HISTORY OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH of North Chili

In the fall of 1964 five families from North Baptist Church (on the north-east side of Rochester) began meeting in a home on Wednesday evenings in order to start a church on the west side of Monroe county. The next spring the church was formed and their first pastor began his ministry.

G. William Woodward (April 1965 to February 1969) – FBHM Missionary

Faith Baptist Church met in the Ogden Grange Hall for a month and then moved to a vacant Methodist church building on Buffalo Road. A purchase offer for $35,000 was accepted by Dr. Walter Kaufman in October of 1965 for the house (a split level that still functions as the parsonage) and property (twelve acres) at 2956 S. Union St. Around that time the church also voted to request fellowship with the Empire State Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches.

The church family grew quickly: 175 were in attendance at the first anniversary in 1966, 256 at the second anniversary and 345 on the third anniversary in 1968. A building program was initiated in the fall of 1967 with a bond issue of $145,000.00. The first services in the new facility were held on July 14, 1968.

Some families left to establish the Grace Baptist Church of Brockport. In 1969 approximately thirty people went with Pastor Woodward and began the Fellowship Baptist Church of Caledonia.

Fred Henzler (August 1969 to June 1974)

In 1973 a group of families, approximately 17 people, went to Henrietta to start the Henrietta Regular Baptist Church. Pastor Henzler resigned to become a church planting missionary with F.B.H.M. in Atlanta, Georgia (F.B.H.M. = Fellowship of Baptists for Home Missions).

Dr. Robert Williams of Baptist Bible Seminary served as interim pastor from October 1974 to February 1975.

William L. Stroup, Sr. (March 1975 to September 1985)

During Pastor Stroup’s ministry an ordination council and service was held for John Blackburn (August 3, 1979). Also a 22′ x 45′ storage building was added to the east side of the church building in 1980, and a 26′ x 28′ garage was added to the parsonage in 1981. A mortgage burning service was held in November 1982 and the final payment on a 15-year bond program was made December 1, 1982. The church was debt-free.

In 1985 a group left to start the Spencerport Bible Church. The church went on mission status with Baptist Mission of North America (successor to F.B.H.M.) and called Missionary Pastor…

Tom Baxter (December 1985 to June 1990) – BMNA Missionary

In March of 1990 the church graduated from BMNA mission status. The church then called…

Robert A. Aszbach (August 1990 to July 1991)

After Pastor Aszbach’s brief ministry, Rev. Charles Ellis was interim pastor the rest of 1991 and then Dr. Walter Schlundt of Practical Bible Training School was interim pastor from January to April, 1992.

Glenn L. Richard (April 1992 to September 2006)

Pastor Richard’s ministry was a stabilizing and building ministry. From 2000 to 2001 a gymnasium was added to the east side of the original building. It was dedicated on January 13, 2002. After that the connecting building between the original church structure and the gymnasium was remodeled into an attractive entrance, hallway and nicely appointed kitchen. Pastor Richard retired on September 30, 2006.

Joel E. Harriman (October 2006 to present)

Faith Baptist’s seventh pastor, Pastor Harriman, began his ministry on October 15, 2006.