In the beginning

In the year of 1921 there was concern among the Black families here in the village of Batavia, because there was no Baptist church for them to go to and worship God. There was an African Episcopal Method Church here, but they wanted a church of their faith and belief.  A few of them went to First Baptist Church, but still that was not like having their own church.

Mr. Drake, a well-known carpenter here in Batavia went to the black families and told them he would build them a church for $700 and give them the lot to build it on. The church stood where the offices and the rear parking lot is today, thus the name Logan St. Baptist Church.

Logan Street Baptist Church was founded in September of 1921 under the guidance of Rev. B.P. Gayles, of Main Street Baptist Church in Aurora.

There were five founders of the church: Mr. and Mrs. Jerry White, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, and Mrs. Josephine Buckner. After the church was organized, they were without a pastor. Rev. B.P. Gayles, Rev. Mac Williams, Rev. Bridgeford, Rev. Brookings and Rev. Robert Hazelwood carried on the services for the people until a pastor was called.

Mrs. Daisy Rice was the first church clerk and Mr. Richard Hazelwood was the first deacon. In the year 1928, Rev. Willie Mitchell of Evanston, Illinois was called as the first pastor.

During Rev. Mitchell’s ministry, he endorsed five men as deacons.  They were Walter Hazelwood, Bruner Buckner, Ezra Barnett, Robert Buckner, and Lacy Wilson. 

New Building

The church moved from the original wooden building to a basement structure which was built on the adjoining west lot. This is currently were the kitchen, office area, baptismal pool, furnace rooms are located. Rev. Mitchell resigned as pastor in 1955 after serving Logan Street Missionary Baptist Church for 27 years.

We were without a pastor for two years, but service continued on with Rev. Henry Wheaton and various other circuit ministers. At that time, two more men were selected as deacons with the aid of Rev. Robert Wesby of Main St. Baptist in Aurora. They were Truman B. Hazelwood and James H. Young.

1957-1967 

In 1957 the church called Rev. Julius E Boyd as their second pastor. He served here with us for 10 years and resigned in the year of 1967. During his ministry the congregation grew. He crowned Harvey L. Johnson and Alex Wallace Sr. as deacons and he ordained Rev. Truman B Hazelwood and Rev. Michael Lee Graves as ministers. What is now the fellowship hall was the sanctuary which was built in 1959 during Rev. Boyd’s ministry.

After Rev. Boyd’s resignation, we were again without a pastor, but our services continued with interim pastor, Rev. Randy Richardson until November of 1967 when Rev. David H Moore of Carbondale, IL was called as the third pastor.

Membership Growth

During his ministry from 1967 until 1976 the congregation grew with 40 new members. In May of 1968 we purchased our first parsonage and later purchased the five on Gore and River Streets. Rev. Moore resigned in 1976 after nine years of service.

Rev John E. Nabors of North Chicago was the next pastor and served for four years. During that time, plans for a new church were drawn up and studied.

1981-1996

In the year of 1981, Rev Truman B Hazelwood was called home to Logan Street Baptist Church as our fifth pastor. During the beginning of his ministry, the sanctuary was remodeled with mock cedar beams, and acoustical tile ceiling, carpet runners for the floor and pulpit and new roofing. As the membership grew, there were four added to the Trustee Board and nine men crowned as deacons. The were Edward E LaCour, Nathaniel Henderson, Shelton Johnson, Tonney Rayes, Toney Rayes, Victor Brooks and Alex Wallace Jr., Edward Tousana, Gary Moss, Foster Chatman and Deacon Earnest Hayes was already a deacon when he joined Logan Street.

Rev. Truman Hazelwood served Logan Street until his retirement in 1996. At that time Rev. Dennis Hill, who was the assistant to Rev. Hazelwood, was elected for our Sixth pastor. Although Rev Hill served for only two years and was extremely effective in outreach and many were added to the membership.  During his tenure, a licensed to preach was issued to the first women. Also, preparation and planning began for reconstruction of the parking lot. 

2000-2010

After Rev. Hill resigned as pastor and the church was without a pastor for two years and in the year 2000, Rev. S. Todd Yeary was installed as our Seventh Pastor.  Rev. Yeary established a website and introduced computer technology to Logan Street. The sanctuary pulpit area was renovated, and pulpit lighting added.  New cabinets were installed in the kitchen and tile was replaced by carpet in the fellowship hall.  Three ministers were ordained and given license to preach. A church logo was created, and the first women deacons were ordained.

Rev. Yeary submitted his resignation in 2007.  Rev. Larry Spires was appointed as interim pastor, until Rev. Dernard Newell was elected our eighth pastor in December of 2010.  Rev Newell updated the fellowship hall and remodeled the Sanctuary with chairs and up-dated the audio equipment and added visual equipment.

Current pastor

Rev. David Seymour served as interim pastor from the summer of 2016 until he was called as our ninth pastor in 2018.  Pastor Seymour has re-established regular Bible Study, prayer meetings and Adult Sunday School. Additionally, Children’s Church was reorganized, new by-laws were established, a Governing Board was created, a new church logo was created, and organizational structures have been put in place.  Also in the short time that Pastor Seymour has been at Logan Street, the famed stained glass windows have been re-installed and the service window in kitchen has been opened, along with much needed repairs to the parking lot.