Crescent Hill Baptist Church...............
Louisville, Kentucky
A History of the Woman's Missionary UnionandThe Ladies' Aid Society of CHBC, 1908 - 1988
by Blanche E. Goetzman
[The following is a transcript of a 43 page booklet prepared by Mrs. Goetzman in 1988 as part of the Centennial Celebration of the WMU. For ease of reading on this Web site, I have added section titles corresponding as much as possible to the years of the various pastorates of CHBC and given a "table of contents" with links to these various sections. I have also listed the discussion of the Gold Star Fund separately at the end, and have made occasional notes indicated by [brackets]. Mrs. Goetzman may make corrections and revisions of this document from time to time [edited 5/26/97.] The church is indebted to such church historians as Dr. Crismon, Blanche Goetzman and Andy Rawls for their efforts to preserve the history of CHBC.--John Arnett]
1... WMU Beginnings and the pastorate of John F. Griffith (1908 - 1912)
2...The pastorate of Oscar M. Huey (1913 - 1918)
3...The pastorate of Charles L. Graham (1918 - 1940)
......1918 - the WW I years
......1920 - the beginning of Prohibition
......1924
......1927 - the new building
......1929 - Stock Market crash and early Depression
......1934
......The "Pioneer" Women of the church
......1936
4...The pastorate of W.C. Boone (1940 - 1945)
5...The pastorate of Rollin S. Burhans (1946 - 1960)
6...The pastorate of John R. Claypool, III (1961 -1971) and subsequent interim
7...The pastorate of John Howell (1973 - 1978) and subsequent interim
8...The pastorate of H. Stephen Shoemaker (1981 - 1992) [B.G.'s through 1988]
9...The pastorate of Ron Sisk (1994 - 2002) [not detailed in B.G's history]
10..The interims [not detailed in the book]
The Gold Star Fund
Footnotes and Credits
1...Beginnings and the pastorate of John F. Griffith
(1908 - 1912)
One of the earliest female missionary societies in Kentucky was the Baptist Female Society of the Georgetown Baptist Church. A copy of the Constitution of this organization is dated 1819, and the purpose is stated as "providing religious instruction to the Indians of Scott County and Kentucky." Another early society was the Bethel Female Society organized in 1822 near Hopkinsville, Kentucky. This society, though consisting of only 24 members, sent a valuable box of clothing of their own manufacture to the Carey Station in India. (1)
In 1888 the WMU of the Southern Baptist Convention was organized in Richmond, Virginia. The Woman's Missionary Society of Kentucky was organized in Winchester, Kentucky, on June 16, 1903. The first President of the State WMS was Mrs. B.F. Proctor of Bowling Green, Kentucky, who served in this capacity until 1909. (2)
The earliest notation concerning the WMS and the Ladies' Aid Society of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church (hereafter referred to as CHBC) tells us that these organizations were founded in the spring of 1908. [CHBC was organized in Jan 12, 1908 by persons who had previously been members of the Clifton Baptist Church.--jwa] Nine tithers were recognized at the time of the organization. A record dated December 30, 1908, tells us that the Ladles' Aid Society gave $76 to be applied to the purchase of the lot at Frankfort and Birchwood to be the site of the future church building. (3)
We know also that Mrs. Newton C. Shouse, a charter member, was the first President of the WMS. She served in this capacity most of the time until February of 1913, when Mrs. T.P. Peyton became President. Mr. and Mrs. Shouse helped to organize the church in the living room of their home at Frankfort and Peterson Avenues, and Mrs. Shouse taught in the Primary
Department and was President of the Ladies' Sunday School Class. Elizabeth Irving, living in our midst presently, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shouse; her brother, N.C. Shouse, Jr., was the first person baptized after the church was organized.
The first pastor of the church was Rev. John F. Griffith, who became pastor in October 1908 and preached his first sermon for the church in November. He served the church until September 29, 1912. Rev. Oscar M. Huey was then called and became CHBC's as pastor in February 1913.
2...The pastorate of Dr. Oscar M. Huey
(1913 - 1918)
Dr. Huey's first Sunday in the pulpit at CHBC was in the spring of 1913. In July 1910 the new church building was completed at Frankfort and Birchwood Avenues, and the congregation moved into its lovely small church building.
An incident in September of 1912 makes for interesting reading. Stlll under the leadership of Mrs. Shouse, the WMS ladies came to the church for their meeting, but the Janitor had not opened the church. But these persevering women found an open basement window through which they lowered Mrs. Peyton, and she then opened the doors for the others.
By 1913 the Ladies' Aid Society was thriving and doing good works to make money for mission efforts. Mrs. A.L. Price, as Secretary of the Society, reported 12 meetings held, an average attendance of 24 out of an enrollment of 43, and contributions to the building fund of $125. (4)
Also in 1913 the ladies of the WMS began to feel the need for more missions and Bible study. A full schedule of Tuesday meetings began that year, with the first and third Tuesdays used for Bible study under Mrs. Huey's direction, the second Tuesday a time for mission study under Mrs. Rowland's leadership, and on the fourth Tuesday the ladies transacted their business and had a missions program. The leadership of the WMS changed that year. Mrs. T.P. Peyton became the President and served from 1913 to 1915 and again at a later date.
One meeting recorded in the year 1913 stated that Mrs. Ray Jeffries brought her Sunbeam Band to sing for a fourth-Tuesday meeting, but official action to make her the Sunbeam leader did not appear until 1916.
In the summer of 1913 there was a Kentucky Summer Baptist Assembly meeting in Georgetown, Kentucky. Also, during that year, the ladies of the WMS conducted a Sunday school for children in the Clifton Heights area. On the first Sunday, 29 children were in attendance, and on the second Sunday, 37 were present. It is not known how long this activity continued.
The Louisville Baptist Women's Union was organized in 1913, for the purpose of quarterly meetings. The April 30, 1914, meeting was held at CHBC with 78 ladies present.
A notation has been recorded of mission offering apportionments for the year 1914. They were as follows: Foreign Missions-$45, Home Missions-$45, and State Missions-$30. In addition, there were many ongoing charities with gifts going regularly to these causes.
In that same year, a special fellowship began between the CHBC WMS and the WMU Training School located at Preston and Broadway. This school opened in 1907, and by 1914 there were 65 graduates; 21 had become foreign missionaries, six home missionaries, and 30 city and state workers. Each lady from the CHBC WMS made a pledge of $1 for the year to the enlargement of the Training School.
The first mention of a Long Run Association WMS meeting was one which took place at Highland Baptist Church on May 20, 1915. In the spring of that year, Mrs. O.M. Huey, the wife of the second pastor of CHBC, became President of the WMS of the church. She continued to serve in this capacity until the Hueys left the church in 1918. At that time, Mrs. H.T. Larimore was the Recording Secretary. Mrs. T.W. Moran had been the able Recording Secretary for the three previous years.
After many changes in meeting days, by 1915 the ladies settled on the fourth Tuesday as a time for business and program, and the fifth Tuesday, coming about every three months, as a time for special prayer emphasis on whatever seemed appropriate at the time. Out of this fifth Tuesday meeting time came the circle concept for CHBC WMS. Mrs. H.T. Larimore had the first circle meeting with 30 present at her home on June 29, 1915. Mrs. Cromer of the All Prayer Foundling Home on Sycamore Avenue spoke on how faith is rewarded and how God has answered prayers in the Foundling Home's work with infants. A free will offering, clothing, and groceries were given to Mrs. Cromer.
There were also some indications that a YWA was formed in the year 1915. As soon as youth organizations came into being at CHBC, the umbrella organization became the WMU, with the WMS and various youth groups under the WMU leadership.
The Annual Report from the Ladies' Aid Society for August 31, 1915, stated that Mrs. H.R. Brown was President, that the total membership was 59, and that total receipts for the year were $606.51. (5)
In late 1915, the ladies of the WMS were raising money for chairs for the primary department of a Baptist church in Salyersville, Kentucky, according to the records. Also, some of the meetings were consolidated, and the WMS program took place in the morning on the fourth Tuesday, with a devotional and business meeting following lunch in the afternoon.
In March of 1916, the WMU, feeling the need for more missions training among the children, recommended to the church that Mrs. Ray Jeffries be the leader for the Sunbeam Band. This motion was seconded by Mr. W.H. Rowland and adopted with the understanding that the organization of the children be formed and known as the "Sunbeam Band to instruct the children along the lines of missionary work." (6)
At the fifth-Tuesday meeting in May of 1916, Miss Eliza Broadus was the speaker at the home of Mrs. Huey. The daughter of the second President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and sister of Mrs. A.T. Robertson had no idea that in 1977 the Kentucky State Missions offering would carry her name.
Mrs. T.W. Moran, grandmother of Ella Garth Woodward, became the Flower Chairman of the Ladies' Aid Society in 1916 and also was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Louisville WMU. There is a notation that flowers were sent to Mrs. Moran's daughter, Mrs. Ben Choate, on the birth of the above-mentioned grandchild in late 1916.
It was a proud day for the ladies of the CHBC WMU when Mrs. Huey displayed the pennant received at the 1916 State Convention for reaching the Standard of Excellence for the WMU year 1915-1916.
The minutes of the church business meeting for August 30, 1916, gave a "Report of the Woman's Missionary Society for the Associational Year ending September 1, 1916. There were 54 members enrolled, with total contributions of $237.11, and of this amount $14.60 was given to the Judson Centennial Fund." (7)
In 1917 the Ladies' Aid Society was very active. They gave $534.50 to the Building Fund for the new church building, since the present structure would not be adequate for future growth. Through a rummage sale and a bazaar, funds were earned to contribute to the Boyce Settlement.
By early 1918 the ladies were sewing every Tuesday for the Red Cross. They bought an old sewing machine for their sewing needs, sold old papers, and they helped to furnish a barracks at Camp Taylor with the money earned. It was shortly after the United States' entry into World War I, and all efforts were directed toward helping with projects connected with supplying the needs of the soldiers. CHBC also collaborated with St. Marks Episcopal Church in Red Cross sewing efforts.
