First Baptist Church of Logan

HISTORY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH LOGAN, OHIO.

Logan is the county seat of Hocking County and calls itself the "Gateway to Ohio's Scenic Wonderland". Southern Baptist became involved in this county with a population of over 25,000 in 1963.
Attempts to get a work established between 1956 and 1963 were unsuccessful. On April 16, 1963, a Home Bible Study Fellowship was held in Logan led by Area Missionary, Robert Hall, and attended by Hubert Hunting, pastor of FBC, Athens, Robert Shrigley, and one family from Logan. Another fellowship was held on May 5 and two families from Logan were represented, the Hisers and the Maynards. A Vacation Bible School and revival were held June 9-23, 1963, at 114 East Main Street. Regular services were begun in the basement of Mel Adams' home. Wilford Platt, a graduate student at Ohio University and a graduate of Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, led the services. When Mr. Platt graduated, Leonard Ferguson, State Convention employee in the Brotherhood Department, became interim pastor. In March, 1964 the chapel called Rev. Ferguson to be their pastor. The chapel constituted September 13, 1964, with 27 members and met on the second floor of the James Building in downtown Logan. In April 1965, with help from the State Convention, the first acre of the present property was purchased for $6,000.00. With the help of the 85th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, a loan from the Home Mission Board of $35,000.00 and a lot of faith, services were held in the first unit of the present buildings on December 15, 1965. Dedication services were on January 9, 1966, with Robert Hall bringing the message. In January 1970, the first deacons were ordained: Charles Moore, Roger Emerick, and Charles Rodd. A second educational unit with seven classrooms was dedicated on June 11, 1972. In June 1972, they voted sponsorship of the Lucasville Baptist Chapel which constituted in August 1973. Rev. Leonard Ferguson became the first active pastor in Scioto Valley Assoiation to go on to be with our Lord. He did so in July 1973.
Dr. Harold McBride of Dallas, Texas, served as interim pastor from April 1973 to September 1973. Rev. Paul White was called as pastor September 16, 1973. Under his leadership the church purchased their second acre of ground. Rev. John Burris was called in July 1976 and under his leadership Sunday School became an outreach ministry resulting in the greatest attendance ever experienced to that date. Rev. Paul Frazer served as pastor from 1978 to 1984. Randy Wood was called October 28, 1984. Under his leadership the church was the first in Scioto Valley to use the "Together We Build" program in financing a new building. The church subscribed over $126,000 toward building their third unit. Calvary Chapel in Logan was started in November 1987 in the basement of Joel and Karen Barkhurst's home. From there they meet in the Antioch Grange in Logan with Greg Ross as pastor. The work is now defunct.
Rev. Greg Magruder served as pastor of First Baptist from May 1991 through July 2000. Under his leadership, the church paid off its mortgage, cooperated with local agencies to meet community needs, and expanded ministry by adding pastoral staff members. Greg Ross, educational minister, and Kenny Kidd, youth minister, were added to the staff in 1996. Also, the church sponsored a new mission in Laurelville, Salt Creek Baptist Chapel.
In March 2003 the church called Kenny Kidd to serve as pastor, Rev. Kidd became the first pastor at First Baptist that the church ordained to the Gospel Ministry over the course of its 39-year history. In June of 2010 Pastor Kidd resigned to become a pastor in Springfield, Ill.. In October of 2010 the church called Pastor Jim Ditty. In September 2014 FBC celebrated 50 years of sharing and living the Gospel in Logan, Ohio. Currently the church is in the process of Pastor search as Jim Ditty and his wife Jenny moved back into the mission field in Guam.