I spotted this interesting church on the way to the mansion I featured yesterday. While today it’s Calvary Chapel, originally it was the First Baptist Church of Maryland Heights, with a pastor named Milton McBride. Instead of a single dove, there were three stylized crucifixes in the clerestory window above the front portico.
I was thinking about my original church where I was baptized. First Baptist Church of Maryland Heights, this building will always be near and dear within my heart. My uncle Raymond Wyas was the brick layer involved in the construction of this beautiful building. I even helped him lay some of the bricks myself. I was baptized in the original building, if you’re facing the church from the road the old building was on the right caddy corner to the new building. Reverend Mc Bride was a wonderful person full of the joy of our savior. I was very fond of him. What I remember most was one year he worked with us as youth. Every week he met with us and we visited a different religion. To experience the diversity of faith and beliefs. The ones that stand out to me were the Catholic Church and the Jewish Synagogue. They are visually beautiful religions. People were welcoming to us. When Rev McBride was asked why he was taking us to many different religious churches, he said “If these young people choose the Baptist Church for the rest of their lives he wants it to be an informed decision. The only way to accomplish that is to visit other faiths to see what they are all about. Visitation of these churches fosters understanding and respect for others and their rights to their beliefs.” In my opinion he was a pastor ahead of his time. I’m currently living in Colorado. My heart will always remain with this beautiful building. Looking at this image of my original home church has brought back treasured memories. Bless You!
Thanks for your memories!