There is a notation that plans were made to sew at regular times in 1918 at the Red Cross Headquarters for the purpose of making surgical dressings. And $15 was given by the WMU women of Kentucky for an ambulance to be used in France.
On July 3, 1918, there was a called meeting of the Ladies' Aid Society to help in planning a reception for Rev. O.M. Huey and Mrs. Huey, who would be leaving the church for other service. The decision was made to serve fruit punch and cake and to give the Hueys a silver water pitcher. The WMS wished to honor its beloved Bible Teacher and President, so the Katherine K. Huey Memorial Fund was started with a gift of $500 for the Building Fund of the church.
There was an appeal in the early fall of 1918 that money be given to keep the Red Cross work going. Since money was needed for coal, janitor work, sewing materials, etc., eight organizations in Crescent Hill gave $8 each to care for these expenses. The CHBC Ladies' Aid Society sent the money immediately. As well as sewing for the Red Cross, the ladies were giving a day or two each month to sew at the Louisville Baptist Orphans' Home.
Mrs. T.P. Peyton became the President of the WMS of CHBC after Mrs. Huey's resignation in 1918. She continued to serve in this capacity until 1929.
3....the pastorate of Dr. Charles L. Graham
(1918 - 1940)
1918: The War Years (1914-18)
On December 5, 1918, the Ladies' Aid Society and the WMU planned to have a reception for Dr. Charles L. Graham, the new pastor, who was a bachelor. However, it was necessary to postpone the reception due to the influenza epidemic.
In 1918-19, the YWA became a part of the WMU organization. A mission study class for the WMS was held in 1919, with Mrs. Peyton as the teacher. This class met every Monday morning in the Pastor's study. There is every indication that Dr. Graham took a vital interest in all facets of WMU work, and it was his influence which led to $250 being given to furnish a room at the Kentucky Baptist Hospital, then on Barrett Avenue.
A statement tells us that Mrs. George Sutterlin was the Sunbeam Band leader in 1919. We also read that the WMS had an all-day meeting in September of 1919. The ladies met from early morning to late evening, and all present felt there had been a great revival within the group.
During the days of 1919 and 1920, the ladies were often in prayer and were also fasting for the $75,000,000 Campaign for Southern Baptist needs around the world. Mrs. Howard Camnitz, Sr., became the speaker-advocate from CHBC for this cause.
At a meeting for the Ladies' Aid Society of CHBC, the ladies asked to have a voice in the moving of the church kitchen, and they proposed a meeting with the deacons to discuss this matter. After the meeting with the deacons, the ladies learned that the planned move of the kitchen had been abandoned.
During 1919, 305 garments were made for the French orphans by the Ladies' Aid Society members. This organization also bought baptismal capes for $10 each for the use of the church.
In the fall of 1919, Mrs. T.P. Peyton became President of the Long Run Association WMU. We also are informed that this talented lady gave a talk on Stewardship at the October meeting of the Ladies' Aid Society.
For the year 1919-1920, WMU offerings increased substantially. The women gave over $800 to Foreign Missions, $400 to the Katherine K. Huey Memorial Building Fund, $250 to furnish a room at Kentucky Baptist Hospital, and nearly $3,000 to other causes. Again the Woman's Missionary Union of CHBC reached the Standard of Excellence for the year 1919-1920. The Ladies' Aid Society gave $388 to the church building fund during the same year.
1920: Beginning of Prohibition
By 1920 the Stout Memorial Hospital in China, where Dr. George Leavell was located, became a favorite mission-action project for the CHBC ladies. Over 3500 gauze sponges, the 3" x 3" size, were made for the hospital that year. In the year 1920-21, $4,180 was given to the $75,000,000 Campaign.
By 1920 Dr. Graham suggested that the Ladles' Aid Society make its money through dues and free will offerings rather than through money-making projects. Also, in that year, 305 nightgowns were made for the Red Cross.
A greeting committee was appointed to meet people as they came into the church. Among those most active on this committee were: Mrs. T.P. Peyton, Mrs. H.T. Larimore, Mrs. J.T. Johnson, and Mrs. W.H. Rowland.
In February of 1920, the women helped with a Father-Son Banquet. We learn that by August the second Wednesday was the day set aside each month to sew at the Louisville Baptist Orphans' Home. A bolt of material was purchased, and needed garments were made for the children at the All Prayer Foundling Home.
In 1920 the Ladies' Aid Society brought up the matter of the untidy conditions of the church, and a committee was appointed to meet with the-deacons about measures to take to bring about better cleanliness in the church.
By June of 1921, the Memorial Certificate for the Katherine K. Huey Fund was received and framed by the WMU. In the same month, a circle for the young married ladies was organized.
The Training School girls were again a matter of attention in 1921. The girls were taken for rides in cars over the city and brought to a tea at the church afterwards.
Regular financial reports of the WMU were made to the church by Mrs. H.O. Wieland, WMU Treasurer. For the year 1918-1919, a total of $875.59 was contributed; for 1919-20, a total of $2,936.25; for 1920-21, a total of $4,194.31. There were also four missions organizations from 1919 on. These were Sunbeams, GA's, YWA's, and the WMS.
Of all the records reviewed, the one reaching back to 1921 involving the families of Wendell Arnett and Ella Garth Woodward, presently members of CHBC, is the greatest serendipity. Mrs. E.B. Arnett, mother of Wendell, wrote to the CHBC WMS for help in the mountain mission school in Salyersville, Kentucky, where she taught. Her letter, dated July 9, 1921, was read at the WMS meeting on July 21,1921, and a vote was taken to send $25, or the equivalent in goods, to the mission school. On October 28, 1921, Mrs. T.W. Moran, Ella Garth's grandmother, read a letter of thanks for her help and that of her husband in sending bedsprings to Mrs. Arnett's school. Mr. Moran had paid the freight on the shipment. The school in Salyersville was the Home Mission Board's Magoffin Baptist Institute where Wendell Arnett graduated from high school in 1932. No one knew of the interaction between these two families, presently in our church, before these records were explored.
Mrs. Robert Pryor of Louisville reported at the Annual Meeting of Kentucky WMU in 1922 that:
"The report from CHBC says that the circle plan has done all that it claims to do for them -- increased membership, interest, attendance, gifts, personal service, etc. Many people have remarked on how many leaders they have in their society, and they believe this is due to the circle plan. There are eight circles in the WMS, two in YWA, two in GA, and three in the Sunbeams. This is a wonderful report." (8)
There were 265 members in the four WMS organizations by 1922, with $4,958.18 in contributions. In 1921-22 the RA organized, with Mr. Stephen S. Jones as their leader. The Goodwill Center and the Louisville Baptist Orphans' Home were popular places of service for the WMS ladies in 1922.
A house was purchased behind the church for later expansion. A group of the ladies, headed by Mrs. Howard Camnltz, Sr., went to the deacons in 1922 to ask about remodeling the house for the purpose of apartments to be rented to returned missionaries. There is no entry on the answer given to this request.
In 1922 the women were also working on funds for a girls' home, and later records in April of 1923 indicate that a Baptist boarding home for girls would be opening soon.
We were informed that in October 1922, Mr. S.J. Dohrman was the Financial Secretary of the church, and the WMU took a vote to express its appreciation to him for his faithful service to the church and his sympathetic cooperation with the WMU. Mr. Dohrman was the father of William Dohrman presently in our midst.
In February of 1922, a problem was finally settled about putting locks on a press in the kitchen of the church, and two sets of keys were to be made - one for the church housekeeper and one for the Chairman of the Ladles' Aid Society Housekeeping Committee (at that time Mrs. John Woodruff). In March there was a request for $3, by Mrs. T.W. Moran, to buy ribbons to trim hats for the girls at the Louisville Baptist Orphans' Home.
A new gas stove for the kitchen was proposed, to be bought on the club plan, paying $8 a month. It was bought at Geher's Hardware Co., for $23.50, in 1922.
On May 5, 1922, 67 men of the church were served a dinner by the Ladies' Aid Society. The cost of feeding this group was reported at the May 5, 1922, meeting: it was $24.11. In June the Ladies' Aid group gave Dr. Graham a "pound" party which received its name since one was to bring a pound of this or that to stock a pantry.
A new back was put on the china press in the kitchen of the church in the summer of 1922, and the July and August meetings were canceled due to the intense heat in those months.
The last minutes available for the Ladies' Aid Society are those for October 1922. The Ladies' Aid Society appeared to be lessening in strength, but many of the "old faithfuls" were still meeting for a devotional time, and for reporting on visits and the sewing projects at the Orphans' Home. They were still mending sheets, garments, making buttonholes, and putting together blouses, shirts, and skirts at the time of this last entry.
The largest number of persons involved in missions work up to this time was noted in 1923, when 300 persons were involved in the four organizations, and total contributions for that year to the WMU were $6,381.62.
Committees chaired in 1923 were: Missions Study, Bible Study, White Cross, Stewardship, Enlistment, and the usual general offices.
Workers were needed to teach Sunday School at the Children's Free Hospital, so several women volunteered, in 1923, to go to the hospital each Sunday.
Mrs. H.O. Wieland was recognized in July 1923, for her years of service as Treasurer of the WMU. She was given a silver container for a baking dish and a silver bread tray.
There is a notation that in September of 1923, the Baptist Hospital would be ready for occupancy early in 1924. Linens for the hospital would be furnished by the various WMU's of city.
A Week of Prayer for State Missions program was held the evening of September 26, 1923. Mr. Stephen S. Jones announced at that meeting that an average of $1,000 a month was being given to missions from the church. Mrs. Moran also reported that eleven girls were now living at the Baptist Home for Working Girls.
At the October 1923 quarterly WMU meeting, 63 were present including visitors. The missions book for November 1923 was Southern Baptists and Their Far Eastern Missions.
Debt appeared to be reaching rather high proportions in the denomination in the mid-1920's, and there were places for additional Lottie Moon Christmas Offering funds as well as for the Home Missions Offering.
1924
At the January 1924 quarterly WMU meeting, a recommendation was made that the WMU send a representative to the Boyce Settlement each month and that the Society contribute $1 each month in support of the Settlement.
