HISTORY

The seed that would become Good News Baptist Church was sown in 1936 when members of Calvary Baptist Church of Grand Rapids saw the need for a Sunday School in Gaines Township.  On March 19 of that year, fourteen boys and girls attended the first Sunday school classes conducted by Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Empson, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Shultz, and the Shultz’s daughter, Hazel, at the Cook School on 84th Street and Eastern Avenue.

 

In 1939, after considerable growth, the group began meeting at Gaines Township Hall. At this time, Mr. & Mrs. William Harrington donated two acres of land for the construction of the church and parsonage. The first structure was built in 1940.

 

Mr. John Afman preached Sunday nights until 1944. In September of 1944, Rev. Henry O. Berends was called as the church’s first pastor. On October 5, 1945 the church was organized with 31 charter members.

 

The parsonage was built in 1948 and an addition to the church was constructed in 1955. A second addition was constructed during 1970-71 and dedicated on June 20, 1971. A third addition, our existing facility, was constructed during 1988-89 and dedicated on April 16, 1989.

 

Our Senior Pastors and Assistants

Rev. Henry O. Berends		1944-1953
Rev. Stephen H. Houbolt		1953-1964
Rev. Edwin A. DuBois		1965-1978
Pastor David McClintic   Pastor Spencer Brown   Pastor Philip Jones		1969-1972
		1973-1976
		1977-1979
Rev. John R. Yarworth		1979-1983
Pastor Bill Jessee		1979-1983
Rev. Joe Gerkin, Jr.		1984-1986
Pastor Dan Pugh		1984-1986
Rev. Tom Dolph		1987-1995
Rev. Steve Mayo		1987-1996
Rev. David O. Sims		1996-2003
Pastor Andrew George		1998-2003
Rev. Karl Pike, Senior Pastor		2004 -
Rev. Jim Godwin, Administrative Pastor		2004 - 2007
Rev. Terry Frazine, Visitation Pastor		2007 -
Pastor Brian Cederquist, Associate Pastor		2008 -

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Good News Baptist Church