History of the Clear Lake Baptist Church
On July 2, 1864 at Clear Lake, Indiana, eight men and nine women formed the First Free Regular Baptist Church
of Clear Lake. It was later to be known as the Clear Lake Baptist Church. Land was purchased December of 1871
for the purpose of erecting a church building. Shortly thereafter, the first sanctuary of the church was
completed at the cost of $280.
Since that time several additions have been added. In 1959 Mr. George Merrill of Toledo, Ohio donated funds
to construct an addition consisting of a fellowship hall, a kitchen, two Sunday school rooms, a pastor’s
study, a “board room” and two restrooms. In 1992 work began on a new sanctuary and a walk-out lower level
banquet room. A special feature of the new addition is the many stained glass windows salvaged from several
municipal churches and donated by the First National Bank of Fremont. The new sanctuary was dedicated in July
of 1994. Recently the old “Michigan basement” underneath the 1872 sanctuary was “remodeled” to be a “root
cellar” –a dedicated meeting area for the youth.
The Clear Lake Baptist Church has been a landmark of the area for many years. The dedicated members of the
present thank those of the past, and we of today pledge our faith and lives to continue what 17 believers
began over 140 years ago.
For more information you may enjoy reading:
The History of
the Clear Lake Baptist Church by Warner Reed
Celebrating 125 Years - July 2, 1864 to July 2, 1989