In June of 1924 Mrs. Peyton attended the Southern Baptist Convention as a delegate, and she gave a report on the meeting at the next WMS meeting. Mrs. Yancey also attended and reported on Miss Kathleen Mallory's address on her trip to the "foreign fields." Miss Mallory was the Executive Secretary of the WMU for the Southern Baptist Convention.
The July 1924 quarterly report stated that a letter was read from the Anti-Saloon League of Kentucky soliciting the support of the women in the coming election of Mr. John Howe for Senator, and that the ladies were asserting their moral leadership in the contest between the "Drys" and the "Wets."
At the WMS meeting in April 1925, there was a listing of clothing sent to J.M. Tolson: baby blankets, clothing to Russia, and cash outlays for the year 1924 of $1197.88 for mission projects.
In July 1925 there was an entry, in the WMU minutes book, that Miss Nelson Goldsborough (later McChesney) told the story of the life of Hudson Taylor, a missionary. This was a quarterly meeting at the home of Mrs. Moran with 39 members present, 4 young children, 7 GA's, and 1 YWA, 6 visitors, with at total present of 57. There were 180 tithers among the women and children of the WMU at that time.
At the church's October 1925 quarterly meeting, Mr. Stephen S. Jones made a talk entitled "Our Task" pleading that the former high standards might be retained if the building fund were kept open to $50,000, rather than closing it at the $28,000 raised thus far. Mrs. Howard Camnitz, Sr. spoke on "How To Do It." Both speakers were given a rising vote of thanks, and a vote was taken to ask the church to keep the fund open.
The circles were named in 1925. The names were Faith Snuggs, Janie Cree Bose, Dora Mantle, Maude McClure, Jenny Soren, Daisy Pettus Ray, Emma Leachman, and Charles L. Graham.
At the December 1925 quarterly meeting of the WMU, a letter from Dr. Love of the Foreign Mission Board stated that money was desperately needed. A goal of $1,000,000 was set, and ladies of CHBC WMU gave $525 and asked that the men of the church give a like amount. Prayers for this fund were offered so that more missionaries could be sent around the world.
The last service of the CHBC in the old building at Frankfort and Birchwood was held on June 13, 1926. The new church building, which was constructed in approximately a year, was occupied in late 1927.
At the church business meeting in August 1926, Mrs. H.T. Larimore made a motion, duly seconded, that a request be sent to the authorities to enforce the law on Prohibition. Mr. Stephen S. Jones, son-in-law of Mrs. Larimore, instructed the church to draft a resolution to this effect. All present signed the petition.
At the WMU Convention in the fall of 1926 in Winchester, Kentucky, Dr. George Leavell, Superintendent of the Stout Memorial Hospital in China, spoke. He was one of about one hundred missionaries not being returned to the field after furlough, due to the Foreign Mission Board deficit.
Boxes of clothing were sent often during the year to the mountains for the children and adults, who were in great need of warm outer wear.
1927: The new building
Due to the new church construction, WMS meetings were held in neighboring churches and in homes during part of 1926 and 1927. What a glorious day it was when the new church opened for worship on May 3, 1927, and the ladies were able to have the May WMS meetings in the new church. There were prayers of gratitude at both meetings for the magnificent new church building.
Janie Cree Bose was the speaker for the monthly meeting in November of 1927. She was the Principal at the WMU Training School at the time.
In January 1928, there was a notation to the effect that $36 was sent from the WMU to the Seminary Nursery and $25 to the Baptist Home for Working Girls.
Also from the notes, we learn that Dr. Graham had a rather serious illness, and the ladles of the WMS had some meetings just to pray for Dr. Graham's health.
Three new mission organizations were on the books in March of 1928: YWA, Business Woman's Circle, and an Intermediate RA group. Also, in the same month, a revival was held at CHBC.
At the May meeting in 1928, there was a program given by the Charles Graham Circle. Mrs. William Nielsen (mother of Lenore Graft) presided over the presentation on pioneers in our missionary history. Others on the program were some of the "old faithfuls" of CHBC WMU - Dora Mantle, Pearl O'Leary, and Willie Dawson. Dr. John Mein, grandfather of Margaret Graves, was the featured speaker that day, and he spoke on his work in Brazil. Dr. David Mein, his missionary son, is often present with the congregation of CHBC in the 1980's, since he is now retired from missions work in Recife, Brazil. [Dr. David Mein died in 1994.]
The women were busy with many projects and were enlisting new members for the church and WMU in 1928. There were 272 visits reported by circle members at the May 1928 meeting.
Soloists for meetings in 1928 were others of the stalwart pioneers at CHBC. Among them were Mrs. J.K. Williams, Mrs. H.T. Mueller, and Mrs. Edwin Horn, Sr., with Miss Dora Mantle often playing the violin, and either Mrs. Stephen S. Jones or Mrs. Ray Jeffries serving as pianist.
The celebration of the Ruby Anniversary (40 years) of WMU in the Southern Baptist Convention was a very special occasion at CHBC in the year 1927-28. Mrs. H.T. Larimore was chairman of the committee, and Miss Eliza Broadus spoke at the banquet on 40 years of mission work. Miss Agnes Osborne' first Executive Secretary of WMU, talked on the early struggles and victories in the WMU organization during the preceding 40 years.
The Kentucky State Convention in 1928 took place in Harlan, Kentucky. on October 16-18, and Mrs. M.R. Neel made the ten torches that were needed in presenting a program at the Convention.
At the November WMU meeting, Mrs. T.J. Johnson, Mrs. J.M, Kirk, Mrs. T.P. Peyton, and Mrs. Stonestreet gave reports on the Convention.
These were the officers selected to run the business of the CHBC WMS in 1929:
President...............................Mrs.T.P. Peyton
Vice President.......................Mrs. Arnold
Treasurer...............................Mrs. H.O. Wieland
Recording Secretary.............Mrs. Ida Kendall
Corresponding Secretary......Mrs. W.G. Evans
Personal Service...................Mrs. J.T. Johnson
Hospital Chairman.................Mrs. Ben Choate
Benevolence Chairman.........Mrs. T.W. Moran
White Cross Chairman..........Mrs. Alex M. Woodruff
Bible Study Chairman............Mrs. H.T. Larimore
Press Chairman.....................Mrs. W.J. Nielsen
Intermediate RA Leader.........Miss. Nelson Goldsborough
Early in 1929, the ladies reported a total gift of $1,000 for the Southern Baptist Convention WMU Ruby Anniversary fund. Part of this amount was given from the WMU in honor of the Pastor, Dr. Charles L. Graham. Southwide, 622 new Societies were begun during the Ruby Anniversary year.
For the Lottie Moon offering in 1928, a total of $247 was given through CHBC, and the WMU again met the Standard of Excellence for that year, with 77 members in the WMS organization.
1929 - Stock Market Crash and early Depression
In February 1929, 163 children were living at the Louisville Baptist Orphans' Home. Since there was a need for more clothing for these orphans, the second Thursday of the month became a sewing day for the Orphans' Home. The City Hospital and the Baptist Hospital were visited by representatives of one of the circles on one day a month for each hospital.
The Stock Market crash in late October 1929 had an effect on the deficit in funds for missions in the Southern Baptist Convention. It was reported in December of 1929 that the State and Home Mission budgets had a $4,OOO deficit, and that the budgets would have to be amended due to lack of funds.
New executive officers elected for 1930 for the CHBC WMS were as follows:
President............................Mrs. E.B. Robertson
First Vice President............Mrs. H.T. Larimore
Second Vice President.......Mrs. T.P. Peyton
Third Vice President...........Mrs. J.T. Johnson
Recording Secretaries........Mrs. Ida Kendall, Mrs. Sam White
Treasurer............................Mrs. H.O. Wieland
After serving as President of the WMU of CHBC for the past eleven years and also from 1913-15, Mrs. T.P. Peyton was recognized by Dr. Graham for faithful and honorable service to the church. She was given a silver water pitcher.
"Speed the Message" continued into 1930 as the theme which Mrs. Peyton had pushed in the latter years of her presidency. In January of 1930, it was announced that $37,000 less was given Southwide to missions in 1929 than in 1928. The Depression had begun to carve into the well-being of our Baptist mission work.
In May of 1930, two new RA groups were formed, and a library for the church was proposed since "it would be conducive to the strengthening of the Christian faith and character." These were the words recorded in the minutes of the May 1930 WMS business meeting.
Mrs. W.H. Rowland, who had been a loyal and faithful member of both the Ladies' Aid Society and the WMU, died on May 3, 1930. Upon her death, many prayers were offered for her family.
We learn of more shortages of funds in 1930, in the WMU budget. The ladies had made a pledge to the church for the completion of the kitchen and were having trouble raising the money for this work.
There had been a very severe drought to add to other problems in the summer of 1930. Therefore, at the July and August meetings, many prayers were offered for rain.
In September of 1930, the WMS studied the book The Larger Stewardship, taught by Mrs. J.B. Weatherspoon, Miss Dora Mantle, and Mrs. T.P. Peyton. A written examination was taken by those present, and an offering for State Missions amounted to $68.
It was recommended in October of 1930 that toys be given to the church nursery. Miss Hill was the nursery superintendent at that time.
Josephine Jones, State Young Peoples' Director for Kentucky, spoke at the October WMS meeting, and young Katherine Haeberlin was the violin soloist.
At the Kentucky State WMU meeting at CHBC in the fall of 1930, over one hundred were served sandwiches. St. Marks Episcopal Church and Crescent Hill Methodist Church ladies' organizations helped to feed the delegates, and notes of thanks were sent to both churches.
Statistics given in 1930 show that 176 were enrolled in the WMS, and there were 106 tithers in this group. The WMU disbursed $3,826.48 to various causes that year. There were 102 present at the December 1930 meeting, and $335.78 was the offering for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering from the CHBC WMU. There were, at this time, 425 foreign missionaries being supported by the Southern Baptist Convention. Again that year, the WMU of CHBC reached the Standard of Excellence, and an average of 62 attended the general business meetings of the WMS for the year.
