| Historical Background :: Pastors
:: Workers
In May of 1906 a local
Holiness Association was formed here by a group of about fifty people
and meetings were held weekly for nearly two years.
Following a fruitful
revival campaign in March of 1908 the Association decided to join the
Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene (the name of the organization was
officially changed in 1919 to The Church of the Nazarene
because of new meanings that had become associated with the term
"Pentecostal."). On March 30, under the direction of Rev. C
A. Imhoff the church was organized with 73 charter members. As of
2001, three of these charter members are still living: Mrs. H.R.
Beegle, San Jose, California; Rev. E,E. Wordsworth, Seattle,
Washington; and Mrs. Bertha Stackhouse of East Palestine. The Rev.
Martha Curry from Massachusetts was chosen as pastor.
Following the selection
of the present building site a building committee consisting of Amos
Billingsly. Emmet Curry, and john Gould was appointed. Under the
direction of these men the first church building was erected. The
dedication service was held on November 1, 1908 with General
Superintendent, Dr, H. F. Reynolds officiating. A unit was added to
this building about 20 years later to house the Sunday School.
During the winter of
1951-52, to provide for Sunday School expansion, excavation under the
main building was begun. During the process, on January 25, the
building collapsed. None of the workers were Injured. After the shock
of such an apparent disaster had subsided, plans were formulated to
build a new building. Immediately the people of the community rallied
and a fund drive was organized to help the church rebuild. The total
contributions by individuals and civic groups in East Palestine
amounted to about $10,000, After making financial arrangements with
the three local banks, erection of the present building began. The
pastor, Rev. Paul F. Baxter and the church trustees consisting of Roy
L. Spaite, chairman, S. M. Hill, Jack Widowfield, Herbert Faulk,
Jerald Parker and Harold Marsolt supervised the project. The new
building was dedicated on March22, 1953 by District Superintendent,
Rev. O.L. Bendum with the dedicatory sermon delivered by Dr. T.W.
Willingham.
Many pastors have
served the church through the years. They are as follows:
| Pastor |
Dates |
Years |
|
Pastor |
Dates |
Years |
| Rev. Martha Curry |
1908-10 and
1913-14 |
3 |
|
Rev. O.M. Cox |
1945-47 |
2 |
| Rev. C.P. Lamphor |
1910-11 |
2 |
|
Rev. Paul F. Baxter |
1947-54 |
7 |
| Rev. E.E. Dearn |
1911-12 |
1 |
|
Rev. Robert J. Shoff |
1954-63 |
9 |
| Rev. E.E. Wood |
1912-13 |
1 |
|
Rev. Robert Carrier |
1963-65 |
2 |
| Rev. Jonas Trumbauer |
1914-17 |
3 |
|
Rev. Albert Shea |
1965-70 |
5 |
| Rev. H.G. Trumbauer |
1917-18 |
1 |
|
Rev. Ray Duncan |
1970-75 |
5 |
| Rev. R.L. Wisler |
1918-19 |
1 |
|
Rev. B.R. Kean |
1975-83 |
8 |
| Rev. J.D. Tompkins |
1919-21 |
2 |
|
Rev. Kevin C. Donley |
1983-86 |
3 |
| Rev. R.P. Fitch |
1921-23 |
2 |
|
Rev. Gail Shewalter |
1987-88 |
1 |
| Rev. Philip Gieter |
1923-25 |
2 |
|
Rev. Alfred White |
1988-90 |
2 |
| Rev. J.F. Ward |
1925-28 |
3 |
|
Rev. Tod Eltzroth |
1992-1995 |
3 |
| Rev. F.F. Johnson |
1928-30 |
2 |
|
Rev. David Brownfield |
1995-1998 |
3 |
| Rev. S. Howell |
1930-39 |
9 |
|
Rev. Paul K. Watkins |
1998- 2001 |
3 |
| Rev. F.M. Parks |
1939-43 |
4 |
|
Rev. Brian Brown |
2001- 2007 |
6 |
| Rev, C.G. Finney |
1943-45 |
2 |
|
Rev.
Mark Taylor |
2007 - |
|
|
Special workers who
have gone out from the church are listed as follows:
| Mrs. Edith Spaite Clark |
Missionary to Mexico |
| Rev. Harmon Schmelzenbach |
Missionary to Africa |
| Rev. & Mrs. John Gould |
College official & District Superintendent |
| Rev. Clark Floor |
Pastor |
| Rev. George Ward |
Pastor |
| Howard Rodgers |
Studying to be Missionary Dr. at time of death |
| Dr. J. Glenn Gould |
College professor |
| Rev. Paul Rodgers |
Pastor |
| Rev. Ben J. Bixby Jr. |
Pastor |
| Rev. E.F. Wordsworth |
Pastor, Author, & District Superintendent |
| Rev. Myrtle (Pelly) Taylor |
Missionary to Africa |
| Rev. Everett Stackhouse |
Pastor |
| Rev. James A. Rodgers |
Pioneer Evangelist |
| Rev. Thomas Garrett |
Pastor |
| Mrs. Naomi Wisler Dobson |
Voice teacher, Bethany Nazarene College |
|
