First Baptist Church to celebrate 135 years

FOSTORIA — For 135 years, First Baptist Church of Fostoria has stood the test of time The institution will celebrate its 135th Anniversary from 4-10 p.m. Sept. 6, with its Community Celebration event, which will take place on the lawn across from the UrbanWoody Brewery, at the corners of S. Main St. and Tiffin street. "The event was previously organized as a church picnic, but was changed this year to include more of the community," said Pastor Michael Burton. The event will feature live music from local artist, Dwayne "DJ Thrill" Hunter (of Fostoria) from 4-6 p.m. as well as local R&B group "Everyday People" (of Toledo) from 6-9 p.m. Additionally, First Baptist Church of Fostoria, 534 Lynn St., will be distributing hot-dogs and hamburgers at no cost, while supplies last. A few food trucks will also be at the event. Available for kids will be arts and crafts, bounce houses, face painting, and more. Over the Years Burton shared a brief history of the church, stating that the organization first opened its doors – at a different location than where they are now located, in August 1889. At the time, worship occurred downtown in a space the church rented within the Town Hall. According to Burton, the church first moved locations in 1905, before moving again in 1940 to its current location. "Over the years, things have changed quite a bit," said Burton. "From 1940-1966, all of our services were held in the basement; there was no upstairs portion yet." Burton continued by explaining that later that year (1966), Pastor Henry Krenshaw started the process of expanding the facility and the upstairs was dedicated in 1969. Another change to the building came in 1999, when Pastor T. A. Smith began working on the process of building a new sanctuary, which was completed in 2001. Burton shared a recount of his early days in the church, saying "I can remember when we were still conducting worship in the basement. Some nights we would get out at midnight with the combination of bible study and prayer meetings, but I remember them fondly, attending prayer meetings with my mother." Currently, First Baptist is completely renovating its basement, to turn it into a computer lab and study space, to be utilized by the community. "We want to have a space for kids to be able to come in and eat as well as to learn, or even relax," said Burton. He said the project is roughly three-fourths done and the church anticipates its completion by the end of this year. "The basement has seen a number of renovations over the years, but has remained mostly the same since the 50s-60s. We want to make it a usable space again," said Burton. Burton has been involved in the church since he was born. Both he and his wife, Jocelyn, are from the Fostoria area and according to Burton, "Our grandparents were very close." "However, we laid eyes on one another in our thirties," he said. According to church records, in the 90's there were 130 members of the church. In 2001, there were 151 members. When Burton got the call to worship in 2019, there were only seven members of the church. "As a pastor, my job is not to worry about numbers or to look back at what was," said Burton. "But rather, my job is to continuously look forward to what will be." Burton is one of just 23 pastors to answer the call at First Baptist Church since 1889. For more information about First Baptist Church, find its social media page.