History of Mullen Memorial Baptist Church

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Mullen Memorial Baptist Church is affiliated with the American Baptist Church USA, 

the Ohio Baptist Convention and the Marietta Baptist Association.  

  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14,16

Mullen Memorial Baptist Church is affiliated with the American Baptist Church USA, 

the Ohio Baptist Convention and the Marietta Baptist Association.

Mullen Memorial Baptist Church is named after the three Mullen sisters who organized a Sunday School Class in the Belpre Area and later donated land which eventually became Mullen Memorial Baptist Church.  The history of the church is quite interesting and illustrates what a little mission effort on the part of a few can do.  As is true in many cases, the Sunday School was the forerunner of the church.  

For several years, Mrs. C.W. Goodno (Nora), one of the Mullen sisters, conducted Sunday School on Sunday afternoons in the home at what is now 1505 Putnam Howe Drive, which she occupied with her sister, Emma Mullen.  This house was the original Daniel Bent home, built in 1817.  Mrs. Goodno and Miss Emma later moved to a small house on the property 1519 Putnam Howe Drive.

The three sisters, Abbie Druse, Nora Goodno and Emma Mullen, attended the First Baptist Church in Parkersburg, As other Baptist families moved into the community and began attending the little Sunday School, it was moved into the schoolhouse across the road.

When the building was no longer used for school purposes, the Mullen sisters bought it, along with some adjoining lots and designated the property was to be used for church purposes.  If, at any time, it ceased to be used as such, it would be turned over to the Ohio Baptist Convention.

This building has been moved to a location on the back of the lots and is used as a meeting place for the Boy Scouts.  Nov. 1957 Mullen Memorial Baptist Church began sponsoring Boy Scout Troop 91.  Oras Barickman was the first Scout Master.  He was affectionately referred to as "Mr. B".  On his birthday Feb. 7, 2016 the Scout Building was  dedicated in his memory as the "Mr. B" Scout House.

Minutes of the Marietta Baptist Association refer to the "Mullen Baptist Mission".  In 1914 the enrollment was 34, with an average attendance of 30.  Mrs. Mora Goodno was the active superintendent of the Mission School.  

Among the Baptists who moved into the community and searched for a church home there were Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Parsons and Mr. and Mrs. Sandy Shaffer, who, with their children, attended the little Sunday School and watched it grow.  They, along with others, felt the need of an organized Baptist church in the area and, along with Dr. and Mrs. I. C.W. Fling, Dr. J.C. Killian and others, were leaders in this effort.

At a meeting held February 1, 1923, a motion was made, seconded and duly carried that a regular Baptist Church be organized at what was known as the Mullen Baptist Mission.

It was decided to name the newly organized church the Mullen Memorial Baptist Church in honor of the three Mullen sisters who had given time and effort and donated the lot for the church, along with the adjoining lot.

The first delegates were sent to the Marietta Baptist Association to represent the church on August 29 and 30, 1923, when the Association met at the Unity Church.

In October, 1923, the pastor's salary was raised to $50 per month.  The balance in the treasury January 1, 1924, was $35.43.

The first record of a White Cross quota for mission outreach for the church was in January, 1924, when the letter was read at the business meeting, but no action was taken at that time.

The first annual Roll Call was held February 6, 1924.  Rev. Peyton gave the church his resignation at that meeting, but on March 9 he recalled the resignation.  However, he left the church shortly thereafter.  

On May 14 of that year Rev. N.B. Hamrick of Simpson, West Virginia, accepted the call to become pastor at the salary of $800 per year.  

Construction was completed and a new building was dedicated April 24, 1925.   As the church continued to grow the need became apparent for an education wing to be built.  Using mostly volunteer labor, it was built in 1959.  Rev. Doug Peters and his wife Connie began his work at Mullen in June 1961 and resigned it in Sept. 1964.  Rev. Keith Mann and his wife Sara came as pastor in April 1965 and resigned as of Jan. 1969.  Under his ministry, the debt on the Educational Unit was liquidated and the new sanctuary was built.  We continue to enjoy the beautiful sanctuary in our current worship service.

MULLEN MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH  
 

DECLARATION OF FAITH
OR WHAT BAPTISTS BELIEVE

THE SCRIPTURES:  We believe that “all” scripture is given by inspiration of God  by which we understand the whole Bible to be verbally inspired by the Spirit of God to Holy men of old.
Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 17:2-3: II Timothy 3:15-16; II Peter 1:21.

THE GODHEAD:  We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and these three are one in God.
Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-3; II Corinthians 13:14

MAN CREATED AND FALLEN:  We believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God and that he fell through sin and, thus, lost his spiritual life.  This spiritual death or total depravity of human nature has been transmitted to the entire human race, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted.
Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 14:1-3;  Romans 3:10-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Hebrews 4:15
 

THE FIRST ADVENT:  We believe the eternal Son of God came into this world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy, and become the Redeemer of a lost world.  To this end, He was born of the Virgin and received a human body and a sinless human nature.  John 1:18; John 3:16; Luke 1:26-35; Hebrews 4:15
As to Christ’s humanity, we believe He became and remained a perfect man, sinless throughout His life; yet, there never was a time when, for one moment, He ceased to be God.  Luke 2:40; John 1:1-2; Philippians 2:5-8.  We believe the Lord Jesus voluntarily became the sacrificial Lamb to take away the sin of the world.  His death was, therefore, substitutionary in the most absolute sense and, by His death, He became the Saviour of the lost.  Hebrews 10:5-14; John 1:49; Romans 3:25- 26: I Peter 3:18.
We believe He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures and in the same body,  yet glorified. We believe His resurrection body is a pattern of that body that, at the return of Christ, will be given to all resurrected believers.  John 20:20; Philippians 3:20-21
We believe that, at His ascension, He was accepted of His Father and that His acceptance is final assurance to us that His redeeming work was perfectly accomplished.  Hebrews 1:3

SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST:  We believe that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless born again.  We believe, also, that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that no repentance, no feeling, no faith, no good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules of any church, can add in the very least degree to the value of the blood or to the merit of the finished work wrought for us by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Leviticus 17:11; Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:18-19, 23
 

THE HOLY SPIRIT:  We believe that the Holy Spirit, omnipresent from all eternity, took up His abode in the world in a special sense on the day of Pentecost according to the Devine Promise and that He now dwells in each and all believers, thus, uniting them to Christ in one body.
John 14:16; John 16:7-15; I Corinthians 6:19; I Corinthians 12:13.

THE CHURCH, A UNITY OF BELIEVERS:  We believe that all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the Church which is the Body and Bride of Christ -- regardless of membership or non-membership in the organized churches of earth.  We believe all Christians are under the solemn duty to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian differences, and fervently loving one another with a pure heart.
Acts 2:42-47; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:20-23; Colossians 3:14-15

THE CHRISTIAN’S WALK:  We believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and, so, to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh; but the flesh with its fallen nature is never eradicated, being with us to the end of our earthly pilgrimage; therefore, it constantly needs to be kept in subjection to Christ.
Romans 6:11-13; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; I Peter 1:14-16.

THE GREAT COMMISSION:  We believe that this message of our Lord is to those whom He saved and that they were sent forth by Him into the world even as He was sent forth of His Father into the world.  Our relation to the world is that of strangers and pilgrims, ambassadors and witnesses, and our primary purpose in life should be to make Christ known to the whole world.  Matthew 28:18-19; Mark  16:15; John 17:18;       II Corinthians 5:18-20
 

THE BLESSED HOPE:  We believe that, according to the Word of God, the next great event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the Blessed Hope - the personal,  pre-millennial and imminent return of our blessed Lord for His own who are alive and remain unto His coming and all who have fallen asleep in Jesus and, for this, we should be constantly looking.
John 14:1-13; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-52; Titus 2:11-14
 

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:  We believe that following the period of the great tribulation in the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ will return as He went, in Person, to introduce the millennial age, to restore Israel to her own land, to bind Satan and place him in the abyss, to bring the whole world to the knowledge of God, and to lift the curse that now rests upon all creation.
Matthew 24:15-25; Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Romans 11:25-27; Romans 8:19-23.

THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH:  We believe that the ordinances of the Church are Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 26:26-29;
Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; I Corinthians 11:23-25; Matthew 28:19
SATAN:  We believe in the existence of a personal devil, the originator of sin, a murderer from the beginning, whose present work in the world is to destroy the souls of  mankind.  Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 5:12-14; John 8:44; Ephesians 6:10-18

THE ETERNAL STATE:  We believe that, at death, the spirits and souls of the righteous pass immediately into the presence of God and there remain in a state of conscious bliss until the resurrection of the just, whereupon soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in Glory.  We, also, believe that the spirits and souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.
Luke 16:19-26; II Corinthians 5:8; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15; Luke 23:43  
 

We firmly believe that the foregoing statements are openly revealed to be the Word of God and, upon such, we solemnly affirm to stand though it be amidst the onslaughts of Satan.
Matthew 10:22; I Corinthians 15:58; II Thessalonians 2:15

American Baptist Churches of Ohio

Resolution on Human Sexuality

Because we are all wounded and broken people in need of the healing power of God’s grace in Christ Jesus, and being aware of the confusion of voices pertaining to human sexuality, the following statement defines our common understanding for sexual behavior.

We affirm the Bible as our rule for faith and practice and embrace its ethic of compassion, love, and ministry to all persons and the availability of God’s grace through repentance.  (Luke 5:30-32; John 8:1-11; 1 Corinthians 6:11).

We affirm that God’s gracious intention in creation for human sexual conduct as defined in scripture is faithful, lifelong heterosexual union for married persons and committed celibate behavior for unmarried persons.  Other sexual practices clearly defined as sinful in Scripture are destructive of individuals, of community, and of the fellowship of believers, and like all sin, call for repentance, openness to the transforming power of God, and restoration to the community of faith.  (Genesis 1:27, 2:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Hebrews 13:4); (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

We abhor and reject violence of all kinds against persons of all sexual orientations.

Therefore, we resolve that this Region will encourage grace-motivated ministries which respond to human need and offer God’s transforming love to all wounded and broken people, including heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered persons.

Acknowledging the high calling of church and Region leadership, we resolve that this Region will not recognize for ordination or recognize the preexisting license or ordination of any person practicing, affirming, endorsing, and/or celebrating adultery, fornication, gay/lesbian/bisexual behavior.

And finally, because of our commitment to do mission together under the authority of the Word of God; we resolve that the professional staff of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio will counsel appropriate action consistent with this resolution to the association* of any church within this Region that endorses, celebrates, or affirms adultery, fornication, gay/lesbian/bisexual behavior.

* Pursuant Bylaws of ABC/Ohio, Rule 3:  Constituency, Rule 3.2.2

“A church shall be dismissed from the Region, and thus from the denomination, by recommendation of the association of which it is a member.  Each association shall implement its own criteria for dismissal of member churches with counsel from the Region’s professional staff and with reference to ABC/USA’s ‘Common Criteria for a Cooperating Church’”.