The Early Years- 1909-1919

On Dec. 21, 1908, the first blast furnace was lit and a new steel mill ( Indiana Steel Company now Gary Works) and a new city , Gary , was born. Only 30 days later - Jan. 20, 1909, in Mrs. Harriet Cathcart's home 19 members organized the First Baptist Church of Gary. Our first pastor, Rev. George Griffin, having caught a vision while visiting Mrs. Cathcart helped in the organization of the church and during his six months as pastor, three lots were purchased for $950.

Pastor Griffin left in June and in July the Indiana State board (Northern Baptist) sent Rev. J. E. Smith along with help and advice. The Women's Missionary Board of Indiana loaned the church $5000 to start a building. On Dec. 9, l909, the first service was held in the new auditorium which was a basement with dirt floors. The furnace was a coke salamander with no stack which regularly filled the room with smoke. In addition to this, the roof leaked when it rained and when Aetna Powder Company blew up, there were no windows left. Conditions were bleak but the ministry had survived its first year. Pastor Smith left in June of 1910. Several months passed without a pastor. The church, then made up of fifty members, decided to discontinue services until the Mission Board could send them a new shepherd.

When Rev. H. E. Wilson arrived Jan. 1, 1912, interest, taxes and the principal on the lots were more than the original $1,950 price and also the furnace was out of order. Pastor Wilson went right to work on plans for a new building. With many new Baptist families arriving in the area, the attendance rose from 13 to 128 during the first year of his ministry. A training class and Sunday School were initiated and within two years the enrollment passed the 300 mark. The building was started in August 1912 and dedicated Sept. 23, 1913 . During this time the Romanian Baptist Church , which started the Hungarian Mission, had its beginning in the kitchen of our church. Pastor Wilson resigned in 1919.

A Self-Supporting Ministry

Under the leadership of Pastor O. B. Sarber (1920 - 1926) membership had grown to 350. It was his firm belief that the church should be self-supporting. In 1925, that dream came true with the two mortgages being burned through a generous Christmas gift of $8,680 from the Steel Co. The name of our church was changed to Central Baptist in 1924 since another church in Gary had adopted First Baptist as its legal name. Another sister church was begun in Brunswick which eventually became Bethel Baptist in Merrillville . Raymond Hamilton was encouraged and mentored during Pastor Sarber’s ministry and went into full time ministry.

A Time of Tremendous Growth

The church was without a pastor for exactly one year when William Ward Ayer (1927-32) came to Central. He was an innovative young man with several ministries launched during his tenure. A junior church was started to minister to the young people and the Bible School was reorganized. U. V. White joined Pastor Ayer as his assistant during that first year. The next year, 1928, a radio ministry was started and the "The Little Brown Church" was mounted on a Ford and used for street meetings throughout Gary . In 1929 Mrs. Tarvin began what would be 60 years of organ ministry at Central. Out of the many home prayer groups foster by Pastor Ayer came mission churches and one of these was Hosford Park Baptist Church , now known as Grace Baptist Church of Gary. In 1932, Pastor Ayer left a thriving church with over 700 members.

Central Takes A Stand

Dr. Robert T. Ketcham became pastor in Sept. of 1932. Raymond Hamilton, one of Central’s own, joined Dr. Ketcham to lead the Sunday School and youth ministry at CBC. In 1934, after several years of growing modernism within the Northern Baptist Convention, Central withdrew from the NBC and affiliated with the GARBC. Sunday, March 8, 1936 witnessed twelve young men being licensed to preach the Gospel and from these seven were ordained. The Romigs, Rosses, Moffatts and the Paulsons went into full-time service and the Hungry Five Gospel team was formed. This team started the Free Gospel Mission in an old beer hall. Church membership was over 900 when Dr. Ketcham resigned in 1934. Rev. Barney Antrobus served as interim pastor until April 24, 1940 when Rev. William Headley became pastor.

