First Baptist Church celebrates 125th anniversary

This weekend, Olds First Baptist Church will be celebrating its 125th anniversary.

On Saturday, June 24, a banquet will be held at the church. As of late last week, 188 tickets had been sold ñ roughly capacity for the facility.

Following the banquet, current and former pastors -- or their spouses or close relatives -- will be interviewed. Several former associate pastors from as far away as Manitoba will also attend.

In addition, several politicians, including Mayor Judy Dahl, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper and Red Deer-Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen will bring greetings.

Then, on the morning of Sunday, June 25, a church service will be held, followed by a barbecue. Dallas Christopherson, chair of the church's 125th anniversary committee, anticipates more than 400 people will attend that event.

Christopherson says Rev. David Spate, son of former pastor Harold Spate, will be preaching during the church service.

ìThe anniversary is just a way of celebrating God's goodness to us and the fact that we've enjoyed 125 years in this wonderful community of Olds,î he says.

The church dates back to 1892, before Alberta became a province or Olds became a town. At that time, its services were held in the log farm home of James Marshall.

ìHis homestead was just on the northeast edge of town,î Christopherson says. ìThe nearest we can figure, it would have been just kind of right along Highway 2A ñ on the east side of 2A, just north of the PetroCan fuel station there.î

He says parishioners continued to meet in people's homes until 1903 when the congregation bought an old schoolhouse, located where the new Cam Clark Ford dealership is today.

Later, it was moved one block south. Over the years, several additions were built to house offices, a fellowship hall and a parsonage, etc.

By the late 1950s, the congregation had grown to nearly 100 people. The church was too small, so in 1959 it was sold. In 1960, construction began on a new facility in First Baptist Church's present location on 50th Street.

Additions were built in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, including a new sanctuary.

ìThat new sanctuary was built entirely debt-free ñ we didn't borrow a nickel to build it ñ and a lot of it was done with volunteer labour as well,î Christopherson says. ìWe can squeeze 500 in there.î

ìFor the last ñ nearly 15 years, we've run two church services every Sunday morning and have between 250 and 300 (people) per service.î

Over the decades, the number of pastors looking after the flock has grown from one to four.

ìThey're all kept very busy,î Christopherson says. ìIf we could afford it, we could probably use two more.î

The church also undertakes missionary work and participates in projects to improve the lives of people around the world.

ìWe're very involved with the food bank in town as well. One pastor interacts with the food bank an awful lot,î Christopherson says.

He also notes that a monthly luncheon for seniors has become extremely popular.

ìSeniors come from as far away as Three Hills for that,î Christopherson says, adding a bus is hired to bring those seniors to Olds for that event. He notes many local seniors also attend.

ìIf we had enough room I bet we could feed 3- or 400, but our Fellowship Hall is only big enough for about 230 or so,î he adds.