Changes in leadership were few in 1931. Mrs. J.B. Weatherspoon became the Third Vice President, and Mrs. J.J. Crider became the Corresponding Secretary. In February 1931, the WMU began assessing Circles $1 per month to send a YWA member to Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly for YWA week each summer. In March the WMS recommended that a rubber stamp for marking library books be given to the church library. Mrs. T.W. Moran offered to make the stamp a gift to the library. Mrs. Mildred Cogswell became the Young Peoples' Leader in 1931, since Mrs. Hayes was returning to the mission field in Brazil.
In May of 1931, the Executive Board of the WMU brought a recommendation that this Society and Societies of other denominations in the community take a stand against the desecration of the Sabbath Day by circus performances and moving picture shows on that day.
Ruth Wieland (sister of Raymond Wieland) was the first recipient of the WMU scholarship to Ridgecrest for YWA week. Dorothy Hoffman (sister of Charles and Everett) also went to Ridgecrest, and half of her expenses were paid by the WMU. Ruth Wieland was the first person baptized in our present church building in the year 1927.
There was a special prayer meeting at the church on June 4, 1931, in thanksgiving that the interest on the note on the church had been raised. It was difficult in those days to pay more than the interest, and it was a time of rejoicing every time those payments were met.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bottomley became the leaders of the Junior RA group in July 1931. At the October 1931 meeting, the Executive Board of the WMU decided to sponsor a declamation contest on Stewardship for the young peoples' missions groups. Mrs. Edwards and Mrs. Woodruff were the Judges from the WMU .
The October 1 and 2, 1931, Long Run Association meeting reported Mr. M.R. Neel as Sunday School Superintendent, Mrs. E.B. Robertson as WMU President, and D.H. Daniels as BYPU Director at CHBC.
There was an all-day meeting for fasting and prayer at Broadway Baptist Church on October 7, 1931, and a number of CHBC WMU ladies attended this meeting. In December of that year, the ladies accepted an invitation to decorate the Maternity Ward of the City Hospital. They were to use their own ideas and materials.
As 1932 came into view, the Waverly Hill Sanitorium was added to the list of visitation places for the ladies of the WMU. Bible Instruction, led by Mrs. Ed Anderson, became a part of each general meeting after 1932. It was a half hour of study after lunch, from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m.
The first mention of a Nursery on general meeting day of the WMU was in February of 1932. There was a concern that the young mothers were not attending this meeting and that this move might improve the attendance. Miss Kathleen Mallory was present in Louisville for a School of Missions on March 8-11, 1932, and she spoke at several of the meetings.
Stlll reeling from the Depression, the church asked the WMU ladies to make more sacrifices. It was voted to give all March and October contributions to the church budget, with the exception of Home and State Missions contributions. An April 28 prayer meeting, sponsored by the WMU, was called to offer prayers about the problems connected with the church debt.
In April of 1932, the nursery was first opened at the time of the general meetings. A number of young mothers took advantage of this new service, and attendance began to go forward.
In May of 1932 there was a recommendation from the Executive Board of the WMU that the women be given a place to keep missionary artifacts and tokens given to the Society by returned missionaries. Also, a monthly day of prayer on the fourth Thursday was set up and led by the nine circles in rotation. The church debt was uppermost on the prayer request list, and many prayers were offered to bring CHBC through the 1930's.
Kentucky Baptists gave $12,858.95 in the summer of 1932 to the Emergency Fund for Home and Foreign Missions. A total of $126 was given from the CHBC WMU.
The Declamation Contest on Stewardship for the young people was again conducted, and books instead of money were given as prizes. Mrs. Herbert Cralle was the Stewardship Chairman of the WMU in 1932.
To save heating the church too many days a week, the WMS changed its meeting day from Tuesday to Wednesday between November and April, in 1932. Attendance at general meetings increased after the opening of the nursery, and a Crucible Campaign began in March 1933, when gold and silver articles were donated to be reclaimed and converted into cash for use in paying off the Southern Baptist Convention debt.
The WMU ladies were instrumental in placing the Ten Commandments in the Jail, the workhouse, all missions and all public schools in the area in 1933. On April 12, 1933, the women had a special prayer meeting that the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution [Prohibition in effect since 1920] not be repealed, There was much concern that without Prohibition there would be much greater consumption of strong drink. The WCTU (Women's Christian Temperance Union) was given ten minutes at general meetings to get its message across, and donations were made to this cause. Mrs. John P. (Eva) Sandidge was very active in this endeavor in the late 1930's and 1940's.
In May of 1933, a large group from CHBC went to the Seminary, now located in Crescent Hill, to hear Dr. Graham deliver the Commencement Address. Afterwards, the group assembled at the church where lovely decorations and a birthday cake were in place for celebrating Mrs. E.B. Robertson's birthday. Luncheon was served to the WMU ladies, and ice cream with a beautiful birthday cake were served later. A basket of flowers was presented to Mrs. Robertson, the President, as a gift from the WMU.
Mission Study seals were earned by 30 members who took the exam on the book studied in May of 1933. Ruth Wieland became the GA Director in the summer of 1933.
Again in October of 1933, the ladies changed meeting days from Tuesdays to Wednesdays to conserve heat in the winter months at the church. At that October meeting, Mrs. Quarles, returned missionary from Argentina, spoke. She would not be returning to the mission field until the Foreign Mission Board made up some of its deficit.
Good news on the foreign missions offering came in December of 1933. The Southwide goal for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering was $135,000, but a total of $175,577 was given. Eight missionaries would be sent out due to the offering increase, and goals would be set higher for the next year.
Miss Carrie Littlejohn came to the WMU Training School as its Principal in 1933.
1934
New officers for the WMU were elected for 1934, and Mrs. H.T. Larimore was elected as President for two years. Mrs. Larimore continued to serve as President until 1940. Mrs. Garnet Larimore and Mrs. Robert Drescher became leaders of the Sunbeam Band, and Mrs. T.W. Moran was Orphans' Home Chairman.
In February of 1934, it was recommended that the women in the circles visit the "white and colored" medical wards of the City Hospital, and that they spend most of the visiting time with the patients having long illnesses. Each circle would serve twice a month for three months.
The March 1934 Home Mission Offering for the Southern Baptist Convention was $89,099, as opposed to a goal of $68,500.
By June of 1934, the devotional time at the general meeting of the WMU became a time for missionary current events. Mrs. Howard Camnitz, Sr., was an out-of-town visitor for the July meeting, coming from King's Mountain Association in North Carolina.
A new system for officer terms was proposed by the Nominating Committee of the WMU by the fall of 1934. One-half of the officers would be elected for a one-year term and the other half would be elected for a two-year term, each group to serve two years thereafter. This is the system still followed in electing WMU officers for CHBC in 1987-88.
In December 1934 love reminders were given to Dr. and Mrs. J.B. Weatherspoon as they sailed to the Orient in the interest of missions.
The officers selected for 1935 were as follows for the various terms:
........................................One Year
President......................................Mrs. H.T. Larimore
Second Vice President.................Mrs. W.G Evans
Treasurer.....................................Mrs. H.O. Wieland
Literature Com.............................Mrs. C.H. Goldsborough
Publicity.......................................Mrs. W.P. Stuart
Missions......................................Mrs. T.P. Peyton
Personal Service.........................Mrs. T.J. Johnson
Social Services...........................Mrs. C.K. Johnson
Pianist.........................................Mrs. Charles Hoffman
Assistant Pianist.........................Mrs. E.A. Converse
........................................Two Years
First Vice President....................Mrs. Kyle Yates
Thlrd Vice President...................Mrs. G.M. Edwards
Recording Secretary...................Mrs. Alex Woodruff
Corresponding Secretary............Mrs. Sam Lewis
Enrollment Secretary...................Mrs. Ida Kendall
Stewardship Chairman................Mrs. McMeekin
White Cross Chairman................Mrs. John Chism
Boyce Settlement........................Mrs. James Van Arsdale
Orphans' Home...........................Mrs. T.W. Moran
Prayer Leaders...........................Mrs. E.B. Robertson, Mrs. Herbert Cralle
"Pioneer" Women
It is here that we need to pause to remember some of the pioneers in our mission effort at CHBC, some of whom still have family in the community and in the church:
Mrs. L.B. Blythe (mother-in-law of Louise Dohrman and mother of deceased Bruce Blythe, Sr.)
Mrs. O.H. Huey (wife of Oscar Huey, our 2nd pastor, and related to Betty Cook)
Mr. and Mrs. S.J. Dohrman (father and mother of Bill Dohrman)
Mrs. C.H. Goldsborough (mother of Nelson McChesney)
Mrs. Barron Harsh (mother-in-law of Dorothy Harsh)
Mrs. R.W. Jeffries
Mrs. C.K. Johnson (mother of Edna Scott McKechnie living in Clarksville, IN)
Mrs. Ida Kendall (Recording Secretary of WMU from 1922-1934)
Mrs. H.T. Larimore (mother of H.T. Jr., and deceased Mrs. Stephen (Mary) Jones; grandmother of Virginia Fry). Mrs. Larimore was President of the WMS from 1934 to 1940.
Mrs. Stephen S. Jones, longtime organist at the church
Mrs. M.L. Marshall (mother of Elizabeth Grawemeyer and Cora Botts Larimore)
Mrs. H.O. Wieland (Treasurer of WMU from 1918-1940, and mother of Raymond Wieland)
Mrs. T.W. Moran (Recording Secretary in some of the early years of WMU, on Executive Board of the first city-wide organization for Baptist Women, and grandmother of Ella Garth Woodward)
Mrs. T.P. Peyton (President of WMS for 14 year and a respected Bible teacher)
Mrs. E.B. Robertson (President of WMU from 1930-34 and active in all phases of mission work for years)
Mrs. N.C. Shouse (charter member and first President of WMS; mother of N.C. Shouse, Jr. and Elizabeth Irving)
Mrs. Alexander Woodruff - an officer over many years
Mrs. W.G. Violette (mother of Mrs. Zinn Price, who taught many of the girls in the Young Peoples' Department)
Mrs. Ed Anderson (mother of Henry and Sam Anderson - taught the Bible Instruction for WMU for years)
Mrs. J.B. Weatherspoon (active in mission work and teacher of the Euzelian class for years. She gave all new mothers in her class a handmade baby dress.)
