Second Baptist Church: The Mother Church of Many St. Louis Congregations
When Second Baptist Church was founded in 1833, it included a majority of members from the founding church in St. Louis, which had just voted itself out of existence. The African Baptist Church of St. Louis emerged out of the same congregation. It also had members from the earliest Baptist work in St. Louis in 1818. John Mason Peck had the foresight and courage to begin an inter-racial congregation in St. Louis in that first church and today we all stand as the beneficiaries of his vision.
We honor First Baptist Church of St. Louis on its 190th anniversary. First Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church are “Mother Churches” to the many Baptist churches that developed in the Greater St. Louis area.
By the 1850’s, Second Baptist Church had an active Church Extension Committee that raised thousands of dollars annually to help with our new church starts. The church employed at least three “city missionaries” or “city evangelists” to expand the outreach of our mission congregations. These city missionaries were: Helen West who began in 1881, Rev. J.V. Schofield who began in 1885 and Rev. Frederick Taylor who served from 1895-1899. During this nearly twenty year period, it was this partnership of Second Baptist Church pastors, laypeople and these city missionaries who helped so many congregations and mission stations begin.
Our church was only nine years old when we began thinking about unserved people in St. Louis. In 1842, we founded the North Baptist Church. This congregation only lasted for six years when the members voted to return to Second Baptist Church. But it was our first attempt at a church start in St. Louis.
In 1849, Second Baptist Church called Dr. Jeremiah B. Jeter to become its pastor. He was interested in expanding the Baptist witness in St. Louis and encouraged Second Baptist Church to found new churches. Early in 1849, as a result of the immigration of Dutch and German families to St. Louis, a work was begun with this special language group. Those from Holland had been members of the Dutch Reformed Church but had studied the Scriptures and wished to be immersed. In February of 1849, eleven Dutch and two Germans were presented to Second Baptist Church as candidates for baptism and membership. John Mason Peck performed these baptisms in Chouteau’s Pond before the congregation of Second Baptist Church. Several thousand persons assembled to witness the solemn and interesting baptism. Addresses were delivered in English, Dutch and German. The converts were authorized to hold meetings as a congregation under the supervision of the deacons of Second Baptist Church. On January 20, 1850, they were dismissed to form the First German Baptist Church. During World War II, the name was changed to the St. Louis Park Baptist Church. Rev. Darron Washington serves as the church’s pastor today.
In the Western area of St. Louis, 28 members were dismissed to found the Third Baptist Church in December of 1850. Dr. Jeter reached back to his roots in Richmond as the Rev. Joseph Walker of Virginia was invited to become the pastor of Third Baptist. The first public service was held in a rented hall near 13th and Market Streets. Later a building was erected near the corner of 14th and Clark Avenue. Third Baptist has a proud and distinguished history serving in the city of St. Louis. Today this church is served by Rev. Warren Hoffman.
On September 19, 1851, 24 members were dismissed to form a new church in North St. Louis, originally called Zion Baptist Church, now the Fourth Baptist Church. and Rev. I. E. Owen from the Theological Seminary in Covington, Kentucky was invited to come to St. Louis to serve Zion or Fourth Church. Today, this church is served by Rev. Richard Taylor.
In 1858, Second Baptist Church released members to form the Union Baptist Church. They worshipped in the former building of First Congregational, but ceased to exist after a few years.
The Civil War naturally slowed the growth of Baptists in such a divided border city as St. Louis. In 1863, the Jefferson Mission was founded and this grew into the Beaumont Street Baptist Church in the Fall of 1866. Of its 57 founding members, 55 were dismissed from Second Baptist Church to start this new work. The interesting story of this church is that when Second Baptist was looking for a new area of the city in which to relocate, they chose the neighborhood of Beaumont Street Church. They wrote a letter of humble explanation to Beaumont Street, inviting them to re-join Second Baptist Church. Five years later, the Beaumont Street Church responded.
In 1867, the Carondelet Baptist Church was formed with five constituent members. Dr. Galusha Anderson of Second Baptist Church worked with this new congregation and helped them greatly expand their numbers. Third Baptist Church was also instrumental in the founding of Carondelet Baptist Church.
