Shaded by a brush arbor from the hot August sun of 1895, an itinerant preacher named W.B. Carter led a worship service in the small town of Goshen. Weeks after these first services, Goshen Baptist Church was constituted in 1895 with 17 charter members.
Land was donated by Dr. Davis. Other members cut and hauled timber to a sawmill owned by T.J. Sharpless where it was cut into the lumber that was to be used to construct a new church building. Rev. W.A. Cumbie was the first pastor and under his leadership the new building took shape.
In 1953, the members voted to build a new church building. Various fundraisers were held for the new building. One of the best remembered is that members planted and grew blue lupine. All the money collected from the sale of the seed went to the building fund. Members then worked together to build a large auditorium, several classrooms and fellowship hall. Lumber from the original building was salvaged and is still part of the new one and the bell from the bell tower of the old building now stands in front of the church. None of the labor to build the auditorium was hired, all was volunteered.
At the dedication of this new building a time capsule was placed behind a cornerstone marker and is there today. In 1969 a front porch enhanced the appearance and in 1971 a steeple was added. In the mid 70’s more classroom space was needed and an annex was added to the rear. Included were classrooms, nursery, and an office/music room.
In late 1957 and early 1958 the need for a pastorium was met by the members by building a modern home across the street from the church. Our pastor, Duane Day, was living in a rental house during the weekends and traveling back to his home on Sunday nights. When the pastorium was completed, he and his family moved in, and we again had a full-time pastor. This home was completely renovated in 2024.
Church in the 1980’s
In 1987 the church again needed to enlarge it’s facilities. A new fellowship hall, kitchen, and classroom were added and the older educational rooms were completely remodeled.
In all of the building and remodeling projects of the church memorials have been a vital part. The memorials of past members linger in Goshen Baptist Church because we have Hymn books, pew cushions, a kitchen and nursery, music equipment, and many other items purchased with memorials. In recent years, memorial gifts have been dedicated to the Gideons International for purchase of Bibles to give to those without.
Starting in this century, Goshen Baptist has been very involved with Operation Christmas Child which provides local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Samaritan’s Purse ships these simple gifts outside the United States to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease. Over the year, members collect items to be placed in the shoeboxes. Around November, we host a “packing party” to assemble all the shoe boxes to prepare them to be shipped around the globe.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, has collected and delivered more than 220 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Goshen Baptist Church 