During the war years many of Central's sons and daughters were in the armed services. On March 1941 Florence Almen sailed for Africa on the freighter Zam Zam. In May, Central received word that the ship had been sunk but all missionaries on board had survived. After Rev. Headley left in 1945, Rev. Donald J. MacKay became pastor in Jan of 1946. During Pastor MacKay’s ministry, a new bus and parsonage were purchased and Mary Suhm and Edith Wotherspoon left for the mission field. When Pastor MacKay resigned in 195l, Merrill Tenney served as interim pastor until Pastor Richard Elvee came in 1952. During his 18 months of ministry, the Sunday School was departmentalized and several lots were purchased for building expansion and parking lots.

The Program of Progress

Wilbur C. Rooke came as pastor in March of 1954. During the next eight years, the Program of Progress was started and more lots were purchased. Harold Merwald worked with the young people and was responsible for having one the largest youth choirs in the area. Charles Bergerson came as assistant pastor in 1956. Steve Boalt joined the staff as director of youth & music in June of 1962. Pastor Rooke resigned in September of that same year.

Rev. Kenneth Ohrstrom came to Central in April 1963. The church’s constitution was reorganized during his tenure and a living file system was started in the Sunday School. Central Baptist hosted the tri-annual meeting of the Baptist Mid-Mission in ’63. Hartley Cruver came in Sept. 1965 as Director of Youth and Music. In 1967 Rev. J. Don Jennings came to Central and a bus ministry was begun. In 1967 Jim Romig arrived as the Director of Youth and Music.

A Time of Transition and Building

Rev. Dale Fisher, pastor from 1970-1987, led the church during the transition period from Gary to Portage Township . Due to a shift in the population, conditions became very difficult for the church in Gary resulting in the church purchasing of 14 acres, including a parsonage, a 2 car garage, and barn in July, 1972. The present facility, including the Sanctuary was erected in three stages. Phase I ( gym, kitchen and several classrooms) was started in May, 1974 and was dedicated in December, 1975. The church building in Gary was sold to the Crossroads Baptist Church in February, 1977. Phase II was completed in late October of the same year. Ground was broken in April of ’82 after a $200,000 gift was promised late in 1981. The Hines Sanctuary was dedicated on January 9, 1983 .

Long term ministry was a hallmark of Central’s people during Pastor Fisher’s time with us. Dale Fisher would serve Christ at Central for 17 years. Ron Moore joined Pastor Fisher in 1977 as minister of education and would dedicate almost 20 years of pastoral service at Central. Mrs. Tarvin would complete 60 years of ministry at the church organ in 1988. Beth DeLaughter began as a “temporary” fill in as secretary in 1969 and would serve the Lord in that capacity for 28 years until her retirement in 1997.

Dr. Clay Nuttall became Central’s 14 th Senior Pastor in Apri1, 1988. Chris and Mike Dykstra joined the staff serving in the area of youth and music in 1989. Gaylord and Marilyn Shaffer took their place in 1991. Several modifications and improvements were made in the early phases of our current building over the past few years leaving us a debt-free, beautiful facility for teaching, recreation and worship.

Central Baptist Church , under the ministry of Dr. Nuttall, withdrew from the GARBC and the IFRBC in November of 1994. Pastor Nuttall resigned in November, 1996.

The 21st Century

David R. Webb responded to God’s call to assume the pastorate of Central Baptist in January of 1998.The focus of his ministry has been to prepare the church for works of ministry and evangelism in the 21st century. Several evangelistic efforts have been accomplished with more being planned. The challenge to continue to grow God’s people with Christ-like character and passion continues. In August of 1999, the church called Tom Mullins, III to be the youth pastor. Significant efforts in the improvement and maintenance of the facility have been accomplished. Others are being planned. In July, 2002, Central voted to re-affiliate itself with the GARBC and the IFRBC.

We thank God for His blessing and favor over the past 100+ years and look forward with anticipation to what He will do at Central Baptist Church . The best years are yet to come!