Church History
In 1887 Joel Barnett and his wife Jennie (Antrim) Barnett moved to Friendswood Indiana. They wanted a Baptist church in their community. With the help of others in the area they started a small church in an old brick schoolhouse. The church was started with 14 founding members. Rev. W. B. Depoy was the first pastor. A few years later they decided to build a new church building. The new church was built next door to the schoolhouse building they were using. The first service in the new church was in 1891. The building was dedicated in 1892. They didn’t have pews. They sat on boxes. The new church had Sunday School in the afternoon and preaching once a month.
The attendance grew and the church became a big influence in the community. It was decided a new building was needed. They approached Lem Trotter about buying some of his land on highway 67. Mr. Trotter gave them the land to build a new church. The first meeting in the new building was on Thanksgiving 1956. They met in the basement. The cornerstone for the upper structure was laid in June of 1959. Two bad storms damaged the building while it was being built. Finally on July 10, 1960 the new church building was officially open for service. Several years later a new lobby was built on the front of the church to enclose the staircase leading into the building.
Friendswood Baptist Church is still dedicated to preaching the Word of God and sharing Jesus over 130 years later.