Ridgewood Baptist Church

In the Beginning

Because of concerned men such as Mr. Wm. Rix, Mr. Hartwell, and Rev. J. W. Conley, a Sunday school work was started in the Ridgewood area in 1888. At first the meetings were held in various homes, but under the direction of Geo. L. Vance and Wm. Rix an unsightly building formerly used as a pest house was cleaned and renovated, and the first Sunday School session was held here in April 1891, with Geo. A. Vance (Son of Geo. L. Vance) acting as Superintendent.

In 1895 property was purchased on the southeast corner of Brown and Leach Avenues at a cost of $400. A Chapel was built and dedicated in November 1896, at a total cost of slightly more than $2500 and at that time was nearly debt-free. Sunday School classes were conducted here in the morning, and Mr. Prescott Heald, a student pastor and also assistant pastor of the Eastern Avenue Baptist Church preached in the chapel Sunday evenings and conducted the mid-week prayer services. Out of this humble beginning emerged the Ridgewood Baptist Church.

On March 8, 1903, after much prayer and planning, 32 people met in the chapel and organized themselves into what has since been known as the RIDGEWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH. Rev. H. H. Berry, pastor of a Baptist church in Lockport, was chosen moderator and pastor. Among the first deacons were: Geo. A. Vance, G. R. Taxis, M. Pickels, Richard Constance, and Rudolph Stutz. The first trustees were: Geo. Spears, Geo. Miller, J. M. Jones, J. Harvey Barnes, and J. M. Ellis. Miss Kittie Pomeroy was chosen church clerk and Miss Lottie Taxis, treasurer. The charter members were as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Geo. A. Vance, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Barnes, Geo. Miller, Kittie Pomeroy, Mrs. B. Constance, Mable Jones, Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Stutz, Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Taxis, Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Spears, Lottie Taxis, Emma Scott, Minnie Constance, Mrs. J. H. Jones, Nellie Jones, Mrs. Annie Hall, Mr. and Mrs. M. Pickels, Mrs. C. I. Holden, Richard Constance, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Ellis, Mable Ellis, Fanny Ellis, Mrs. Eva Stitt, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Jones, and Hattie Constance.

Our church covenant was adopted at a meeting held March 26, 1903. A baptistery was built in our church in March 1903, at a cost of $38.43 for material and labor, and the Plano Baptist Church gave us their old church pews in April 1903.