Lebanon Baptist Church

By Nathan Bridwell

                And Jesus said, “I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail.  Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you.”  Now you are the body of Christ – one body one spirit as you are called in one hope and you shall be my witnesses.
            Lebanon had lived for the last 150 years because Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, has led men and women to be concerned about the Father’s business.
            Prior to 1767, this area belonged to the Piankashaw Indians.  In this year the tribe gave the area to the Delaware tribe.  Soon after the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 the Indians had been ordered to the reservation in Kansas.  About the beginning of the 1800’s these fertile lands began to attract the white man.  Among the first visitors were the Jesuit missionaries (who were well received by the Indians).
            About 1805, white men came into this territory with the dream of forming settlements.  They came from Vincennes which had already been established 100 years.  The exploring parties had carried home reports of fertile land along White River and Eel River.  Since they came by canoe, the first settlements were along the rivers.  This area around Lebanon was known for its wild game.  All species common to this latitude could be found in this area and hunters came from far and wide to exercise their skills.
            The first election in Wright Township was held under a burr oak tree which stood on the south side of the road about three-fourth’s of a mile east of Lebanon, where Lattas Creek crosses the Lebanon-Lone Tree road.  No ballot box was used as only 8 men voted.
            The first Baptist Church in the area was built of logs in 1823.  It stood about a half mile north of the burr oak where the first election took place.
            Richard Wright, a preacher, farmer, blacksmith, and Justice of the Peace carried a petition that Smith Township be divided and in 1838 Wright Township was formed and named in his honor.
            Before any churches or “meeting houses” were built, services were held in the cabins or in a clearing.  Circuit riders rode from place to place on horseback.  Preachers and churches were scarce, but land was plentiful and cheap.
            In 1844 the U.S. Government deeded to David Bonham, a great uncle of Joe Smith, 120 acres.  One acre in the northeast section was to be set aside for a church and each land transaction made this point clear.  The following year Mr. Bonham deeded an acre to the trustees of the Olive Branch Baptist Church.  This area is now the northeast corner in the Lebanon Cemetery.   In 1846 a church building was formed which was known as “The Old Meeting House” or “The Old Crossroads Meeting House”.  The building was constructed with huge logs.

As the town of Linton began to grow, those in the extreme southern position of the territory saw an opportunity for a larger congregation so a decision was made to move the Olive Branch Church to its present location on highway 54.
            Almost half of the Olive Branch Church was left in and near Midland without a title to land or a building.  Use was made of a school building which sat on the northwest corner of the present parking lot.  On a Saturday in May 1856, 38 intrepid souls of the community met under the leadership of Elder B.D.C. Herring at the Crossroads Meeting House.  They jointly asked for their letters of membership from the Olive Branch Church, then crossing the road to the school house on the corner, proceeded to organize the Lebanon Baptist Church.
            After several years, Albert Larr, the first church clerk, deeded one-half an acre to the church, which is the site of the present white church.  In 1878 the present white church was erected.
            At this early time, the population was sparse and homes were scattered.  Families came for miles in buggies, wagons, on horseback, sleds or on foot.  By 1893 extensive repairs were needed.  The roof, doors, windows and plaster were in bad shape because of neglect and lack of money.  In 1894 more pews were needed because of a growing congregation.  The pews were made of a native yellow poplar by skilled church members and then enameled tan.
            The early church held strict discipline over its members.  Exclusions were common for violations of conduct thought to be unbecoming of a Christian.  Usually excluded members would appear before the church, confess their sin or misconduct and ask to be reinstated.
            In 1906 the school on the northwest corner of the parking lot was abandoned so the land reverted to the original owner.  The Larr heirs then made a quit claim deed of this area to the church.  Evidently, the deed was never recorded until just a few years ago.
            A poll book for 1874 lists only 540 voters in all of Wright Township.  Within 50 years the area would boom and then decline.  The residents of Midland today would be surprised to know what happened during that period.
            The little village near Lebanon was not officially named until the post office was established in 1884.  It was named Midland either because it was half way between Sullivan and Worthington on the old mail route or it was named after the Midland Coal Company located at the west edge of the village.

