and by April of 1846 only the basement was finished. Services were held there until the rest of the church was built. Records show that the church had 13 different pastors and some 260 converts over the next 20 years. The Sunday School had 20 teachers and 260 students. Sunday School work became one of the hallmarks of the First Baptist Church of Newport.
A Kentucky Post story in 1876 noted a "grand children's concert" planned at the church. Tickets were 25 cents and the writer added that by buying a ticket, people would be "both contributing to a good cause and enjoying a most delightful treat in the way of children's music." W W Tinker of New Orleans was brought in to direct the concert. Three years later Tinker was named pastor of the church. He held that post for 16 months.
Tinker was succeeded by G M Shott, who spearheaded the drive that led to the purchase of the Congregational Church at York Street and Ringgold (now Eighth). First Baptist traded its building and a lot on Bellevue Street and $2000 for the lot and a church building at the next location. Another church, the Bellevue Street Church, later opened in the old Baptist church building. The church at York and Eighth was an old frame building that many members of First Baptist wanted to replace. But because finances were tight, building plans were postponed. In the late 1880s, as church membership grew to more than450 and as the Sunday School continued to draw people, the call for a larger building was renewed.
Work began on a new building in 1891. The old building was not razed; it was moved to the site of the Walnut Street mission in Newport. The day before the dedications ceremonies on February 14, 1892, a Kentucky Post writer described the new building as impressive in its simplicity of design. The front page story noted that the seating capacity was almost 700. The pipe organ cost $1200 and was a gift of the church's Young People's Society. The new Sunday School room on the floor below the main hall had seating for 400.
The church featured windows with cathedral glass. A window that portrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was donated in memory of Sarah Gosney. She was the wife of Francis Gosney, a blacksmith and owner of the Newport-Alexandria and Newport-Grants Lick bus lines. One of Gosney's nine children later became president of the West Side Bank in Newport, and a grandson, Clifford, owned some of the land that is part of A J Jolly Park in southern Campbell County. The value of the new building was estimated at $22,000. Among the honored guests was Thomas Abbott, one of the oldest Baptists in Northern Kentucky. He was 90.
Two churches grew out of First Baptist in Newport-The First Baptist Church of Bellevue in 1901 and the First Baptist Church of Ft. Thomas in 1916. A Sunday School roster in May of 1914 listed some 730 students making it the third largest Baptist Sunday School in the state. According to church records, the largest Sunday School class ever held at the church was on Rally Day, October 25, 1925 when 1454 children came.
The congregation began construction of an education building adjacent to the church in 1924. It opened in August of 1926, a two-story building with an auditorium seating 2000 people and a recreation center. "The Sunday School Builder" magazine featured the First Baptist Church of Newport in its February 1927 issue. Under the pastorate of W B Harvey, the Newport church had grown from 645 members in 1921 to 1292 in 1927. The budge had climbed from $9000 to $42,000.
Harvey had served three terms in the state legislature and was a chaplain in World War I before coming to First Baptist. Credit for part of the membership increase went to 200 church volunteers, who went door to door seeking new members. During the summer and fall of 1930 , the church was remodeled. It was dedicated October 19, 1930 with J Alfred Schehl of the American Guild of Organists presiding.
During the 1937 flood, the church became a relief center, offering food and clothing to those forced out of their homes. Temporary shelter was provided in the church's educational building. It remained open for almost a year. The congregation began to change in the 1940s as people moved to the suburbs. New arrivals came from Eastern Kentucky. Out of their efforts to minister to the new arrivals came Calvary Baptist Church in Newport's west end. It became a separate church and then merged with Trinity Baptist Church.
In July 1950 a fund raising drive was begun for another building. The $250,000 educational building was dedicated April 19, 1959. During the 1960s members of the church became active in the Committee of 500, which was formed to clean up Newport's image as a center of gambling and crime. The church also operated a community Clothes Closet and Food Pantry for the need. Those efforts for the poor were later turned over to Brighton Center.
The First Baptist Church today has about 1000 members.