History of the Churches of the Pittsburgh Baptist Association

by William Pankey

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, APOLLO, ORGANIZED 1868

The First Baptist Church, Apollo, was organized and admitted to the Pittsburgh Baptist Association in 1868. The constituent members were Mr. and Mrs. William Rogers, Sr., Hugh Evans, Mr. and Mrs. William Foale, George Kerr, Martin Kirkland, Mrs. William Henery and John Morgan.

In 1873 the firm of Rogers and Burchfield donated a plot of ground, upon which a modest brick chapel was erected—and dedicated free of debt. The congregation increased until it became necessary to erect a new edifice, which was dedicated in 1896. The church was greatly damaged by the high flood waters in 1936—the water rose to a height of fourteen feet in the sanctuary! On April 11, 1937, after extensive repairs had been completed, the church was rededicated. The mortgage was burned September 26, 1937. The present membership is 175.

The following ministers have served the church:

Rev. A. B. Runyan (1868-1870), Rev. John Winters (1871), Rev. A. J. Bonsall (1872), Rev. James Hunter (1873), Rev. Lloyd Morgan (1874-1883), Rev. T. H. Chapman (1884), Rev. J. J. Parsons (1885-1888), Rev. W. B. Skinner (1890), Rev. J. S. Young (1893), Rev. Alfred Cauldwell (1894), Rev. G. T. Thompson (1895-1900), Rev. R. Rock (1901), Rev. W. Conner (1902), Rev. W. P. Pearce (1903), Rev. H. R. Baker (1904), Rev. W. E. Ruch (1905), Rev. G. W. Tupper (1907), Rev. W. A. Rupert (1910), Rev. W. S. Carson (1912), Rev. L. B. Ford (1914-1920), Rev. L. B. Jones (1921), Rev. A. McAllister (1922), Rev. R. Austin (1924), Rev. W. Young (1930-1935), Rev. James Cameron (1937- )

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