In 1868, Mrs. Eliza Page of Second Baptist church, along with other women, visited the southern section of the city and recruited a number of children in the area to a Sunday School that later became the Park Avenue Mission. Letters of dismissal were granted to four members to organize the Park Avenue Mission. On May 9, 1868, a new church was formed, today called the Lafayette Park Baptist Church. In 1878, Second Baptist continued to provide support to the salary of the Park Avenue pastor. The pastor today is Rev. Reggie Hall.
The Bernard Street Mission was founded in 1868.
Fourth Baptist was starting the Olivet Mission in 1869 and they requested assistance from Second Baptist with this work on Benton Street. We joined them as partners in this outreach work.
In 1870, Baptists in Kirkwood were organizing largely due to the efforts of Dr. B.F. Edwards, a member of Second Baptist Church who resided in Kirkwood. Through the generosity of William McPherson of Second Baptist, a lot was presented to the church and a building erected, which was soon replaced by the present facility. The Second Baptist Pastor, A.H. Burlingham, participated in the dedication of their first building. At one time, it was named the Wetzel Memorial Baptist Church until it took back the name Kirkwood Baptist Church.
By, 1877, 108 members of the Beaumont Street Baptist Church were received as new members in the newly-built Second Baptist at the corner of Beaumont and Locust. Some of their members were not comfortable with the morning coats, striped trousers and silk top hats worn by the pastor and by many members of Second Baptist, and thus they founded the Garrison Avenue Baptist Church along with other members from Third Baptist Church This became the Delmar Baptist Church in 1877.
Stephen Bemis, a deacon of Second Baptist was providing care and support to the Water Tower Mission, which later became the Water Tower Baptist Church, founded in 1885. Third Baptist played a prominent role in the founding of this church. A city missionary from Second Baptist, the Rev. J.V.Schofield, a former pastor of Third and Fourth Baptist Churches, also served as the founding pastor of Water Tower Baptist Church.
In 1886, 43 members had been granted Letters of Dismissal to form a Baptist Church at 6th and Spruce called the Tabernacle Mission. They formed the Russell Avenue Mission in 1898 and then the Tabernacle Baptist Church. Third Baptist was a leading congregation as this congregation moved from a mission to a church status.
In 1890, Second Baptist sold the old Beaumont Chapel to help establish the Grand Avenue Baptist Church. “They met in the German YMCA at 19th and St. Louis Avenue and a church was completed in 1893. F.H. Ludington and other members of Second Baptist contributed liberally to the erection of the Grand Avenue building. The church disbanded in 1925.
Tower Grove Baptist Church was founded in 1891 and Deacon S. A. Bemis of Second Baptist Church contributed very largely to the erection of its first building on Norfolk Avenue.
In 1891, 29 members from Second Baptist and two from Delmar were commissioned to form the Immanuel Baptist Church meeting at Conclave Hall at Maple and Hamilton Streets. Later, Immanuel Church relocated to Old Olive Street Road. It disbanded within the last twenty years.
The Fair Avenue Mission, later the Fair Avenue Baptist Church, was formed in 1893, and Second Baptist Church assumed responsibility for paying the rent on its facility where they could meet.
Numerous members of Second Baptist were giving leadership to the Broadway Mission located at Broadway and Poplar Streets and this continued for many years. This work was begun in 1895. Members of Second worked to develop a Sunday School, Young People’s Society, Bible class, Sunday evening worship services and a sewing class. Second’s city evangelists made house to house calls to introduce Broadway Mission to its neighbors.
Though not a daughter church of Second Baptist but rather of Third Baptist Church, we do not want to omit the Des Peres Baptist Church from our list of neighboring congregations. At its recent closure, members of this congregation gave over $5,000,000 to advance American Baptist missions and new church starts.
With the advent of the St. Louis Baptist Association in 1917, the work of starting new churches moved from the historic St. Louis churches, mostly Second, Third, Fourth, Delmar and St. Louis Park, to the association taking the lead and providing the resources.
In 1990, the American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers started a new church start in the St. Charles area called “Twin Rivers Baptist Church,” but the church went out of existence recently.
“For you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, a people claimed as God’s own.” (I Peter)
Posted by Linda Novak on Sep 21, 2008 at 8:7:15 | Article Path: Home: History: Second Baptist Church: The Mother Church of Many St. Louis Congregations