The Indiana State Gazetteer lists the population of Midland at 100 in 1887 and at 35 in 1895.  In 1900 the Southern Indiana Railroad was built through town.  Then, on May 1, 1901, the Midland Coal Company deeded 32.78 acres to the town.  This was divided into lots, streets, alleys and sidewalks.  Several additions were added which were also laid out according to definite guidelines.  One restriction was that all deeds to property in Midland contained the clause that no alcoholic beverage could be sold on the lots.  If alcohol was sold the land would revert to its original owner or their heirs.  So, the Blue Goose Saloon was located outside of town, on the south side near the P & I mine.  Even today, after a hard rain, pieces of blue and green glass             turn up where the saloon used to be located.
                        With the coming of the railroad the area began to bloom.  Mines were sunk in every direction.  Tower Hill, P & I, and Midland mines were all within a stones throw of the town.  It is said that at one time, work whistles for 33 mines could be heard in downtown Midland.  Each arriving passenger train brought in men seeking employment.
                        The Monon railroad, at various times, built many branches to reach the different mining operations.  A large roundhouse was built at the Monon Yards, south of Midland.  Many of the section hands lived in box cars but living quarters and a large beanery was built in the Monon Yards.  Over 120 men were fed there every day.  A coke oven was just south of Midland near the railroad and a brick plant was located near the lake.  Clay from the area was used in making the brick.
                        Over the years, Midland’s main street was lined with businesses of many kinds.  The reservoir which furnished water to fill the stream engines was used for a recreation lake, they could fish or row boats.
                        By the turn of the century the little village of Midland had grown.  Business was thriving.  Other Christian groups met.  The Holmes group and the Methodist’ shared the Midland Movie House since it wasn’t busy on Sunday mornings.  Yet Lebanon was still the dominant congregation with its message of a risen Savior.
                        By 1915 Lebanon had replaced the kerosene lamps around the room with gas and in 1925 the lamps were replaced with electrical lights.
                        In 1920 more room was needed, and a basement was added.  The work was made easier with horses and scrapers; still there were corners and other areas where hand work was needed.   Members once again were equal to the occasion.
                        As educational techniques became available they were added to the church plans.  Sunday School was mentioned in the minutes in 1871; whether or not the proposal was tabled we cannot tell.  There was no further reference found until 1896 when John Poe was elected Superintendent, Theodore Larr, Assistant and Lillie Jewel, Secretary.  Since then Sunday School has been a vital part of each Sunday’s schedule.  During the 1920s to 1950s attendance ran well over 100.  Mimeographs, 16mm projectors, slide projectors, filmstrip projectors, record players, overheads, opaques, screens, copy machines, and now computers came into use as they became available.
                        Not only had the congregation grown, the Sunday School was getting too loud.  The steps to the basement were in the northwest corner of the sanctuary.  Coal stoves on each side of the church were replaced with a coal furnace.  Two doors on the west side had allowed men to come in one door and the women the other.  Though the two doors remained, men and women began to sit together in families.
                        In 1937 the sanctuary floor was sanded and varnished.  A vestibule was added on the south west corner, the basement steps were moved from the northwest to the southwest.

In 1938 Bob Martin needed supplies for an art project in his art class at I.U., so the Church donated $25 for art supplies and Bob painted our picture of Christ in the Garden.  It was rumored that he got an “A”.
            New pews were purchased in 1939.  They have since been refinished once by Mancil Newgart and a crew of members.  The pews were upholstered in the 1970s.
            In 1944 Theodore Larr added four more acres which brought the ground to ten acres and to the railroad track.  Now there was room for a parsonage.  The parsonage was built 3/8 of a mile east of the church.  It was the home of Max and Pearl Terhune.  Possession passed to the Maumee Collieries Coal Company and they donated the home to the church.  It was moved to its present location in 1944.  Since then there have been several improvements including an addition to make the home four bedrooms and a garage has been added.
            In 1950 George Pope’s Sunday School class started a fund to add additional space to the basement area.  There were two purposes in mind.  One: for the Sunday School rooms; and two: to serve as a base for further expansion.  The base was constructed in 1950.
            1956 was another year of much physical expansion.  There was a new entrance, a new belfry, 7 new classrooms added over the 1950 base.  Activities and enrollment had increased.  1956 was also a year of celebration.  Lebanon was 100 years old.  A week of services was held.  Ministers ordained by Lebanon spoke each night.  Our church was represented in the Linton parade for the first time and a yearbook with pictures of members, deacons, pastors, and many activities was printed.
            1962 brought extensive remodeling.  Two rooms were added to the parsonage.  The sanctuary was paneled, the ceiling was lowered, new windows, new electric wiring and lights, restrooms and a new oil furnace were added.
            A blacktop parking lot was added in 1967 and extended in 1968.  It was resurfaced in 1977 with a tennis/basketball court included.
            In 1944 it was felt that there was the need for a baptistery.   Baptismal services had been held in the Midland reservoir, the boat lake, the river and once in a while a baptistery in a nearby church.  A Sunday evening in August 1974 was a joyous occasion, ground breaking services were held for the long awaited baptistery.  A nursery, a Pastor’s study, three additional classrooms, and an added basement were also include.
            In 1975 awnings were added to both south entrances.