Mrs. Howard Camnitz (mother-in-law of Adeline Camnitz ) Mrs. Camnitz gave many speeches to inspire our giving to pull the church out of debt in the 1930's and 1940's.)
Mrs. John P. Sandidge, Sr. (mother of John P. Sandidge, Jr., deceased, and mother-in-law of Louise Sandidge)
Mrs. William Nielsen (mother of Lenore Graft)
Miss Pearl O'Leary (Dr. Graham's secretary for years and a great missions worker)
Miss Dora Mantle, Mrs. Herman Mueller, Mrs. Edwin Horn, Sr. (mother of Edwin Horn, deceased, and mother-in-law of Gladys Horn), Mrs. Charles Hoffman (mother of Charles and Everett Hoffman) -- all of these were fine musicians who gave of their talents willingly for many WMU events.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen S. Jones (sister and brother-in-law of Mr. H.T. Larimore, Jr; Mr. Jones was an uncle of Martha Belle Markham) - these two worked faithfully and diligently in every phase of missions work and held other church offices. We particularly remember Mrs. Jones as the volunteer unpaid organist for years and Mr. Jones as Finance Chairman.
These and many others are our heritage. Without them we would not have this story and our tremendous missions background at CHBC.
Rachel Bennett [now Warren] recalls that in the mid 1930's a Business Woman's Circle was formed which became the model for other business woman's circles in other churches in Kentucky. Evidently, the circle for the working ladies, which was formed in 1928, had disbanded. Mrs. H.T. Larimore helped to sponsor this circle, and later when missionary names were given to the circles, this group chose to be called the Larimore Circle. It was not unusual to have from 50 to 70 ladies in attendance for the dinner meeting at the church. Meeting presently on the first Monday evening after the first Sunday, this circle - continues to be one of the most active groups in the WMU organization at CHBC. Miss Jane T. Kent, a member of CHBC for over 40 years, was the first State BWC Federation President, in 1949. [The BWC disbanded in 1996.]
1936 - 1940
In the summer of 1936, Lenore Nielsen (later Mrs. Richard Graft) was the YWA President and was offered the scholarship to Ridgecrest by the WMU for YWA week. She was unable to accept it, however, since she was a working girl. Blanche Evans. (later Mrs. Robert Goetzman) was the Vice-President, and she gratefully accepted the scholarship. Upon her return to Louisville, she reported on the very inspirational week at Ridgecrest Assembly near Asheville, NC, at the August WMS meeting at the church.
The young peoples' organizations and the WMS were very active in conducting a housing-and-reading station at the church at the time of the January 1937 flood. Typhoid shots were also given with the follow-up required. Many of the ladies now in CHBC can tell of experiences when a number-of homeless flood refugees arrived at our church to be clothed, fed, given shots, and generally cared for until they could return to their homes a number of days later. The Typhoid Shot Clinic ran for an extended time, and the Prayer Meeting room and Sunday School classrooms were in full use for a number of weeks.
A Golden Anniversary Tea was held at the home of Mrs. J.B. Weatherspoon in the early summer of 1938 to celebrate 50 years of WMU work in the Southern Baptist Convention. This celebration was a gala affair.
4....the pastorate of Dr. W.C. Boone
(1940 -1945)
In the late 1930's Dr. H.G. Goerner came to CHBC to assist Dr. Graham. Due to failing health, Dr. Graham resigned his pastorate, and Dr. Goerner was called as interim pastor and served the church from April 1939 through November 1940. [During this period the church membership passed the 1000 mark.] Dr. W.C. Boone came to CHBC as pastor on December 1, 1940. Dr. Boone's gregarious and hospitable wife, Ruth, was indeed an asset to his ministry, and their three daughters and two sons were all delightful young people to have in CHBC. Dr. Boone served the Church until December 1945, with his ministry almost paralleling the years of the United States' involvement in World War II.
[Dr. William Cooke Boone, who had been president of OBU six years prior to coming to CHBC, was the great-great grandson of Samuel Boone, a brother of Daniel and elder brother Squire who preached the first Baptist sermon at the present site of Louisville during an expedition in 1784.]
In 1940 Mrs. J.K. Williams was named President of the WMS and she served for four years. In 1944, Mrs. Clyde Long became President for a two-year term, followed by Mrs. Zinn Price from 1946-48.
[Dr. V.L. Stanfield served as interim pastor of the church from July 1946 through September 1946. Dr. Stanfield was at the time Instructor in Homiletics at SBTS.]
5....the pastorate of Dr. Rollin S. Burhans
(1946 - 1960)
In 1946 the Helen Hayes Circle of the WMS was formed. It was a group of young war brides, some already members of the church before the war years, and others were newly married wives of some of the young men from CHBC. An organizational meeting took place at the home of Katherine Taylor, and Martha Belle Markham became the sponsor for the circle. Early members were Leila Arnett, Louise Sandidge, Wanda Gaunt, Blanche Goetzman, Libby Harvin, Ethel Claxon Heick, and Mrs. Markham. Leila was the first circle chairman. Many others were added to the roll during the four years of the circle's existence. Among these were Ragena Kvindis, Violet Evans, Verna Stanfield, Ann Harris, Ruth Lilly, Helen Worful, Ann Hendricks, Floree Smith, Jean Lyverse, Ruth Harlow, Leslie Price, Dorothy Cantrell, Betty Bob Anderson, Hermanna Vance, Jane Sheilley, Terry Highbaugh, Gladys Horn, Linda Jennings, Mary Dell Thompson, Mildred Tydings, Billie Slocum, and others.
In October of 1946 we also had a change in leadership at CHBC. Dr. Rollin Burhans, a very young man of 31 years, joined us as our pastor. He came following the resignation of Dr. Boone, who left the Church to assume the position of Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky. The WMU was sorrowful about losing Mrs. Boone as a staunch supporter, but Mrs. Burhans (Delma) was an example and inspiration to all of the young mothers in the church. She became active immediately in all phases of WMU work, even with three small sons -- Rollin, David, and Kenneth.
Mrs. W.P. Stuart became WMU President in 1948 and served in this capacity for two years. Near the end of her Presidency, the Helen Hayes Circle was asked to disband and move its members into the various circles to bring in younger members to each group. On September 14, 1950, a luncheon took place at the Pendennis Club for the purpose of saying "good-bye" to the Helen Hayes Circle and "hello" to the other circles of the WMS. This circle had served a purpose in binding these young brides together as they settled into the community after World War II.
The First Foreign Missions Banquet sponsored by the WMU of CHBC was held in December of 1949, during Mrs. W.P. Stuart's tenure as President. Viola Crismon, Program Chairman, introduced Mrs. Glenn Anderson, missionary to the Orient, as speaker for the evening. For the next 20 years or more, a Foreign Missions Banquet was sponsored by the WMU in the fall of the year and a Home Missions Banquet in the spring.
Following Mrs. Stuart as President of the WMS was Mrs. Baynard Fox whose family had been very active in CHBC. She was not able to complete her two years as President. Mrs. Leo T. Crismon became President and filled out Mrs. Fox's term and served the two years following. During the late 1940's and 1950's, CHBC had a very active youth missions program. A product of the GA's and YWA's was Susan Pyles who married Ed Oliver, a mission volunteer. They were appointed as foreign missionaries to serve in Japan in 1950. CHBC and the WMU were very proud of the commitment which the Olivers had made to be career foreign missionaries.
Sue Oliver, in writing from Japan in January of 1988 about their mission service in Japan, said that she was highly influenced by her GA leaders, Mrs. Cornell Goerner and Mrs. Clyde Long. Those wonderful Christian women helped her to realize that she must make a commitment to serve in missions on a foreign field. Marrying Ed Oliver served to consolidate that resolve. [The Olivers retired in September 1989.]
Leo and Viola Crismon moved to Louisville in 1937 when Leola Jo was four years old and Fred was one year old, Viola recounts the wonderful memory of seeing Sue Pyles crowned a Queen Regent in the GA Coronation service. Elsie Terhune was her GA leader. By 1939 the Crismon children were ready for the Sunbeam organization, and Mrs. Crismon helped to organize a group. A few years later, Esther Wieland (Mrs. Raymond) and Mary Dell Thompson (Mrs. Clarence) became the Sunbeam leaders and continued in this work until 1951. In the meantime, Viola was working with the GA's and later became Youth Director.
Others who were active as GA leaders and later worked with YWA's were Fannie Cotton Taylor (Mrs. J. Burnam) and Virginia Satterly (Mrs. Herbert). Mrs. Raymond (Sue) Schnur also worked with the YWA's. Viola recalls that Martha Yocum (later Mrs. Norman Lytle) was in this group of YWA girls. Also working with GA's about 1949 were Irene Falkenburg (Mrs. William) and Marguerite Dohrman (Mrs. Frank).
Other noble youth workers in these days of many active youth organizations on into the 1950's were Mrs. Louis Norheimer (Kathryn Lee), Mrs. Rollin Burhans (Delma), Mrs. Logan Jones (Elsie), Mrs. Jan Hendricks (Dorothy), and Mrs. Robert Brammer (Louise). Viola Crismon served as Youth Director at CHBC from 1940 to 1952, was WMS President from 1952 to 1954, and then served for the two following years again as Youth Director.
As the girls worked on their Forward Steps, Leola Jo Crismon was an example to all of the others. She was crowned Queen Regent in 1949. In 1952 Kitty Bent Taylor, Frances Hooks, and Virginia Satterly were crowned Queen Regents. Viola recalls that the RA boys took part in the ceremony, and Fred Crismon was the heralder.
An outstanding event took place in 1952. Immanuel Dahunsi of Nigeria spoke at the Long Run Association RA Banquet at CHBC, and over 200 boys attended, Many of the boys did not have advance reservations, but the hamburgers were just made smaller to accommodate everyone.
A number of the young women who grew up in mission organizations in CHBC were active as summer missionaries. Leola Jo Crismon (Waller) worked with the Indians in Oklahoma the summer of 1953, and then for the Home Mission Board in New Orleans in mission studies in 1954 at the Baptist Friendship House. Martha Yocum (Lytle) worked with the Mexican people in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1955; Nancy Bufkin (Soloski) worked in Memphis, Tennessee, in the mid 1950's; and Robbin Augenstein (McGraw) worked at Twenty Third and Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville. She also worked with Girl Scouts and in Baptist camp work in the 1960's.
