Our History

Historical Sketch of Red House Baptist Church

The early history of Red House Baptist Church is closely related to the village of Red House. It received its name from the Red House Lines, which was the only means of transportation to the community before the building of the railroad in 1884. The Red House Lines ran to the red brick house where Harold and Jean Bucher now reside. When the railroad was completed, a depot called Red House was erected near Otter Creek. People began to build homes near the depot and thus became the village of Red House.

People of the Baptist faith had no public place to worship. They traveled to Tates Creek Baptist Church on Boonesborough Road. They longed for a church in their community due to the hardship of travel and time. They sought in the leadership of the Lord. Their prayers were answered when the Tates Creek Baptist Church voted to establish a mission in the Red House community in 1892.

A strip of land between Otter Creek and the railroad was purchased for $120 from Alex & Mary Jane Black. Ninety-five dollars was raised to build a white, framed building and two outdoor toilets. It was completed in 1892, free of debt. The mission was named United Baptist Church of Red House.

In October of 1907, 59 people asked the Tates Creek Baptist Church for the right to withdraw and organize a separate Missionary Baptist Church. The petition was granted and letters were issued. The church was admitted into the Tates Creek Association in 1908.

In 1912 the name was changed to The Baptist Church at Red House. In the years to follow, it came to be called Red House Baptist Church as it is known today.

In 1936, because of the work of the Holy Spirit, the church began to outgrow the facilities. Parishioners were worshipping in a one-room building. Sunday School was held in sheeted partitions that were drawn back for the worship service. In August of 1939, the church began the task of raising money to build a new church away from the noise of the passing trains.

Prayers for a building site were answered when Ray & Eleanor Wilson were led to donate a tract of land at the top of Red House Hill in 1945. The church accepted one acre of land despite the Wilson’s efforts to give all the land on the lower side. Construction began in July 1948. The new concrete building was completed in 1949 at a cost of $19,158.04.

In 1952, a three-room parsonage was built at a cost of $3,000. The Lord continued to bless. The growth in membership necessitated improvements in the building and grounds. In 1966, the front and sides of the building were bricked; stained glass windows and other repairs

were added at a cost of $11,751. Air conditioning was added later that same year.

A two-story education building with a fellowship hall on the south side and a balcony were built in 1971. This increased seating by 150. Total cost was $60,000. The church purchased one acre of land from Evans Spurlin in 1973 and a new three-bedroom brick parsonage with a asement was constructed in 1978 for a cost of $45,000. The old parsonage was sold and moved to Red House. City water and natural gas lines were stalled in the church.

In 1981, the Sanctuary was expanded; new carpeting, new ceilings, stained glass windows and a steeple were added. Cost was $150,000. The parsonage was converted to an Educational Annex in 1986 and the pastor was given a housing allowance. Eleven acres of land were purchased from Wallace Wilson in 1989 for $13,000.

In 1991, three more acres of land were purchased from Evans Spurlin for $30,000. Two morning worship services and two Sunday Schools were started in 1992 because church membership had outgrown its present facilities. On September 27^th, the church held a celebration for its 100 years of ministry. In October of this same year, the construction for the new sanctuary began. It consisted of a 700-seat semi-circle auditorium, loft choir, two foot drop podium, laminated wooded beams, baptistery, office space, lighting and sound, handicapped access, parking lots blacktopped, and landscaping. Total cost was $726,000. Dedication of the new Sanctuary addition was held June 27^th, 1994. A picnic shelter was constructed in the rear of the church in 1998.

The church purchased one acre of land on the north side of the church in the year 2000 from Charlie & Ruth Ramsey for $30,000. This land contained a house and a trailer, which were demolished. In 2002, a “One in the Spirit” weekend held at the church identified the need for a Family Life Center. This prompted the church’s formation of a Long Range Planning Team. In 2003, the Long Range Planning Team proposed to the hurch the creation of a master plan to chart the next 10 years of growth and future building locations. The church voted that EOP Architects be hired to perform this task. A design charrette was held to address the concerns of the church regarding needs, dreams, and hopes of Red House members. The result was a plan of expansion for the church called “The Master’s Plan” which included a 3 year giving program with the church members committing to give 1 million dollars over the next 3 years to retire existing debt and provide funds for phase one construction cost.

The audio-video ministry installed new video projection equipment for the front of the sanctuary in December 2002. This equipment will be used for visual projections during worship services, and other events. A new control booth was also created in the rear of the sanctuary and the old main speaker system was replaced. Cost for these updates was $50,000.

In September 2003, the church was presented with the Master’s Plan. It is six phases of addi-tions and renovations to the church and its property. In late April 2004, the Educational Annex and picnic shelter was razed and ground was broken for the new Family Life Center. The center will be a 27,000 square-foot facility consisting of a full-size gym, weight room, aerobics room, walking track, men and women’s locker rooms with showers, 12 classrooms, a youth room and a commercial-size kitchen. The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Family Life Center was held on Mother’s Day 2004.

A new video projection screen system was added to the rear of the sanctuary in April 2005. This projection system will assist the choir and praise team. Cost of this addition was $9,000.

On May 15^th, 2005 a dedication ceremony was held for the grand opening of the new Family Life Center. The total cost was $2.7 million. The Family Life Center completes the first phase of the Master’s Plan.

In July 2007, the church purchased the house and 4.2 acres of land on the South end of the church from Harold and Jean Bucher for $100,000. This allowed for property line expansion and also allowed the church to control the use of the house and land. Also, the church is constructing a combination soccer and softball field in the rear of the church. This is tentatively scheduled for completion in late 2007.

Summary: The fruits enjoyed today come from the roots of the past. Members of Red House Baptist Church have given time, talents, and resources because of their love for the Lord. The life of Jesus comes alive in persons of the past, present and future. Many steps of faith have been taken and God has blessed Red House Baptist Church in varied ministries.

Originally penned by Mrs Edna Oliver for the 2002 church directory. Updated by Mrs Linda Niederbrach in March 2004, and again in July 2005. Updated in October 2007.