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(9.)
Sesquicentennial
Celebration
Liberty ~ Graham Baptist Church, Butlerville,
Jennings County, Indiana
In 1972, a woman, Laura Marie Welch was
elected to serve on the Board of trustees.
Through the years Graham has had her ups and downs. On the second
Sunday in August 1929,Graham celebrated her centennial. Many former
members and Pastors came for the affair. A fine afternoon program was
enjoyed after a bountiful basket dinner on the grounds.
Shortly after this gala affair, Graham entered into the most dismal
years of her history. The Nation was in the middle of the great economic
depression and small rural Churches, like Graham, found it difficult to,
obtain finances. During the early 1930's, Graham more often than not, had
no Pastor. The Association was very concerned with the condition of the
weakest Churches, namely, West Fork, Freedom, Hebron and Graham. They
voted in 1931 to
"appoint a committee of five members to study this problem as
applied to the individual Churches concerned and to report their
findings and recommendations to the next meeting of the
Association."3.
This was done as recommended, and in 1932 the report on Graham reads as
fol1ows:
"No Pastor. Located five miles from Dupont on good road. Church
membership and population of community have deceased in past ten years.
Church decrease larger than that of community. Sunday School every Sunday
with average attendance of 12--(played but this summer --largely"
through lack of leadership. Good brick building located in beautiful
grove. Large yard but no outbuildings. Church neatly, tastily decorated
and furnished. A few minor repairs needed outside. Leak around the cupolo."3
The years until 1935 were especially bad and during this period- the
American,Baptist Convention area
Superintendent, Rev. Mitchell recommended to the Church
that they close the doors and merge with Dupont. Although the active
membership was only 15 loyal souls at
the time, they would not consider giving up their
century old organization. They prayed and labored and gave as they could.
In 1935, Brother Bairnard Lee of
Mt. Pleasant accepted the Pastoral call of the Church. He
stayed until June 1938. The Church paid him $10.00, when they
could, for preaching one Sunday a
month. Membership and attendance increased though, and between
25 and 30 were present for worship service. In 1938 when the Association
met, Graham was again without a Pastor
Another study of the weaker Churches was made
in compliance with Resolution No.4 of the 1938 session of the Madison
Baptist Association. The
following report was made:
"We have made a study. of the Churches in the Association and
find that all the
so-called weaker churches have regular:
Pastors but one. Namely Graham. They all have an active Sunday School. In
talking with members from
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