We owe Viola Crismon a vote of thanks for her great interest in youth missions education over the years at CHBC and for her valued recollections of events in the life of the youth organizations and WMU work at CHBC.
A Golden Anniversary Tea, honoring the 50 years of WMU in Kentucky, was held on May 26, 1952, at the home of Mrs. G.J. Patton on Hillcrest Avenue. Gifts were brought for a Scholarship Fund for Georgetown College, and $750 was collected. This fund continued as an item in the WMU budget in the amount of $250 per year for the following eight to ten years.
During Mrs. Ellis Fuller's term as WMU President, following that of Mrs. Crismon, there were a number of community missions projects which the WMU sponsored. Among these were: the Marine Hospital on Portland Avenue, the "Nursing Home for the Colored," Ormsby Village, Home for the Incurables, and the Boyce Settlement House. A weekly program was taken to the children at the Baptist Fellowship Center, and Mrs. Raymond Wieland (Esther) served faithfully with the children. This Center was located across the street from Central High School.
[In her monograph, Blanche gives the history of the Gold Star Fund at this point and this will be presented later.--jwa]
[According to Dr. Crismon's history, "On December 6, 1953 Crescent Hill lettered out 199 members to form teh organization of Beechwood Baptist Church..and $30,000 was given to the new church as a start on its building program." --jwa]
[Some additional folks not specifically mentioned in Blanche's book but who played influencial roles in local missions were 1) Laura Cook and Clarabelle McClellan who became concerned about children from Portland they followed at Ormsby Village and, subsequently helped to begin the work at the Bridge Mission under the K&I Bridge where many of the youth were enlisted to help with Sunday School and Vacation Bible School; and 2) Brother Fred Tucker and his family, many of whom--wife Alice, and children: William, Pat, Ernie, and Fred--were active in the CHBC programs of the time. Brother Tucker, a dedicated associational missionary to the poor, homeless and jailed had also been pastor of the East Baptist Church from 1921-1937. The annual Long Run Associational Mission offering is named in his honor. In 1964, two years after his death, his wife, Alice, wrote a booklet on his life titled, "Call Him Enoch." --jwa]
1956
On May 6, 1956, CHBC had a ground-breaking ceremony for a new Sunday School building, chapel, and gymnasium, which would cost approximately $600,000. Irene (Mrs. William) Falkenburg took part in this ceremony since she was the WMU President at that time. On October 7, 1956. the cornerstone was laid, with a large crowd gathering after the church service, and the Sunday School addition was occupied a few months later. [In 1997 the church voted to name this facility the Rollin S. and Delma Burhans Education Building in recognition of Dr. Burhans early vision for Crescent Hill's future on the whole person and local community service.--jwa] Mrs. Falkenburg served the WMU from 1955 to 1957, when Mrs. Heber Peacock was President for the year 1957-1958. Two young matrons' circles appeared on the records in the year books of these particular years. One was the Jennings-Watson. Weekly meetings to tutor children at the mission under the K & I Bridge took place during Mrs. Peacock's regime.
In October of 1956, a Billy Graham Crusade came to Louisville, and CHBC WMU members were very much involved. Cottage prayer meetings were organized in neighborhoods for the purpose of praying for a successful meeting, and the ladies made every effort to attend as many of the meetings as possible at Freedom Hall at the Fairgrounds.
Mrs. Peacock served only one year as President of the WMU as did Mrs. Herman (Helen) Mueller. Mrs. Mueller was President from 1958 to 1959, when Mrs. Herbert Satterly (Virginia) took up the reins and served as President from 1959 to 1961.
In May of 1959, the ladies of CHBC WMU ushered for the Southwide WMU Convention preceding the Southern Baptist Convention meetings at Freedom Hall in Louisville. A white shirt waist dress with red belt and red shoes and a red felt cardinal on the pocket was the costume chosen for the ushers for the Convention. The ladies all looked very lovely in these outfits and received many compliments on "a job well done."
In February of 1960, Dr. Rollin Burhans resigned as Pastor of CHBC to become President of Kentucky Southern College, a new Baptist college in eastern Jefferson County with a lovely campus on Shelbyville Road. He would need to be active in the early planning for the school which would open in the fall of 1962. While buildings were being constructed at the Shelbyville Road site, classes were held in rooms at Norton Hall at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A large crowd came to a dinner, which was held in the gymnasium, honoring the Burhans. It was difficult to says "good-bye" to this lovely family, but we were glad they would still be in our area.
6....the pastorate of Dr. John R. Claypool, III
(1961 - 1971)
After a series of interim pastors, Dr. John R. Claypool came to CHBC as Pastor in October of 1960. A lovely reception was given for the Claypools by the WMU and other organizations in the church. Dr. Claypool was just 29 years of age, and the Claypools had two young children -- Rowan and Laura Lue. Lue Ann Claypool became active in the WMU organization. We heartily welcomed this lovely young family into our church.
During this era, the circles were very supportive of the Claxon Home for Missionary Kids. Rev. and Mrs. Neville Claxon, missionaries on furlough from Nigeria, who had two teen-aged children of their own, shared their large home on Crescent Court with ten to fifteen children of their fellow-missionaries from Nigeria. These young people needed a place to live during their three years of high school in the United States. They all joined CHBC during their high school years. When the Claxons returned to the foreign mission field, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Dunaway and later Dr. and Mrs. William Gaventa served as houseparents for the missionary kids. The WMU ladies baked birthday cakes for the young people and missionaries living there and helped to furnish the house and equip it with linens, dishes, glassware, pots and pans.
ln addition, roller skates were purchased for young people to use for skating in the gymnasium at CHBC. Skating was sponsored by the church several times a week, and all of the young people and young married couples bought the special skates for use on the kind of flooring in the gymnasium.
An event worthy of note occurred at the Kentucky State WMU meeting in 1961. Instead of the women sending men to make their reports to the group assembled, the women were allowed, for the first time, to make their own reports.
In December of 1961, a love offering was taken for the church. The first $1,000 was given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and the rest went to the Cooperative Program.
Ella Garth Choate Woodward (Mrs. Fielden) became President of the CHBC WMU for the period 1961-1963. She was President at the time of the April 10-12, 1962, meeting of the Kentucky State WMU at CHBC. All of the ladies cooperated to the greatest extent in helping Mrs. Woodward host this Convention. In the March 29, 1962, Western Recorder, the program was listed. A welcome was extended by our Pastor, Dr. John R. Claypool, and by Mrs. Fielden Woodward. Coincidentally, Mrs. J.S. Woodward of Lexington (no relation) was State President that year, and she presided over the three-day meeting.
In November 1962 a letter was received by the WMU from June (Mrs. Gerald) McNeely asking for clothing for the victims of some flood-ravaged areas in Spain. June and Gerald had spent several furloughs in Louisville, and she was like one of our own in the WMU. We rallied to answer her call for help.
1963
Mrs. W. Alfred Hood (Frances) became President of the WMU from 1963 to 1965. Two very exciting appointments to foreign mission fields occurred during her time in office. As a child growing up at CHBC, Charlotte Bruner had wanted to be a missionary. Charlotte married Jarrett D. Ragan and served with him as a missionary associate. In 1963 they were appointed to work, first in Singapore, and then ln Malaysia. Currently the Ragan's address is Sri Lanka, the country formerly known as Ceylon. It is our understanding that the Ragans will be retiring ln 1988 or 1989.
The other exciting missionary appointment was that of Martha Yocum Lytle and her husband, Norman. Martha, the daughter of Forest and Ruth Yocum, had been very active in all of the youth programs at CHBC. Both had graduated from Georgetown College and were married in 1957 by Dr. Leo Eddleman, at that time President of Georgetown College. Martha and Norman went to Israel to work in the Journeyman program in 1958 and were assigned to Baptist Village, where they stayed for 18 months. They returned to enter the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and after graduation were appointed to work in Israel in 1964. CHBC is very proud of the service of the Olivers, Ragans, and Lytles who have served our denomination so nobly in foreign missions.
In 1963 the church began a unified budget plan. As a part of the church budget plan, a copy of Royal Service, was sent monthly to all WMU members. This practice continued until lack of funds forced cancellation of the plan.
In 1964, Dr. and Mrs. Claypool went to Japan for the annual meeting of Southern Baptist missionaries in that country, and Dr. Claypool was a featured speaker at the July 22-27 meeting. CHBC members were pleased that they could have a part in sending the Claypools to this conference.
It seems appropriate to recognize two very dedicated WMU workers in the CHBC family who worked at the Woman's Missionary Union office at the Kentucky Baptist Convention headquarters in Middletown. In 1959 Mrs. Hugo (Ruth) Culpepper went to work at the WMU building. In the six years following, she served several of the WMU organizations in various capacities before leaving Louisville to spend five years in Atlanta, where her husband, Dr. Hugo Culpepper, was associated with the Home Mission Board.
Rosa Fiechter worked at the headquarters office of WMU from 1962 until late 1979, when she retired. Rosa worked as GA-Sunbeam Band Director for several years, then as GA Director until 1970. She then served as Kentucky Baptist Women Director from 1970 until her retirement in late 1979. Both Ruth Culpepper and Rosa Fiechter have been tireless in their efforts to further missions activities in Kentucky and at CHBC. We owe them a real debt of gratitude.
Mrs. James Leo Garrett became WMU President for the years 1965-1967. The Garretts later moved their memberships to Walnut Street Baptist Church before returning to Ft. Worth, Texas, where Dr. and Mrs. Garrett are now [1988] associated with Southwestern Theological Seminary.
