More than 100 houses of worship provide continuity for a city in flux. Many have been around a century or more.
Including all in a single column would be impossible. But here’s a historical view of many longstanding Anderson congregations.
Central Christian, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Trinity Episcopal and St. Mary’s Catholic churches have anchored the downtown area. Their early buildings remain except First United Methodist, which rebuilt after a fire in the early 1960s.
Other original churches include Mounds Baptist, Fifth Street United Methodist, Whetstone United Church of Christ, Meadowbrook Baptist and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. First Church of the Nazarene has greatly expanded. So have St. Ambrose Catholic and Allen Chapel AME.
First Baptist relocated from West 14th to North Raible Avenue. And Calvary Temple Apostolic moved from Madison Avenue to 38th Street west of Raible, where its name is Connection Pointe. Central Wesleyan remains on Delaware. And First Friends moved from near downtown to Edgewood.
Park Place is the oldest Church of God congregation, having met in two or three locations before building at East Eighth Street and College Drive. The congregation moved up the hill to Fifth Street in 1960.
Other Churches of God date from that era. South Meridian has been at its present location since the early 1900s but replaced its original building in the early 1960s. Arrow Heights merged with Park Road to form the Church of God at West Anderson in the 1970s at the Park Road location, the Arrow Heights Community Church of God occupying the Arrow Heights building. Sherman Street erected a new building near its original site. Irondale and Jackson Park churches both have relocated, to Maple Grove and Main Street, respectively.
North Anderson Church of God started on Broadway, then moved to Scatterfield Road before relocating on the south side to become Madison Park Church. Sister congregation East Side Church of God outgrew three sanctuaries at its same location before building its present sanctuary.
Mergers of United Methodist congregations reflected demographic changes. Noble Street and Otterbein formed New Horizons, located on the south side. And Park Place and South Anderson United Methodist churches formed Cross Roads UMC on Scatterfield. Otterbein, originally First Evangelical United Brethren, originally was on Madison Avenue, and its building is now home to Greater Grace Temple Apostolic.
New Hope United Methodist, whose congregation dates from the original Second Methodist Church, recently relocated at 13th and Hendricks from 15th and Dr. J.T. Menifee streets.
North Anderson Wesleyan, one of the city’s oldest congregations, moved from Broadway to County Road 240N.
St. John’s Lutheran moved from West 14th Street to 53rd Street (Second Baptist worships at the old site), while Christ Lutheran moved from Main Street to Scatterfield Road. East Lynn Christian moved from Jefferson Street to 53rd Street.
Anderson is having to reinvent itself economically. But its churches provide a bastion of stability.
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.
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