Church History
Brother Jeremiah Fitzgerald, a native of Danville, Virginia began our church in 1885. Having been reared in the Baptist church in Danville, Brother Fitzgerald was shocked after he migrated to Pittsburgh to find only three Baptists in the East Liberty section of the city. The three were Wilmore Johnson, Alexander Barbour and William Dangerfield.
The first meetings, overwhelming in power and spirit, were held in the home of Mrs. Melvina Dent. At one meeting where the spirit prevailed the home was so filled with glad rejoicing and thanks-filled testimonies that the police broke up the meeting and dismissed its members. They arrested Brother Fitzgerald on charges of disturbing the peace of the neighborhood. The group suffered much humiliation from this unsavory incident. The meetings were moved to the home of Mrs. Thomas Ransome.
On the first Friday in May 1885, on a site that is at the rear of Rodman's current location, Fitzgerald, Johnson, Barbour, Dangerfield, Daniel Walker, Annie and Thomas Ransome, Samuel Loveless, Maria Bumbrey and Amanda Holmes began to organize the present church. The first Sunday in May 1885 our church was set apart by the While Baptist Church in the 6400 block of Penn Avenue. The last Thursday in August of that year set the reorganization of the Salome Baptist Church, as were then called.
An arsonist set fire to and destroyed the beacon light (our church house) that stood at the corner of Rodman Street and Collins Avenue for 85 years on Saturday,May 15, 1971. It was a dark day in the history of this house of God. While many churches and building were offered to the membership for worship, Rev. Bowick accepted the offer of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, located on Highland Avenue just a few blocks from the site of the church. On Sunday, May 16, 1971, we had services as usual from Sunday school straight thru Baptist Training Union.
The membership decided during a church business meeting in September 1972 to tear down the one remaining wall and to rebuild on the same site. Pastor and Mrs. Bowick and a small group of members secured a building permit in November 1972. Ground breaking for the new church occurred on February 16, 1974. (cont'd |