Fifty years ago in May, I was a student at then-Anderson College. Adjacent to campus a magnificent new church building had been erected, and the congregation of Park Place Church of God was preparing to move from its old structure three blocks away.
Newspaper accounts billed it as the largest church in the city, seating 1,300 and costing $1.7 million to build at 1959 prices.
The congregation was to meet at the old church on May 29, 1960, which then would be deeded to the college. They would then march up the hill to the new building for the initial service at 11 a.m.
When I arrived at the East Eighth Street and College Drive facility, an overflow crowd had jammed the church. I stood at the rear of the balcony for the last service in the old church, then scampered down the fire escape to beat the rush to the new church.
A picture in the Anderson Daily Bulletin the next day showed the procession reaching the new church. Dr. Dale Oldham, senior pastor, carried the pulpit Bible, along with the pastoral staff of Ray Tuttle, David Coolidge and Elbert Jones, followed by members of the congregation. They were singing “Lead On O King Eternal,” started to the tune of the organ at the old church. As we entered the new church, the hymn’s grandeur swelled larger as organist Shirley King (who became Shirley Coolidge a few days later in the new church’s first wedding) performed on the 3,136-pipe Casavant Freres organ in the new sanctuary.
After Dr. Oldham delivered the first sermon in the new building, he announced he had preached without the aid of the public address system in the “live” sanctuary – a feat few besides himself would ever attempt.
Both newspapers announced details of a busy first week at the new church, climaxed by the dedication service one week later with Anderson College President Robert Reardon as speaker.
With half a century passing, the building is no longer new. It has undergone remodeling, added parking, had numerous repairs and added an elevator and handicap accessibility as the congregation’s average age has increased. And it is no longer the biggest church in town. Its cross-topped spire, however, sitting on the highest ground in Anderson, towers over the community now as it did then.
The old church became the college’s music hall for several years before it was destroyed by fire in the mid-to-late 1960s.
One of the highlights of the original celebration was an all-church pitch-in dinner.
Members of the congregation are preparing for a golden anniversary celebration on May 16. It comes as no surprise that a pitch-in dinner will be part of the anniversary observance.
After all, over the history of Christianity, much debate has ensued over what is proper among celebrations. But there’s one thing all Christians love to do: Eat.
Jim Bailey’s reflections on Anderson’s past appear on Sunday. His regular column appears on Wednesday. He can be reached by e-mail at jameshenrybailey@earthlink.net.
