Photo of our 150th anniversary celebration held 2004
The first organized Church of God in Indiana
was Old Union 9 miles northeast of Indianapolis. An attempt toward a
semi-General Conference was made at Old Union in 1858. The Ohio
State Conference was first organized in 1828. Their purpose - “That we should,
when there are 3 or more believers in a place, organize ourselves under the
name of Church of God, recognizing no other name for ourselves than Christians,
and none other for the Church but the Church of God“.
The
General Conference met August 29th, 1910 in Waterloo, Iowa where
they adopted 16 articles of faith. In Indiana the churches had been
cooperating in a more or less way. On September 10th, 1886, a
state wide meeting was called at Argos and a fully organized Conference came
into being.
The
only church that belongs to the conference that still exists is North Salem.
Later, Burr Oak, Hillisburg, Hedrick, Lafayette and South Bend (Hope Chapel and
Morning Star) joined the conference. The
following churches are now a part of the Indiana (Church of God) State
Conference: Timberland Bible Church
(South Bend); North Salem (Plymouth);
Burr Oak Church of God (Burr Oak); Community Bible Fellowship(Culver); Maple
Grove (Kokomo); Country Chapel (Michigantown); Hedrick Church of God (Hedrick); New Covenant (Indianapolis); and Knightstown
Family Fellowship (Knightstown).
The
Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith has its headquarters in McDonough, Georgia,
and was formerly located in Oregon Illinois. The General Conference and
the Atlanta Bible College are together with the College beginning in
1939.
The Hedrick congregation was formed on
February 11th, 1854. Elected elders were David Evans, John
Millhollin and James Smith. The deacons were Milford Pugh and Samuel B.
Mathis. The members totaled 30 (just about what our attendance is
now). This is believed to be the oldest church organization in
Jordan Township.
Their purpose was to carry out the great
commission of the Savior as recorded in Mt. 28; Mark 16 and Luke 24.
Baptism was to be by immersion.
The church was erected at Pleasant View in Jordan township,
one mile north and two miles east of Hedrick, in 1870 (some records show
1875). The church was called the Church of God, or Soul Sleepers, and the
building was built on the southwest of Pleasant View Corner. The building
was used part time by the Christian Church for Sunday School. This group
later decided to build across the road on the northwest corner.
Pleasant View was at one time called Gas Corner.
Across the corner from the church was a blacksmith shop where mail for people
of the community was brought from West Lebanon whenever anyone would be coming
that way. The men folks gathered at the shop to get mail and tell and
hear the latest news, hence the name Gas Corner.
On April 22nd, 1922 a cyclone destroyed Hedrick
and the two churches at Pleasant View. Neither one was rebuilt at the
Corner. The Church of God built in Hedrick and the Christian Church built
in Pence; which no longer exists. The Church of God building was built in
1949. In the interim the congregation held church in the Hedrick school
for 27 years. During this time J.H. Anderson was pastor, although
not living in the area. The congregation was not very active and Sunday
School was kept alive through the efforts of Mary Flint, Etta Hurley and Mr.
and Mrs Leslie Smith.
After the death of pastor Anderson the congregation was
pastoreo by Brown, McCoy, James Watkins, Sidney Magaw and Warren
Sorenson. During the pastorate of James Watkins on June 1948 lots were
purchased in Hedrick for the new church. The old lot at Pleasant View was
sold and the first sod was turned on June 1949. Warren Sorenson pastored
at the time of completion. The church was dedicated on May 13, 1951.
Warren Sorenson was the master of ceremonies and James Watkins gave the
dedication message. Mrs Netti Evans (widow of Williamsport banker Cyrus Evans) was the
treasure of the building fund and made the building possible by her financial
support. At her suggestion, other members and friends of the church paid
what they could and she supplied the balance.
By September 1951 the building was free from
indebtedness. This same year Warren Sorenson resigned as pastor and was
followed by Darrell Maddock , Curtis Simpson , James Watkins (for the 2nd
time), Larry Townsend, James Graham, Wally Winner, Tim New, Ed Goit, Dennis Cheatwood,
Earl Poland and now Pastor Joe Astolfi.
A Social and Educational Building was built in 1962.
The building was contracted by Leonard Ducker and members of the
congregation wired, insulated and paneled the interior.
In 1974 and 1975,
during
the pastorate of Wally Winner, an
addition of two classrooms, two restrooms (our “outhouse” could not accommodate
the people for state conferences and youth retreats) and a pastor’s study.
In September 1979 a new garage was put on the lot for the
parsonage, during the pastorate of Tim New. In 1986 a pastor study/library and storage
room was added to the Social and Educational building during the pastorate of
Ed Goit. In 2004 the parsonage was sold to Earl Poland.
Baptisms for the church were held in the Jordan Creek
southwest of West Lebanon, regardless of the weather (at a baptism in the
winter, ice had to be cut for the pastor and the one being baptized).
Later the congregation used the baptistery of the Christian churches of
Williamsport and West Lebanon,, and the Brown’s swimming pool across the street
from the church. In the 80’s a baptistery was installed in the
church.
The Hedrick Church of God has been most generous in giving
to missionaries, the needy, the community (with monetary donations and time to such
projects as Habitat for Humanity), and student attending the Church of God
Bible College. My son. Steve, and daughter, Marilyn were able to attend
the Bible College through the generosity of the Hedrick Church of God. Hedrick
established a scholarship fund for the Bible College 1983.
Presented at the 150th Anniversery of
the church by Elder Frank Taylor in 2004
(a few updates have been added)
