Allen County, Indiana Genealogy

Faith Baptist Church

6600 Trier Road

Website: www.faithbaptistchurchfw.com

Celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018, was founded in 1968. The inspiration for the founding of Faith Baptist came from a 1965 study by the Indiana Council of Churches, which showed a need for an American Baptist congregation to serve rapidly growing suburbs in northeast Fort Wayne, a Faith Baptist history said. The Indiana Baptist Convention purchased the church’s current property in 1966 and created a steering committee of local Baptist pastors and lay people to plan for a new congregation there, the history said. The Rev. Joseph L. Baker was selected as pastor for the new congregation. Baker went door-to-door in nearby neighborhoods to invite people to small inquiry groups and Sunday School classes, the history said. People in the groups came together for the congregation’s first worship service on Jan. 7, 1968, in the adjacent Croninger Elementary School. Copied from Faith Baptist Church celebrating 50 years of reaching out in Fort Wayne by Kevin Kilbane published January 4, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Parkwood Church of God

Trier and Hobson Road, October 1959

Read the founding pastor's story Pastor eases grip on pulpit after 53 years published February 7, 2013 in the St. Joe Times on fwdailynews.com.

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church

4916 Trier Road

Website: http://www.stcharlesfortwayne.org/

Established in June 1957 by then-Bishop Leo A. Pursley as the 79th parish founded in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. See St. Charles Borromeo is an active, thriving parish by Bonnie Elberson published May 16, 2017 on Today's Catholic News.

St. Joseph United Methodist Church

Formerly: St. Joseph Methodist Episcopal Church

6004 Reed Road

Website: https://stjoemin.com/, YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTKelDmxd551Qg-Y_SjM3cw
Originally at the SE corner of St. Joe Road and St. Joe Center Road now the Parker Cemetery

St Joseph UMC 150th Anniversary Video with many photos by Hannah Haines uploaded October 8, 2016 on YouTube

In 1836 a group of people met under a tree on the Saint Joseph River inviting a circuit rider of the Methodist Episcopal Church to be their spiritual leader. A person who often met in these early gatherings was a man named John Chapman, a missionary of the Swedenborgian Faith, who was better known as Johnny Appleseed. Although he was never a member of the congregation, records show that when he died on March 11, 1845, his funeral was conducted by the Methodist circuit rider. Members met at the schoolhouses of the township at irregular intervals, when services were conducted by a circuit preacher. In 1863, the Saint Joseph Methodist Episcopal Church was formally chartered with founding pastor Rev. James M. Greer. In the Fall of 1863, the church's first wood-frame building was erected at the southeast corner of the intersection of St. Joe and Papermill Roads (now St. Joe Center Road) where the Parker Cemetery is now located. The lumber for the 34' x 45' frame building came from a nearby sawmill operated by Christian Parker. It was a frame building 34 x 45 feet and the lumber cost $1,500. It was dedicated in 1865 according to page 173 St. Joseph Township of the History of Allen County, Indianaby Helm published in 1880 by the Kingman Brothers. In 1916 a red brick church was built at the former site and dedicated May 16, 1916. A Tiffany-style stained-glass window of the Good Shepard from this building can still be seen in the current building. In 1957 the present church was built on the northeast corner of St. Joe Center and Reed Roads where they celebrated their centennial in 1963. This information was copied from their 2007 church directory. The About page of their website is slightly different stating: St. Joe’s beginnings are traced back to meetings in homes and an existing schoolhouse located on the southeast corner of St. Joe Road and St. Joe Center Road where Parker Cemetery is now located. In 1863, a small frame building was constructed on the northwest corner of the crossing we now call Riviera Plaza. This land was donated by George Ashley. In 1916, a larger brick building was built on the northeast corner. In 1957, after the land was donated by Medical Protective Insurance Co., the church moved to its present location. There have been three additions since then, in 1967, 1979, and the early 1990s. In 2018, St. Joe launched the St. Joe at the Y campus as an outreach to our community. NEED TO RESOLVE THIS

St. Joseph UMC to mark 150 years by Garth Snow was published August 9, 2013 on St. Joe Times and KPCmedia. Contact the church regarding records.

St. Jude Catholic Church

2130 Pemberton Drive

Website: http://www.stjudefw.org/

From 1925 to 1927, Catholic residents of Lakeside and Kensington Addition in Fort Wayne began showing a strong interest in seeing a new parish established. On May 7, 1926, the diocese purchased five acres of land bounded by State Boulevard, Randallia Drive, Forest Avenue and Pemberton Drive. The building project was entrusted to Father Thomas M. Conroy, rector of the cathedral. Bishop Noll dedicated the school and a chapel on March 3, 1929. The next day, the Sisters of Providence opened the doors of the new school to 105 children in four grades. Condensed from a much longer article In My Diocese: Focusing on stewardship: St. Jude Parish by Deb Wagner published May 16, 2017 on Today's Catholic News.

St. Michael's of Pier Catholic Church

Corner of St. Joe Center and Hazelett Roads

Organized in 1869. A church was built in 1870. The congregation disbanded after 1880. Records are available with St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, Washington Township records and are on microfilm at the Allen County Public Library.

St. Peter's Lutheran Church and Cemetery

7710 E. State Blvd. Originally at the corner of Maysville Road and State Blvd.

Organized in 1855 by members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne who lived in the area. Records on birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage and death from 1855. Records have been photocopied and are available at the Allen County Public Library.

Taylor Chapel United Methodist Church

Formerly: Bowers Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church

10145 Maysville Road

Website: www.taylorchapel.org/, Facebook: www.facebook.com/taylorchapelumc/

Originally at the corner of Wheelock and Stellhorn Roads with the current Bowers Cemetery

Street View photo from Google map, aerial photos May 27, 2020 from Above the Land on Facebook.

Organized in approximately 1865. First church was erected in the 1870s. In 1893 a larger church was built ¾ mile east on Maysville Road and the name was changed to Taylor Chapel. In 1964 the present church was erected. Records from approximately 1865 include birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage and death. Contact church for information.

An early morning fire December 31, 2012 damaged and turned the sanctuary black with soot and dust. Read the story Faith aglow in church fire’s wake by Archie Ingersoll of The Journal Gazette newspaper January 1, 2013.