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Our Purpose
Our church is always mindful of its
purpose for being here: To provide a place of worship and
instruction for the saved and to provide a place where the
unsaved can hear the Gospel and point them to the cross of
Calvary, so that they may be saved.
A Need for a Church
1949
Mr. Harry Morgan started having tent meetings in
the summer of 1949. The weather was getting colder so they
moved into a small building made of logs that belonged to Nathan
Brown. After services began in the building, fifteen or
twenty people attended the services.
1950
In 1950 another place was found to hold church.
The property was owned by Emil Brammer. The house was
located approximately where the fellowship building stands now.
The building had hardwood seats and bare floors.
There was a pot belly coal stove in the middle of the room.
In order to gather people together for church
service, Mr. Morgan would go outside and ring a cow bell to let
the people know that service is ready to begin.
That same year (1950), there was a joining of
hands organized and gave the church the name of Campbell Chapel
Free Will Baptist Church. Those included in the naming of
the church were Ona Morgan, Bill Morgan, Alfred Kelley, Ruth
Kelley, Willy Kelley, Stella Kelley, and Harry Morgan.
1952
Campbell Chapel "aired" a program on W.I.R.O.
Radio in 1952. The song "I Saw The Light" brought the
program on the air and also off the air.
1956 or 1957
The church was built by Tom Kelley with the help
of Eddie DePriest and Art Bailey in late 1956 or early 1957.
This church had one room upstairs and two downstairs.
Property was owned by Mr. Emil Brammer and the
church made payments to him. It was paid off in July of
1952.
Today's Church Building
Built in 1969 by James R. Maynard
Edward Pierce helped to build the church.
The church was ready to move into in 1970.
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The following is a story that was
printed in a local newspaper.
The Church that Tom Built
First Anniversary of Church Easter
CAMPBELL 'CHAPEL' FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH
DREAM REALIZED
IRONTON--Fruits of two years of labor by one
sincere man, will come to light Easter Sunday afternoon at 3 P.
M. at the Ohio River at the foot of Center Street, when perhaps
three - score or more converts will accept Christ and be
baptized.
Tom Kelley, 44, has been a workman at the
Dayton Malleable Iron Co. the past 24 years. He and his
wife, Nola, live on Campbell Drive a half - mile north of
Beechwood Park. About three years ago Tom decided he
should do something for his fellow men and the community.
The Campbell 'Chapel' Free Will Baptist
Church, near his home, where a revival is now in progress, was
the goal of his dream. Since the revival started five
weeks ago by the Rev. Tommy DePriest, 67 conversions have taken
place. Those new members will be baptized on Easter.
Tom Kelley, the builder, saw a need for the
church and started a campaign three years ago. The
membership of the small church raised $700. With this
small fund Kelley started work on the foundation. Being a
carpenter, he described his work as "Building for Christ."
During the many months of building Mr. Kelley never lost a day
on his regular job at Dayton Malleable. Most of his work
on the church was in the evenings and on Saturdays.
Response to his efforts was wonderful.
Fellow employees at the big iron works passed the hat for
financial assistance. Business firms gave him a religious
discount on material and several made outright gifts. Less
than half a dozen volunteers in the neighborhood helped him with
heavy lifting of the frame work. His estimate is that
materials would have cost $4,000 not to mention... (the copy
was unreadable here)
Thousands attended the baptismal service
conducted early April, 1958 along the Ohio River in Ironton, OH.
Ministers officiating were Tommy and Eddie DePriest, B. C.
Stumbo, and Calvin Evans. This baptism concluded a
revival which lasted thirteen weeks with 119 conversions.
The churches that gathered included:
Mt. Calvary F. W. B. C.
City Mission
Wurtland, KY
Wellston
Campbell Chapel F. W. B. C.
Ninety-three public confessions were from
Campbell Chapel and the revival was held there for five weeks.
This church is truly "A
Church That Cares About You."
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