Glenwood Herald

Glenwood First Baptist Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Sunday, March 29, 2009. Sunday School will be held at 9 a.m. and Worship services at 10:15 a.m. will begin the day’s activities. A time of fellowship will precede the 1:30 p.m. afternoon historical session. Former pastors, staff and honored guests will be recognized. The morning message will be presented by Dr. Denny Wright Leadership and Worship Team Leader, Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

The church was organized on Sunday, March 28, 1909 with thirty charter members. The congregation first conducted worship services on the second and fourth Sundays in a frame building located on Broadway. The building, owned by A.L. Clark Lumber Company was used as a church and a school at the time.
In 1914-15, the church was moved to 210 N. Third Street, where a new one room frame building was constructed.  At the same site, construction was begun in 1959 and completed in 1960 on a tan brick building that housed worship services until the church moved into the current facility at 904 Hwy. 70 West on September 17, 2000.

In 1976, under the pastorate of Rev. Carel Norman, the church set a new record for attendance in Sunday School and Church Training. The record for baptisms was tied at 33 for the year. The previous record had been set in 1947. A record was also set that year for annual budget receipts. Also in 1976, a very effective Bus Ministry was begun and directed by then Associate Pastor Gene Ellis. In conjunction with the Bus Ministry, the first Children’s Church Ministry was begun.

On June 3, 1990 under the leadership of Bro. Jody Gannaway, the church voted in favor of incorporation. In November 1991, the church began a ministry for the Spanish speaking in the area together with English as a Second Language classes. This ministry continued until 1998.

The church called Bro. Erby Burgess as pastor in 1994 and under his leadership the church moved from the North Third Street location to the present church plant. Several ministries were started in the next few years and continue to the present day.

In August 1998, the church began a mission church in the Bonnerdale/Cross Roads area, east of Glenwood on Hwy. 70. This mission constituted into Crossroads Baptist Church in 2000. Children’s AWANA Program started in 2001. In 2002, a hospital/homebound ministry “Feeding God’s Sheep” was formed and in 2003 “Bread from Heaven” food ministry was begun.

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