Mrs. Cecil V.(Betty) Cook, Jr., was WMU President for the one year 1967-1968, before moving to Worthington, Ohio, for several years. Betty recalls the Mission Possible Fair which took place during her year in office. It consisted of mission films, kiosks with informative missions literature, an Around-the-World dining experience, and many other exhibits in Fellowship Hall. This Fair was a huge success. During Betty's term of office, Mildred Render edited a Missions Newsletter, which was very informative. Miss Blanche Mays was the first WMU Director in 1968, with Mrs. J.V. Carlisle as WMS President. Miss Mays moved out of town before her term ended, and Mrs. Carlisle served until 1970. Mrs. Logan Jones held the position of WMS President less than a year when an illness while on a trip to England forced her to resign as WMU President.
In 1970 many changes were made in the WMU organizational structure. A WMU Director headed the entire WMU organization, beginning with the Mission Friends, GA's with its two age groups, Acteens with its two age groupings, and the Baptist Women. A Baptist Women President headed this organization, formerly the WMS, and circles became "groups" with designations of mission study, mission action, mission prayer, and current missions. Mrs. David (Harriet) Conn became Baptist Women President in 1970 and served until 1973. The WMU did not have a Director at that time.
Some mission action groups were involved with work at Portland Bridge Mission. This involved tutoring every week, sponsoring a mothers' club, a Senior Service Fellowship, a Monday morning sewing club, and a clothes closet. Mildred Haswell, Esther Wieland, Mary Dell Thompson, Louise Sandidge, Ella Garth Woodward, and a number of others who are no longer with us, were always faithful in service to the WMU at this time. Quite often they could be found in the kitchen preparing meals for the many WMU events or at Portland Bridge Mission tutoring the children there.
Other mission action groups were involved as candy stripers in hospitals, as workers in homemakers' groups, as helpers with the blind, as leaders in Girl Scout groups, as Baptist Hospital pink ladies, as visitors to the shut-ins and to the ill members of CHBC.
In addition, in 1970 the Baptist Women had five mission study groups, two round table reading groups, one prayer group, and one International student group, which planned activities with the International students at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In 1971, our Pastor, Dr. John R. Claypool, resigned to accept a pastorate in Ft. Worth, Texas. We were served by interim pastors for well over a year. . . .
[Howard Hovde (1969-1973) served as Dr. Claypool's associate and worked closely with Dr. Bill Hull during his subsequent interim. Laura Lue was ill when Howard arrived in the summer of 1969 and provided valuable service to the church and Dr. Claypool. Hovde later moved on to become the director of Laity Lodge in Texas.]
7....the pastorate of John Howell
(1973 - 1978)
In the fall of 1973, Dr. John E. Howell came to CHBC from a church in Washington, DC. Bettye Howell, his wife, and their five children, were welcomed to the church. Bettye became chorister of the Baptist Women shortly after the Howells came into the church.
In 1973 Mrs. Raymond Schnur, Sr., (Sue) became Baptist Women President. There was still no one acting specifically as WMU Director. During Mrs. Schnur's time in office, the WMU put out its own year book due to lack of funds for printing these books each year. Mrs. Raymond Schnur, Jr. (Betty) took over as Baptist Women President to finish her mother-in-law's term of office after the illness of Mrs. Schnur, Sr., caused her to resign.
In the fall of 1974, Mrs. Forest Yocum (Ruth) became Baptist Women President, and she served for two years until the fall of 1976. For a short while, in 1975, Janice Butler became WMU Director. She was instrumental in pushing for reinstatement of some of the youth mission organizations which had become inactive. Janice's husband was a student at the Seminary. She gave our organization a breath of new vitality as she served for something over a year with us.
1976
Lena Ransdell should be remembered for her leadership ln asking that an American flag again be purchased for the sanctuary. Lena was a history buff and school teacher and was instrumental in establishing a fund for new American and Christian flags in the sanctuary. The flags had been important symbols at CHBC, but several had disappeared through the years.
As the WMU moved into 1976, we were celebrating the Bicentennial of our nation and were close to celebrating 70 years of WMU activity at CHBC. Mrs. William (Irene) Carter became the new Baptist Women President, and in 1977 Mrs. Leo (Viola) Crismon became WMU Director, serving her two years until 1979. We remember well the lovely banquets during Irene's time in office, and especially the attractive and festive decorations which she so capably made.
A booklet was put out in September 1977 on 100 days of prayer concerns leading up to the Centennial of missions work ln Kentucky. In 1978 Mrs. Garland (Jackie) Pendergraph became the Baptist Women President, and in 1979 Miss Rosa Fiechter became the WMU Director. The two missions banquets were opened to all members of the church, and often there were 150 to 200 present for these outstanding mission efforts. Our offerings increased by asking for support from the church at large. The Annie Armstrong (Home Mission) offering goal was increased gradually from $2,000 to $2,500, and the Lottie Moon (Foreign Mission) offering goal began averaging over $10,000 from this time forward.
In the fall of 1978, Dr. John E. Howell resigned as pastor, and CHBC was once again without a full-time pastor. We had a series of Seminary professors who served us as interims until. . .
8....the pastorate of Dr. H. Stephen Shoemaker
(1981 - 1992)
. . . April of 1981, when Dr. H. Stephen Shoemaker came from Asheville, North Carolina, to serve us. Dr. Shoemaker's family consisted of his wife, Cherrie, and their young children, David and Ann. We were hungry for spiritual leadership from our own pastor and welcomed this family to CHBC with open arms.
In 1980 Mrs. Robert (Blanche) Goetzman became Baptist Women President and served for two years in this office. She followed the practice of Mrs. Pendergraph by visiting the various missions groups at their monthly meetings. During this period a new group was formed for the young homemakers and mothers. This group, under the leadership of Mrs. Rae (Diane) Taylor, became very active in serving the missions community. A new day had dawned some years earlier with young married women and young mothers working outside the home. Meeting times had to be adjusted to fit into family plans. For a time, this group met in the morning, but late Sunday afternoon became a better time as we moved into the mid 1980's. Rosa Fiechter continued on as WMU Director until the fall of 1983.
Mrs. Homer (Elaine) Parker became Baptist Women President in the two year period 1982-84. The WMU was called upon to help the church celebrate its 75th anniversary on the week-end of April 30, May 1, 1983. On Saturday, April 30, we gathered at the church to see films on events in the life of CHBC, to see exhibits and old photographs, and to enjoy a social time in Fellowship Hall.
On Sunday, May 1, Dr. Rollin Burhans, former pastor, preached a sermon on the subject "On Keeping Your Memories Green." G. Temp Sparkman, former Minister of Education, gave the call to praise, Leo T. Crismon spoke on the Historian's Declaration, and Mrs. John E. Howell (Bettye), wife of deceased former pastor, Dr. John E. Howell, gave the morning prayer.
We met in the Sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. that same evening for another worship experience. Arnold Epley, former Minister of Music, led the call to praise, William T. Treadwell, former Minister of Education, gave the invocation and the Lord's Prayer, and Wayne O. Craig, former Minister of Education, gave the evening prayer. We were led ln our preaching service by Dr. John R. Claypool, former pastor, in a message entitled "Suffering, Bitterness, and Compassion." A fellowship time followed after the service. It was indeed a wonderful experience for all members of CHBC to gather for that week-end of celebration and to join with so many of the former leaders of the church ln our worship experiences.
By 1983 Mrs. Garland (Jackie) Pendergraph had become WMU Director, and she served ln this capacity until 1985. In 1984 Rosa Fiechter became the Baptist Women President, serving for three years in this work. Mrs. Fielden (Ella Garth) Woodward became the WMU Director in 1985, and she served the missions organizations in this capacity until 1987.
1986
In December of 1986, the O Coral Sinfonico from the North Brazil Baptist Theological Seminary in Recife, Brazil, gave a concert in our church to a very appreciative audience as a part of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering emphasis. The WMU ladies housed and fed this large group of young people, and it was a delightful experience for everyone.
Our Church had given approximately ten per cent of its building renovation pledge money ($93,000) to this Seminary ln Recife to build a chapel there. As a gesture of love and thanks, this choir of approximately 35 voices came to CHBC while on tour of some of the seminaries and churches in 12 southern states.
In the fall of 1987, there was a change in leadership for both WMU Director and Baptist Women President. Mrs. Mort (Mary Ann) Perry became WMU Director, and Mrs. Wendell (Leila) Arnett became Baptist Women President.
1988
As of the year 1988 presently, there are two Mission Friends organizations. The one for three year-olds is led by Diane Cody, with Li Mei Chyou as assistant; the one for four and five year-olds is led by Rhonda Slaton who is assisted by Kathy Brocious and Joseph Chyou. The Girls in Action (GA I) group for Grades I and 2 is led by Joni Parrent and the Girls in Action (GA II) group for girls in Grades 3 to 5 is led by Deanne and Jim Barnette. Betty Burhans and Judy Johnson are the leaders of Acteens I, who are youth in Grades 6 through 8, and Acteens II for Grades 9 through 12 are led by church youth minister Mark Johnson and children's education minister Sue Enoch. Janet LaFollette is also an assistant with this group. There are several RA groups for boys in Grades 1 through 5, and Peggy Hester and Deke Slaton are the leaders for these groups. We pride ourselves on having mission groups for all ages from the three year-old to the senior in high school.
We have had a Baptist Young Women's Group for the past several years, and Elizabeth Herndon is presently leading that group. The young matrons' group is called the Agape Group. It meets at 5:00 p.m., on the second Sunday evening of the month to accommodate working members, and Cherrie Shoemaker is the leader of this group. The Gaventa Group, meeting the second Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., in the homes, is led by Betty Thornton. The Rose Marlowe Group, led by Betty Schnur, has the same meeting time and also meets in the homes. The Martha Lytle Group, with Merle Ford as its leader, meets on the second Thursday of the month at 10:00 a.m., in the homes. The Pendergraph-Larimore Group meets on the first Monday evening after the first Sunday at 6:00 p.m., in Fellowship Hall at the church for a covered-dish supper and meeting. The Rollins Group meets at 7:30 p.m., in homes, on the second Thursday of the month, with Dorothy Waters as its leader. Two missionary Round Table Groups meet to discuss mission books. They are the Betty McKinley Group, which meets at 3:00 p.m., on the last Sunday of the month in homes, with Rosa Fiechter as leader, and the Missionary Round Table, which meets on the last Tuesday of the month, in homes or at the church, with Viola Crismon as leader. Presently, there are approximately 150 active members in the Baptist Women organization, and a large number of the youth and young people in the other missionary organizations. The youth groups meet weekly following the Wednesday night supper at the Church.
