JEFFERSON CITY – The site of the first permanent Baptist church in Missouri will be the host for the first of seven regional celebrations marking the Missouri Baptist Convention’s 175th anniversary.
The kick-off celebration will be at “Old Bethel” in Jackson on March 21. Members of the Missouri Baptist Historical Commission (MBHC) are planning the meetings in their respective regions which will go beyond merely celebrating 175 years of Baptist cooperation in the state.
“They’re working to coordinating something that will appeal to the historical interests of each region,” said MBHC Archivist Joanna Perkins. “The idea is to get people thinking about Baptist history in their region.”
One aspect of local history that will be featured heavily at the Old Bethel meeting is the up-and-down history of that church. Bethel was founded in 1806 and marked the first non-Catholic house of worship west of the Mississippi River. It disbanded during the Civil War, but was rebuilt and rededicated in 2007.
Other regional celebrations will be held at Providence Baptist in Kansas City, April 25 and Second Baptist in Springfield, May 2. Salem Baptist in Florissant will host a fourth celebration on a soon-to-be determined date, to coincide with the church’s bicentennial celebration. The fifth celebration will be in the northeast region of the state, but the date and location have not yet been nailed down. Specific times and dates for the celebration will soon be posted on the MBHC’s website, www.baptistparchments.org.
The year-long celebration will peak Aug. 29 at Providence Baptist in New Bloomfield, 200 years to the day after the convention was organized at that church.
For more information about the regional celebrations, contact Perkins at jperkins@mobaptist.org or 1-800-736-6227, ext.205.
