First Free Will Baptist Church dedicates bell, steeple

The First Free Will Baptist Church congregation and Pastor Wayne Phillips gathered Sunday morning for a dedication ceremony for the bell and steeple erected in the front lawn of the church property on North Main Street.

The bell has a long history. It was presented to Marvin College in 1895. It was later given the church.

The church was first organized in 1922, and 22 years later the first services were held in the “new” building at the current location. The church bell was moved to the steeple of the new sanctuary where it hung for several years.

It was only taken down recently, when its weight (1,200 pounds) began to be a problem for the building’s roof. The steeple on the front lawn was erected to house the historic bell.

The congregation of First Free Will Baptist Church in Fredericktown gather for a dedication of the bell and steeple erected in the front lawn of the church.