Pastor Search – Our History

       Meridian Avenue Baptist Church was established as a mission of West Side Baptist Church.  The first meetings were held in a small white frame building on the corner of First Street and Meridian Avenue.  The women of West Side Baptist Church cooked chicken dinners and sold them to help raise money to buy the building which would become Meridian Avenue Baptist Church.  The church was organized on July 25, 1925 with 54 charter members.

As the church grew, a brick tabernacle-type building was built and dedicated on May 27, 1928.  In 1935 the frame church building was torn down and the brick education building was completed, west of the brick tabernacle sanctuary.

The mortgage held on these two buildings was burned in 1943 and planning and construction began on our present sanctuary in 1949.  The dedication ceremony was held on November 9, 1952.  A three-story educational building was completed in 1954.

Meridian Avenue Baptist Church owned property at 212 and 216 N. Meridian.  The house at 212 N. Meridian was our Fellowship Center, also known as the “House Next Door.”  In 1976 the property was converted into a parsonage for interim pastors.  In 1977 this house was used as rental property as well as the house at 216 N. Meridian.  In 1985 the church membership voted to expand the parking lot, so the two houses were removed to accommodate this project.

Several years ago, the church acquired the property north of the parking lot which is now a vacant lot and used for overflow parking on special occasions.  In October 2000, the church celebrated her 75^th Anniversary with previous pastors in attendance, releasing 75 helium balloons, and removing the corner stone of the building to view the contents and place new items within as well.  We praise God for His faithfulness over the years and look forward to His blessings in the years ahead as we continue to serve Him in our neighborhood, community and around the world through missions.

 

Pastors Serving At  Meridian Avenue Baptist Church

Rev. J. Wayne Pinson August 1925 to November 1926 Rev. Isaac C. Patton December 1926 to January 1928 Rev. G.A. Creekmore March 1928 to January 1932 Rev. Dr. O. L. Wood April 1932 to March 1933 Rev. Daniel S. Brinkley March 1933 to February 1937 Rev. J. F. Burlie March 1937 to August 1941 Rev. R. L. Woods September 1941 to June 1966 Rev. H. Wayne Fink November 1966 to January 1971 Rev. Ralph Hunt, Jr August 1971 to May 1976 Rev. Dr. Melvin B. Crane June 1977 to January 1992 Rev. David Harader, Assoc Pastor January 1983 to September 1987 Rev. Roger Megli November 1992 to May 2002 Rev. Paul Shoemaker April 2003 to August 2006 Rev. Jim Zier November 2007 to Present