History of the Churches of the Pittsburgh Baptist Association

by William Pankey

ELIZABETH BAPTIST CHURCH, ORGANIZED 1842

The Baptist church at Elizabeth was organized with sixty-eight charter members, September 17, 1842. Prior to that date, the Baptist church at Salem had assisted in organizing the Baptist work in Elizabeth by sending their pastor, Rev. James Estep, to preach—as early as 1837. Taking part in the organization services were Rev. James Estep, Rev. Samuel Williams and Rev. William Penny.

The first meeting house was a frame structure, erected in 1833, and located in the lower end of the village. In 1863 the congregation purchased a house of worship from the Cumberland Presbyterians. The Elizabeth church was a member of the Pittsburgh Association from 1842 until 1853, at which time it became affiliated with the Monongahela Baptist Association. In 1859 the church severed its connection with the Monongahela Association and did not again affiliate itself with any Baptist Association until 1864, when it came back into the fellowship of the Pittsburgh Association. The church suffered greatly during the War Between the States. The present membership is 348.

The following ministers have served the church:

Rev. James Estep (1842), Rev. Isaac Wynn (1843-1844), Rev. Milton Sutton (1844-1847), Rev. J. K. Hornish (1847-1849), Rev. S. W. Fojambe (1850-1861), Rev. R. Sutton (1861-1863), Rev. William Whitehead (1863-1867), Rev. J. K. Cramer (1867-1878), Rev. John Burke (1879-1881), Rev. J. W. Scott (1883-1884), Rev. I. C. Tuttle (1885-1886), Rev. A. B. Whitney (1887-1889), Rev. J. K. Cramer (second pastorate 1889-1896), Rev. Charles B. Smith (1896-1897), Rev. W. J. Coulston (1898-1900), Rev. Clement Hall (1900-1902), Rev. Z. Clark Marten (1902-1906), Rev. J. W. Hays (1907-1909), Rev. John A. Erbe (1909-1914), Rev. D. M. Lenox (1914- 1920), Rev. Eugene Neubauer (1921-1924), Rev. Edwin O. Colbeck (1925-1927), Rev. Arthur Brubaker (1927-1936), Rev. M. G. Dickinson (1936- ).

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