Recently the Cordova Community Baptist Church celebrated its 75th anniversary. It has quite a history.
The Cordova Community Baptist Church was first established when Alaska was a territory. It began in 1908 as a Presbyterian Church under the old comity agreement (an informal agreement among Protestant missionaries to divide the territory into zones preventing overlap and competition).
Presbyterian minister D. S. Hall Young arrived in 1908. He secured meeting places in the Burke Hotel (old Windsor). Later services were held in various locations throughout the winter.
In September of 1909 a board of trustees was selected by the congregation, and in October of that year work was begun on a church up the hill beyond the school building (now the abandoned old high school).
On Feb. 6, 1910, the first service was held in the new church. On Feb. 20, 1910, the church was formally organized, with 22 charter members – including nine Presbyterians, two Congregationalists, three Baptists, one Lutheran, four Methodists and one Salvation Army member.
In 1920, it was decided to build a church nearer to the business district, and this is the location of the present-day church.
At first only the church auditorium was constructed, but as funds permitted, Sunday school rooms, a gymnasium, and an apartment that served as a manse were added.
On Dec. 21, 1949, the Hospital Association of Cordova voted to accept the offer of the American Baptist Missionary Society to take over the hospital. On Jan. 11, 1950, the congregation of the Presbyterian Church voted to withdraw from the Yukon Presbytery and affiliate with the Baptists.
Rev. Howard May. Jr. became the first Baptist pastor and also administrator of the Cordova Hospital. Rev. May and family arrived on July 18, 1950, from the First Baptist Church in Hubbard, Ohio.
The changing of denominational sponsorship created some confusion and required an almost complete re-organization of the church. Half of the active members of the Presbyterian Church stayed. Supplemented with missionary nurses and additional members, the church was re-organized on Sept. 25, 1950, with 28 members.
In 1955, the Cordova Community Christian Center was opened as a joint project of the church, the community, and the American Baptist Mission Society. Elsie Petteys arrived in March to serve as director of the center, a role she filled from 1955 until 1963. The program of crafts, clubs and recreation reached out to children and youth of the community.
On July 4, 1960, the building which housed the church, the Christian Center, and the parsonage was destroyed by fire. Rev. and Mrs. George King, along with two missionary guests, escaped with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Rev. and Mrs. King left Cordova on Sept. 5, 1960. On Oct. 15 of that same year, Rev. Bert Hall and family arrived in Cordova.
The decision was made to rebuild on the same site with money from a capital funds campaign, a grant from American Baptist Missions Society, plus contributions from outside churches and individuals.
Groundbreaking services for the new church were held in April 1961. During the 25 months from the time of the fire until moving-in day, Aug. 12, 1962, worship services and activities of the Christian Center were carried out in the basement of the Times Building where a roller rink had been located, thanks to Harold Bonser, owner of the building, and former publisher/editor of The Cordova Times.
Moving day arrived under sunny skies. After a brief worship service, all the people of the church, carrying the church possessions, marched to the new building singing “Onward Christian Soldiers.” Leading the group was Cathy Simpler with the Altar Cross, and Rick Hohnbaun carrying the Bible (both items had survived the fire).
When the parade reached the new building, everyone placed the items they had carried in rooms where they belonged and then went to the sanctuary for a very joyous service of Thanksgiving.
Next week on the two-part series: The church’s ensuing years of growth and change.