feast was held on the 4th July.  Landscape of our grounds changed dramatically as Peabody Coal Company edged a little closer to our back door.  Permission was given to them to clear and level, to some extent, the area between the church and parsonage.
            Of course all the original group that founded Lebanon has been gone for many years.  In fact there have been several new church bodies at Lebanon as new members are added and older members passed to receive their reward.
            As new members are added, new ideas become established practices.  A good example is the yearly Bible School.  It had been changed from nine until noon of a morning to six until eight or nine in the evening.  Now moms and dads who work outside the home can be included in the education of the young.  Another feature of Bible School is the cookie and fruit juice break.  Everyone looks forward to these minutes to boost their flagging energy.
            Free garage sales was another new idea with win-win solutions.  Clothes closets, attics, basements, garages and even barns become uncluttered and useful items become useful for someone again.
            Youth too, come with new ideas.  Some could not get friends to come with them to church, so on Thursday evenings they went out on the streets in Jasonville and served cotton candy and hot dogs.  Crowds came and received witnessing as they enjoyed the food.  Now we have a musical group- -Street Warriors, which perhaps evolved from these early adventures.
            Since it is never long before youth becomes mature church leaders, special programs of the church are for the youth.  Many of our youth began a camping experience while they were quite young.  In 1991 Children’s Church was begun for nursery, kindergarten, primary, and juniors.  In 2004 Pioneer club became Awana.  The children’s library started in 1992.  Outside there were basketball goals, tennis court, children’s play ground equipment and a coed softball team became standard expectations where ministry could begin to involve young minds in deeper thoughts for the Lord.
            A youth nativity-drive-by has been an every year occurrence since 1992.  That same year a library was established for readers from first grade to 100 and over.  In 2005 Herb Stough built some new shelves for the library.
            In May 1992, near decoration day, a very impressive Memorial service was given by the Indiana National Air Guard 181st Flight Group.  Floyd Cramer along with other members from the Guard came from Terre Haute.
            In 1998 Lynn Hobbs became our first elected Deaconess.  Other ladies, wives of the Deacons, had really served in this unofficial capacity; but Lynn was the first to be officially recognized as a Deaconess.  The remaining class that year was Rick Hobbs, Floyd Cramer, Dough Griffith and Dean Clark.  The ordination took place on Sunday afternoon, February 21.  Since that time there have been no less the two Deaconesses on the Board.  There has always been a place for Lebanon Ladies.  One has become an Associate Minister in the First Baptist Church in Indianapolis.  A very active ABW has a Thanksgiving and Christmas gift program.  They along with the Deaconesses were responsible for beginning a food pantry for the needy of our community.

In 1996 the Church added a master bedroom at the parsonage along with a new bathroom.  Through the years there has always been regular maintenance of the property buildings.  New roofs and siding for the old building.  Renovation for the parsonage happens with regularity.  The last renovation for the parsonage came in 2006.  Not all of the churches finances were spent selfishly.  The Church voted in 1996 to give at least 10% of its income for missions.
            Although month long revivals have become history, there have been special evangelistic services.  Seldom is there a Sunday without decisions being made and prayers for special needs.  In 1996 cottage prayer groups began in October.  Several years the church has had days of 24 hours of continuous prayer.  In 2001 there was a period of time when there were 168 hours of continuous prayer.  This was just before the move into the new building.
            In 1998 the Trustees painted a rather gloomy view of the many needed repairs of the old building which had been constructed in 1878.  In the July business meeting of 1998 it was pointed out that the congregation had a licensed engineer, about four master carpenters, three electricians, a plumber, some handy men and some heavy equipment operators.  By December of that year an initial plan became a top priority.  Many plans were worked out such as:  pews, chairs, bathrooms, color of carpets, entry tile, bricks, lighting, loans, and final drawings.  The church became a corporation with the Trustees responsible for the church finances.  A loan was approved in November.
            The building was started in 2000.  A tremendous amount of dirt had to be hauled in and packed down tight over large tile before construction could begin.  The Lord provided.  Jim and Sheila Yeryar had been planning for a pond for their horses.  They lived almost directly across the road from the needed dirt.  Scott Crowe had heavy equipment, loaders, dozers and compactors.  Mike Cooprider and Rick Miller had dump trucks.  There were also other community truckers and helpers.  Mr. Talpas poured the floor of concrete.  Kenny Felker, Jeff Stockrahm, Doug Griffith, Bob Mowery and others put the steel up and put the building together.  Keith Pope, Tim Stevens, Jerry Hill and Mark Akers did the wiring.  Dave Hoskins did the plumbing.  Watson did the heating and air conditioning.  The bricks and the thousands of dollars had been saved by the generous use of gifted time.  The Church moved in for Easter service in 2001 even though all the furnishings were not in place.  The work had been completed in record time.  Dan Wiese was the engineer for the project.

In 2002 a new sound system was purchased with the capability for slides, movies and computer controlled data and programming.  A new flag pole was added this year too.  In 2005 we lost our pastor David Hoskins, so Dr. Larry Osman came to serve as an Interim.  Rony Reyes and Hope, along with Gabriel, came to serve us as pastor in February 2006.  We have added a web site this year so that all may check on the Church activity this 150th year.
            It may be interesting to note that Lebanon has had 70 ministers, including interims these 150 years.  There have been only 52 different pastors for some have returned to serve the congregation more than once.  One pastor ran off with one of our married piano players and did not come back.
            We have sent 25 ordained ministers out from our Church to preach the Word.
            Each organization within the church has a rich history of accomplishments: the Deacons, the Trustees, the Board of Christian Education, the Women’s Missionary, the Choir, the Youth, Sunday School, and Vacation Bible School.  There are many who deserve to be on the church honor roll, but not a one who has worked for their own praise.  They have done all for the glory of the Lord.  God knows who they are.
            As we wait for Christ’s coming, may Lebanon Baptist Church continue to prosper, continue to improve, and continue to be a light in the community and for the surrounding churches.