Other officers of the Baptist Women for the year 1987-88 should be listed since many have served the WMU and Baptist Women in various capacities over the years:
Enlistment/Enlargement Chairperson..........Jackie Pendergraph
Centennial Chairperson...............................Rachel Bennett
Centennial Historian.....................................Blanche Goetzman
First Vice President......................................Clara McCartt
Second Vice President.................................Jackie Pendergraph
Recording Secretary....................................Ella Garth Woodward
Treasurer.....................................................Ruth Hazel Wigginton
Pianist.........................................................Mildred Burch
Chorister......................................................June Bailey
Mission Study Co-chairpersons..................Mary Ann Ward, Rosa Fiechter
Mission Action/Personal..............................Elaine Parker
Witnessing Chairperson..............................Blanche Goetzman
Mission Support Co-chairpersons...............Louise Sandidge
International Friendship Chairperson.........Mary J. Augenstein
Publicity Chairperson..................................Irene Carter
Friendship Chairperson..............................Lenore Graft
Publications Chairperson...........................Jane T. Kent
Social Committee Chairperson...................Hilda Payne
Social Committee........................................Alberta & Gladys Henderson,
....................................................................Lucy Price
Spring Meadows Chairperson.....................Elizabeth Sanderson
Seminary Women's Committee Chair.........Eleanor Haswell
Goodwill Industries Chairperson.................Lucille Ridgway
Baptist Hospital Auxiliary Chair..................Alma David Culley
Yearbook Chairperson................................Viola Crismon
Baptist Women groups are still involved in Long Run and State Mission projects. They give birthday and Christmas gifts to the children at Spring Meadows, furniture and kitchen equipment to Internationals at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, funds for camps to several different Baptist organizations, serve special needs at Freedom House, work with International Friendship at Walnut Street Baptist Church, serve meals to the Baptist Student Union students at the University of Louisville and to the Medical-Dental students at East Baptist Center, care for needs at the Home for the Innocents, Wayside Christian Mission, Jefferson Street Baptist Mission, and Baptist Fellowship Center. The list is never-ending, and the story of needs met continues on into the late 1980's.
As the WMU of the Southern Baptist Convention moved into its Centennial year in 1988, the CHBC WMU made plans to celebrate for the year 1987-88. On September 22, 1987, the WMU had its first celebration, a banquet in Fellowship Hall, with approximately 160 people present. Also as important is the celebration of CHBC's Eightieth Anniversary in 1988. Therefore, the two celebrations were planned in conjunction with each other to celebrate both CHBC's history and that of the WMU Southwide.
Rachel Bennett was appointed Centennial Chairperson, and she has been instrumental in making the plans for the celebrations. She opened the banquet evening with a wonderful "Welcome," Mary Ann Perry, WMU Director, led the group in an Invocation. After the gourmet meal, planned by our own Ella Garth Woodward and Mildred Burch, there was a parade of costumes of clothing worn by women in the United States over the past one hundred years. Nancy Mowery wore one of the oldest costumes, dating back to the Civil War era; Ella Garth Woodward and Louise Sandidge dug into family trunks and found some very old and splendid outfits. The stage was decorated with other costumes, and our Acteens strolled about in a showing of costumes through the ages.
Blanche Goetzman, Centennial Historian, gave some glimpses into past activities of the WMU and Ladies' Aid Society at CHBC. After scanning old minutes of meetings of these two societies, she felt a kinship with many of the "pioneers" in our missions efforts at CHBC.
Leila Arnett, our Baptist Women President, talked about some goals for that organization, and Dr. Molly Marshall-Green, a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told of the many strides made by women in the Baptist denomination in recent years.
The evening closed with the singing of "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations," and it was indeed a glorious evening for us all. A special vote of thanks went to the church staff and husbands of many of the women who served the meal for us. What a great heritage is ours at CHBC!
The Baptist Women decided to add to the money made on the banquet to reach the sum of $300, and to give this amount to the Special Centennial Thanks Offering in honor of each of the three missionaries from CHBC ($100 for each) serving on foreign mission fields. This offering will be used to pay off the indebtedness of the WMU headquarters building in Birmingham, Alabama.
On February 8, 1988, a Long Run Association WMU dinner celebrated the Southwide WMU Centennial and was attended by over three hundred persons at Masterson's Restaurant on South Third Street in Louisville. The four original WMU organizations were represented in a skit, and a missions message by Mrs. Bryant (Peggy) Hicks, Kentucky WMU State President, inspired us to lead into the 1990's with renewed enthusiasm for the cause of missions.
The celebration will continue with plans for the church's Eightieth Anniversary in May of 1988, and then the WMU Southwide Centennial Celebration in Richmond, Virginia, on May 13 and 14, 1988. A number of the ladies from CHBC plan to be present in Richmond to celebrate with their sisters in this Centennial of WMU in the Southern Baptist Convention.
9....the pastorate of Dr. Ron Sisk
(1994 - 2002)
[With the arrival of Dr. Ron Sisk, his wife Sheryl and son Douglas in 1994, CHBC and the WMU continued to show an active interest in missions and again in 1997 with another capital improvement campaign to permit greater ministries to the local community, the church plans to tithe the funds it raises to work with the Rock People of Thailand, Habitat for Humanity projects in Louisville, and the Passport Camp program. --jwa]
10...the Interims
[Because of it's proximity to Southern Seminary, Crescent Hill has had the good fortune to have many of the faculty serve as interim pastors during her history. Among these have been Drs. H.C. Goerner, V. Latrelle Stanfield, Nathan Brooks, William Hull, "Buddy" Shurden, Raymond Bailey, Bill Leonard, Timothy George, Chuck Bugg, Roy Honeycutt, Bill Hendricks, David Garland and others. Drs. Finley Edge, Dan Aleshire, and Milburn Price served as interim Education and Music ministers and Lyle Edwards is currently serving as interim Youth Minister. Howard Hovde served as associate pastor from 1969-1973 -- jwa]
History of the Gold Star Fund
[taken out of sequence of Blanche's book, and inserted here since it spanned several years --jwa]
Since there is often a reference to the Gold Star Fund in WMU records, it would be beneficial to trace the history of this fund. As World War II came to a close in the mid 1940's, Mrs. Ethel Ford set up a special fund, added to later by her daughter, Mrs. Ford Bond, for supplements to missionaries' salaries through CHBC. The fund honored her son, Wallace, John Porter Woods and Robert Atherton -- all of whom lost their lives in the service of their country during the war. At a business meeting of the church shortly after the establishment of this fund, Dr. J.B. Weatherspoon made a motion, which was duly seconded and passed, that the yearly contribution from this fund go to Miss Rose Marlowe, a missionary who served in both China and Japan. Miss Marlowe had endeared herself to members of CHBC and its WMU since she spent many furloughs in our city living with her sister, Dorothy Ashley.
After a six to eight year period of the fund's contribution going to Miss Marlowe, the Foreign Mission Board discouraged the sending of supplements to the missionaries' salaries. We were forced to make other plans for the continuation of the Gold Star Fund's existence. Miss Marlowe served on the foreign fields in the Orient until 1955. She returned to Louisville, bought a home in Crescent Hill, attended CHBC, and was a member of the Business Woman's Circle. "Miss Rose," as she was affectionately called, passed away on February 18, 1980. She gave so much to missions work at CHBC and to Southwide missions' work as well.
By 1950 CHBC could claim Sue Pyles Oliver and her husband, Ed Oliver, on the mission field in Japan. Funds from the Gold Star Fund were channeled in their direction in the way of gifts to help with their work.
In 1963 the Gold Star Fund became an item in the unified budget of CHBC under the WMU Missions Program. However, the WMU has continued to keep a $1,000 reserve, with the interest from this reserve being used for missions projects. In that same year, Charlotte Bruner Ragan and her husband, Jarrett, went to Singapore and later to Malaysia as missionaries. Then in 1964 Martha Yocum Lytle and her husband, Norman, were appointed to Israel.
At this time a plan was devised to share the $1,000 Gold Star money in the budget with the three missionaries who had grown up in our church. This practice has been to equally divide the $1,000 among the three as love gifts, which are given at Christmas time. In addition, we continue to give appropriate gifts to these missionaries from the interest on the $1,000 in reserve in the WMU funds. Over the years, many of the youth groups and the WMU have given generously to keep this fund active.
The honor of having these three families represent CHBC on the mission fields is an extremely precious gift bestowed upon us. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless us with Gold Star fund recipients whose roots are in CHBC.
____________________________________________________________
Footnotes
1..Mylum Dixie Bale, Proclaiming Christ - History of Woman's Missionary Union of Kentucky, 1878-1978, published by Woman's Missionary Union of Kentucky Auxiliary to the Kentucky Baptist Convention, (1978), p. 44.
2..Mylum, p.- 53.
3. Crismon, Leo Taylor, History of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church, approximately 200 pages, condensed for an Address given at Crescent Hill Baptist Church on June 18, 1967, 26 pages, an unpublished work, (1967), not page numbered consecutively.
4..Crismon, not page numbered consecutively.
5..Crismon, not page numbered consecutively.
6..Crismon, not page numbered consecutively.
7..Crismon, not page numbered consecutively.
8..Mylum, p. 119.
Other material from handwritten Minutes and Notes on meetings of the Ladies' Aid Society, 1910-1922, as well as Minutes and Notes handwritten and typewritten of the Woman's Missionary Society, later changed to the Woman's Missionary Union, 1912-1935. All of these materials filed on record at Crescent Hill Baptist Church. Other material from Long Run Association Woman's Missionary Union Annual Meeting reports and remembrances by members of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church Woman's Missionary Union.
Credits
I wish to thank Ella Garth Woodward, Leila Arnett, Jane T. Kent, and Viola Crismon for additional information, proofreading, and editing of this document.
A condensation of this paper was given as "Glimpses of Our Heritage" at the WMU Centennial Banquet at CHBC on September 22, 1987 by Blanche Goetzman.
Return to Home page