By W.H. Patterson
No doubt Free Will Baptists from the northern line (the Randall movement) existed in Indiana before that group merged into the Northern Baptist Convention in 1910-11, just as they did in neighboring states like Illinois and Ohio. Those congregations, however, bear little connection with present Free Will Baptist work in Indiana. Those churches were totally absorbed into the Northern Baptist Convention.
The first modern-day Free Will Baptist church in Indiana had its beginning in an old church building just north of Silver Lake. This church-later known as the Packerton Church-began with prayer meetings in the home of Rev. Melvin Staggs. In time, the church was officially organized by Rev. Clarence Bailey of Pikeville, Kentucky. The church united with and made its first report to the Floyd County Conference in Kentucky in 1952. One of the first converts in this church was Chad Burkhart, who later became the church’s pastor.
Melvin Staggs was also instrumental in organizing Indiana’s second Free Will Baptist church in June 1958, on old State Road 15 south of Wabash. Alvin Trusty was elected pastor. In 1956, the congregation moved into Wabash and became First FWB Church of Wabash.
Other early churches in Indiana include the First Church of Anderson and the Columbia City Church. First Anderson was organized November 1, 1953, with Talmage Phillips as pastor. Melvin Staggs and Rev. W. 0. Smith organized the Columbia City Church at about the same time.
The first association of Indiana churches was organized under the guidance of the Floyd County Conference of Kentucky. This association, called the Kosciusko County Conference, organized in October 1954, at Claypool. The organizational assistance committee from the Floyd County Conference included Charles Rowe, William Amburgy, Green Boyd, Douglas Burkett, and Carl Senters. The newly-formed conference was accepted into the membership of the Floyd County Association in June, 1955.
By 1961, the churches in Indiana had decided to form an association of their own. Representatives of the churches met July 29, 1961, at First FWB Church of Anderson for this purpose. The newly-constituted association was named Wabash Valley Association of Free Will Baptist Churches in Indiana. Officers elected included Randall Goble, moderator; Charles Bailey, assistant; Richard Cordell, clerk, and Bobby Whitaker, treasurer.
Just over a year later, a second conference formed in Indiana during a meeting at First Church of Anderson, December 1, 1962. The new conference, named The White River Conference, included five churches: Allen Bethel (now Valley Grove), Chesterfield, Elkhart, Indianapolis Trinity (now Peace) and First Anderson. (The Allen Bethel and Chesterfield churches were formerly members of the New Dunkard Church of God,
a denomination that disbanded in 1962.) Officers elected included: Allen Buntin, moderator; Edward Hargis, assistant; Jobey Ledbetter, clerk; and James Stevens, treasurer. In 1963, during the third annual session of the Wabash Valley Association, the White River Conference was accepted into the Wabash association alongside the already-existing Kosciusko County Conference. Thus, the Wabash Valley Association became the forerunner to the Indiana State Association, and the original name was kept through 1969.
In 1967, the Wabash Valley Association decided to sponsor a developing state-wide camp program. A camp board was elected, consisting of Henry Patterson, Robert McCarty, Burt Hall, Donald Arms, and Dona von Jackson. In 1969, 200 acres of land near Versailes, Indiana, were purchased for this purpose. Although that property no longer remains in use, the state-wide camp program continues at Indiana State Camp located near Wabash.
In June 1970, The Wabash Valley Association voted to change its name to the Indiana State Association of Free Will Baptists and to petition the National Association of Free Will Baptists for membership on that basis. The petition was granted. A third association of churches was added to the rolls of the Indiana State Association a year later, in 1971. This organization, known as the Wabash River Association, had been formed earlier the same year. Today, although the names have changed, the Indiana State Association still maintains three associations—Calvary Association, Kosciusko Association, and White River Association—with a combined total of 20 churches. Read more at INFWB.org.