Midway Baptist Church was constituted on June 27, 1872. Here are some things that you may not know about us:
- Our founding pastor was a student at nearby Georgetown College. Through the years, many of our leaders have been college students and adults in their early 20s, a tradition that continues even today.
- We have been located on the same site virtually from the beginning.
- Our first building debt was $150. We paid it off in 1876.
- In 1889 we partnered with another area church to send the first Baptist missionary to Japan. A vase in the overflow room of our sanctuary commemorates that mission mindset that took root early on and still defines us as a congregation.
- Through the years, MBC added on to its original sanctuary with a number of building projects. An educational building was constructed in 1950, and a multipurpose building—our new Ministry Center—was completed in 2004.
- At one point a steeple was added to our historic belltower. However, after it was struck by lightning, concerned members took it down in 1942.
- The church bell still works. Our children take turns ringing it every year on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday, and we let the young and young at heart ring it on request at other times of the year.
Midway Baptist Church as a Missional Church
In April, 1892 the Church agreed in conjunction with Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Woodford County, to support Brother J. W. McCollum as a missionary to Japan. Each church contributed $300 to this cause and Bro. McCollum was the first Baptist missionary on the Japanese field. When he and his wife came home on their first furlough, they presented each church with a beautiful vase. The one given to Mt. Vernon was later broken but we still have ours as a reminder of our history of supporting missions.
In July, 1957, Mr. Walter Langley built a case for the vase and it was placed in the south wing of the church. During the sanctuary renovation in 2000, the vase was removed for safekeeping and Mr. Jim Noel repaired and repainted the cabinet. It was reinstalled in the corner of the overflow wing as a permanent display of our heritage in missions at Midway Baptist Church.
Oral History Project
In honor of the 140th Anniversary of Midway Baptist Church in 2012, we are working with the Kentucky Historical Society to complete an oral history of several church members. Interviews will be recorded over the coming year, and the Historical Society will archive them for future generations to enjoy. Sarah Milligan from the Historical Society will be at the church on August 10, at 7:00 p.m. to train anyone who wants to perform the interviews. If you are interested in being an interviewer (or being interviewed), please see Blake Jones.Printed church histories are also available in our office.