CHURCH HISTORY

The First Baptist Church of New Paris, Ohio was organized on September 23, 1958. It began as a small group of people meeting in a storefront building on South Washington Street. There were twenty-eight charter members. Rev. John C. Amyx was the first pastor of the church. In October of 1958 the church petitioned the Eastern Indiana Association of Baptists for membership and was accepted into the group. On July 16, 1959 the congregation bought a lot on the corner of Central and Burley in Belleview Heights. Ground was broken soon afterward but, due to lack of funds and experience, the work was stopped and did not resume in earnest until September 1961. When the church outgrew the storefront building, the Grange Hall on South Washington Street was rented and the church met there from February, 1961 until work on the new church building was completed.

Bro. Amyx resigned as pastor in 1961 and Rev. Louis Vernon Compton was called as the second bi-vocational pastor on October 29, 1961. The first deacon, Wayne Hampton, was ordained by the church in August of 1962. With much rejoicing, the church dedicated its first building on May 20, 1964. Two years later, Bro. Compton resigned, recognizing that the church was ready for a full-time pastor. Rev. John Wilson was called as that pastor on March 20, 1966. Early in his pastorate, the church was received into the fellowship of the Greater Dayton Association of Baptists.

Bro. Wilson resigned on January 3, 1968 and the church was without a pastor until Rev. Don Pippin accepted the call on July 10, 1968. During his pastorate, the church outgrew the building in Belleview Heights and, after much prayer, acted on faith and bought the present property in 1969. The church building which completed and dedicated on June 27, 1971.

In June of 1972, Bro. Pippin resigned. After his resignation, Rev. Ernie Virgint served faithfully as interim pastor until Rev. Paul Stephenson began his ministry on January 3, 1973. Bro. Paul resigned as pastor in July of 1975 and Rev. Jeff Griffin was called as pastor in October of 1975. The church continued to grow and an addition to the sanctuary was approved by the church in November 1980. The newly built parsonage and the addition to the sanctuary were dedicated on September 27, 1981.

Bro. Jeff resigned as pastor in August 1981 and Rev. Leslie Baker was called as pastor in November 1981. He resigned as pastor in April 1983. Following his departure, the church was lovingly guided by Rev. Frank Badgett until Rev. Stan Stevenson began his pastorate on August 21, 1983. Bro. Stan gently led the church until his resignation as pastor in September 1987.

Once again, Bro. Frank Badgett became the interim pastor until Rev. Randy Tate was called as pastor in February 1988. During his pastorate, the church began a mission in Eldorado, which later organized as Bridgeview Baptist Church and called Bryan Rea, a member of First Baptist, as pastor. Bro. Bryan was ordained in 1992. The church also recognized the need for a Minister of Music and Cliff Oswell was called in January 1993. Bro. Randy resigned in June 1993 and in July 1993 Bro. Reggie Osborne was called as interim pastor. In November of that same year he was called to lead the church as pastor.

In the spring of 1994, Cliff Oswell resigned as Music Minister and in the fall of 1994, Rev. Chris Tannereuther was called as Music Minister and Associate Pastor. Chris resigned in the late fall of 1995 and in 1996 the church called Doug Morgan as Minister of Music, later becoming an Associate Pastor. In March 1998 the church ordained Rodney Shelley, former member of the church and pastor of Twin Creek Chapel. A few months later, in June 1998 the church called Steve Whalen as the first full-time Youth Minister.

In the year 2000, Bro. Doug Morgan resigned as Associate Pastor, and Bro. Kyle Hermann was ordained and called from our congregation as the pastor of Harrison Street Baptist Church in New Madison.  That same year Bro. Steve Whalen became a pastor. In 2002 Bro. Justin Murphy became our church’s third pastor, and the work of the church grew through many new initiatives. In 2004 Nathan Osborne began working with youth and leading our church bus ministry that carried on for many years, bringing many young children to church and Sunday School on Sunday Mornings. George Delk was ordained to ministry in 2006 and worked with youth and children. In the year of 2012 the church ordained to ministry Nathan Osborne, Rodney Reynolds, and Reggie Osborne II, each joining the pastoral team of elders. 

Later that year, Bro. Reggie Osborne resigned after 19 years of ministry.  During his ministry, the church grew greatly, ordained 6 men for gospel ministry, and reached many people for the Lord.  He resigned as the longest tenured preaching Pastor in our church’s history.  Reggie and Pam Osborne remained active members of the church for five years before accepting the call to pastor the First Baptist Church of Tipp City, Ohio in 2017.

Pastor Reggie Osborne II began preaching as a bi-vocational pastor in 2012. In 2014 the church began the Adorn Clothing Ministry out of the old parsonage building that quickly became the largest clothing ministry in Preble County. Now in its ninth year, Adorn has helped meet the needs of thousands of people.  In 2018, the church bought the High Street location to use as an offsite campus for discipleship and events.  Also that year Bro. Rodney Reynolds resigned from pastoral ministry and has since transitioned to pastor at Cornerstone Grace Church in Eaton, Ohio.

In January of 2023, Bro. Reggie Osborne II began full-time pastoral ministry after 10 years of bi-vocational service. In the summer of 2023, Bro. Steve Whalen celebrated 25 years of ministry in our church, making him the longest tenured minister in our church’s history.  We now celebrate our 65th Anniversary.  Pulpits and ministries in many surrounding churches can trace their spiritual heritage to much of the work that has been done in the name of the Lord in our small village of New Paris, Ohio. 

And the work goes on. Praise God.