Who Are We?
Stories to Know Us By
Pastor’s Note—At Sunday Worship on July22, I asked Ben Babian (Ben is the son of our previous pastor, Wes Babian.) to introduce Dr. James Duffee and our relationship to him and the Rocking Horse Center. Ben’s comments were both inspiring and moving and I would like to pass them on to everyone. Thanks, Pastor Ken
Ken asked me give a little background of the relationship between Rocking Horse and First Baptist and to introduce Dr. Duffee. Dr. Duffee is the visionary behind the Rocking Horse Center. The beginnings of Rocking Horse date back to 1997. In May of 1997, a “Pentecost for the Poor” event was held at the City Hall Plaza with a number of local congregations participating in response to the anticipated impact of Welfare Reform. This was a Call to Renewal initiative organized by Gary Percesepe. Dr. Duffee spoke at the event and his speech was one that caught my dad’s ear, and really mine as well. That is was where dad and Dr. Duffee met.
At about the same time, the church had informally begun a vision process to find ways to redevelop the 600 Block of Limestone and S. Fountain Ave. At that time, the 600 Block harbored drug houses and substandard housing. There were no concrete plans in place for the blocks but we were looking at possibilities.
Meanwhile, Dr. Duffee and community leaders, including representatives from Mercy and Community Hospitals, began to explore ways to better meet the needs of children and families for holistic health care. As the process unfolded, the site adjacent to the church began to emerge as a likely option for a facility that would provide the services now offered by the Rocking Horse Center. There was no plan, but there was hope and faith. On the basis of that hope and faith the church decided to use its financial resources to acquire the properties surrounding the church. Eventually, using our endowment and mortgaging our property, we were able to buy all but one lot—13 properties in all. The demolition began in the spring of 1998, one year after the Pentecost for the Poor event had taken place. Construction began that same year. The Center opened in 1999. Today Rocking Horse serves 8,000 children.
Rocking Horse is the product of the willingness of many to take steps of faith. The incredible vision and leadership of Dr. Duffee was absolutely central to its existence. Leadership by Rob Baker and others who were the early pioneers of the center was crucial to its long term success. Others in the community such as Warren Copeland and the Turner Foundation were critical to making the Center a reality. The Rocking Horse Center continues to attract broad support in our community and wide recognition for its achievements in providing comprehensive care for children and families.
The Rocking Horse Center represents a redeeming transformation of the neighborhood in ways none of us could have imagined. What is God planning next?
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
For Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven
We will never forget Shirley and all that she taught us, especially during the last few months of her life—as she was learning to “let go and let God” and much more besides. From the moment that her daughter Michelle and I shared with Shirley that she had cancer, her church family walked with her on an extraordinary journey of love and faith. Shirley was 85 years old and knew from the moment the word “cancer” was spoken that this was not a disease she was supposed to fight. However, sharing that decision with others was not easy.
We began holding some of our Wednesday evening prayer meetings at her home and one night Shirley was struggling with the decision to accept or reject a feeding tube. She seemed to be saying that she wanted to live as long as possible—so the tube would be a good idea. But we all began sensing that living longer was not Shirley’s primary goal, that maybe she wanted to live well but not long. Our group began “listening between the lines” and heard our friend struggling to find a way to tell us that she had no desire to prolong her life. In essence, we gave her permission to live well but not long. Having stated clearly and repeatedly that we would really support her decision, Shirley was finally able to exclaim what she really wanted to do—to let go of life while holding on to God.
From that point on, Shirley’s friends and family simply loved her and supported her decisions. One friend, Nancy, got the idea of collecting affirmations of Shirley into a little book. Shirley was absolutely overwhelmed by these expressions of love. She never had known how much she was treasured as a friend and fellow Christian. Many people complemented Shirley on her smile. She has always felt awkward about her smile. Her joy was endless. Her passage from life to death was eased day in and day out by the visits of old friends and new. And all the rest of us were reminded how important it is to verbalize our affirmations and love to one another.
One day I was attending Bible study with Shirley’s friend Betty. I shared that in the last few days there were clear signs that Shirley was near the end of her life. Listening to her heart, Betty immediately excused herself saying simply, “I have to be with my friend.” And so it was. Later Betty described the final conversation she had with Shirley in the most glowing terms. She was so thankful that she listened to the prodding of the Spirit to be where she was really needed, in order to give and to receive what was most important—love.
Our experiences with Shirley as she was living abundantly the last few months of her life have become a metaphor of what we hope for and strive for in this Christian family. We hope for abundant life for everyone in all circumstances. We hope for the wisdom to really listen to each other. We pray for the openness to share our lives with each other and to excel in affirmations. Thank you Shirley. You are a treasured and living memory of this family of faith.
Our Story — Our History
Five men and eight women organized the fellowship of First Baptist Church on January 29, 1836 when the city had a population of about two thousand people. Without the benefit of a minister for the first six months and homeless for the first ten years, the congregation worshiped in various places.
In 1844, the congregation purchased a lot on the northeast corner of High and Limestone Streets where Security Bank now stands. A basement was built to serve as the worship center for six years. The congregation completed the building and began worshiping in the new sanctuary in 1852.
In 1868 fifty-two members met in the church and organized a sister church, Trinity Baptist, which built a new place of worship on Mulberry Street. After twenty-three years of independent history, this group reunited with the mother church
Thirty years later the church sold the downtown property for $25,000. in gold and purchased a lot at 638 South Fountain Avenue, where the present building stands. The congregation dedicated a new building on this site in 1882 with more then one thousand in attendance. The church added a functional educational wing in 1954 at a cost of $275,000. In 1976, plans were presented to remodel the 1882 sanctuary; however, after careful consideration of these remodeling plans as well as relocation to another part of Springfield, the congregation decided to demolish the 1882 Sanctuary and build a new Worship Center matching the 1955 Christian Education Center at a cost of $450,000. which was dedicated in December 1978. Stained glass windows as well as lightning fixtures from the 1882 structure were incorporated into the new Worship Center.
First Baptist Church presently sits in a transitional urban neighborhood known as the South Fountain Avenue Historic District. This area of the city developed in the years from 1850 to 1910, a time of tremendous growth and industrial prosperity in Springfield when many upper-level managers, professionals, industrial and business leaders built exquisite homes. The economic conditions during the Great Depression forced many owners to turn their homes into muti-family apartments. However, the current trend is to turn these historical masterpieces into owner occupied single family homes once again. Quite a few are occupied by members of First Baptist Church.
In 1995, the congregation mortgaged the church property for $306,000 to purchase almost all of the 600 block of South Limestone St. & South Fountain Ave. The buildings had severely deteriorated and the social condition of the area was hazardous. After the unfit dwellings were removed, the church helped to facilitate a vision to create a new medical center for children and sold the Limestone Street lots to the Rocking Horse Center where a 4.5 million dollar medical home for children, most low income, was constructed.. The church retained approximately 24,000. square feet of real estate along South Fountain and Clark Street for future church expansion and green space. The church paid off this mortgage by 2003 and currently has no indebtedness.
Throughout First Baptist Church’s 172 years of history, twenty young men and women have entered full time Christian Service serving as ministers or missionaries throughout the world.
Please join us in building the future of our Baptist ministry here in Springfield and throughout the world.