We are trying on this Laity Sunday to think about what our life has been like as we have lived it in our church since being baptized. Many of us, myself included, have been members of West End Baptist Church ever since we were baptized. I can only speak for myself, when I realize that there have been far fewer times of deep spirituality than I wish there had been. As I grow older, I believe I understand more fully what "spirituality" means.

Our church is beginning a concentrated study of the Book of Acts. As we read in that very first chapter of Acts, the followers of Jesus were told to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit should come to them. We are told in our scriptures that forty days elapsed between the time of Jesus’ resurrection and his ascent into heaven to remain at the right hand of God the Father. It was at that time that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they were indeed empowered to witness for Christ to all with whom they came in contact.

Now, two thousand years later, we are still being called to witness to the love of Christ and to the power of the Holy Spirit. Our church was founded in March 1929; I was baptized and became a member in March of 1931 when I was 13 years old. Many things have changed since then; our present day sanctuary was built while the educational building remained a large, old Victorian residence facing St. James Ave.

We had a very active Sunday School B.Y.P. U. (Baptist Young People’s Union) and a mission organization for every age group; Sunbeams (Premarried); G.A. (God’s Auxilary); R.A. (Royal Ambassador-Jr. Boys); Y.W.C.A. (High school girls), and Women’s Missionary Union.

These organizations remained active until World War II, when families moved away to become members of the Armed Services. Often the young men who returned home after the war didn’t become active in the church; a lot of things changed as of the 1940’s. Many new families became members, however, being active in the church. Our preachers from 1929 – 2003 are as follows: E.C. Dean, R.P. Downy, Samuel Habel, Tom Fry, Julian Pentecost, Bailey Jones, Don Dunlap, Roger Collier and Skip Irby.

Our present day sanctuary was built in the latter part of the 1930’s, while the Educational Building was not erected until the early 1950’s.

Of course, many, many of our older families died. I’m afraid the average number of people in our Sunday School classes and church services has declined, with fewer new people becoming members than were lost in death.

Nevertheless, we have always been and still are a very close-knit and loving group. We do our best to keep in touch with each other by visits, phone calls and cards. Our prayers are always devout for those of us touched by illness, trouble of various types and death. Although, our numerical numbers may have decreased, our love and concern for each other has not. Proudly, I report that "That’s the Way We Were".