Revision as of 08:44, 10 March 2025

As per BGH's website, open brethren Robert and Alexander McDonald were carrying on a testimony for the Lord in 1887 in Saginaw, in the Central-East Lower Peninsula of Michigan. In June of the next year, Thomas Donald William Muir of Detroit came with a gospel tent, and the assembly was formed the subsequent fall.

In 1890, the U.S. Religious Census indicated the presence of an open brethren assembly in Saginaw Co., with 20 meeting in a rented hall with a capacity of 100. It was known +1897-1904+ as the West Side Gospel Hall in Saginaw, but also +1901-1943+ as the Saginaw Gospel Hall. The earliest known commendation was of John Govan in the fall of 1919.

The assembly met in a number of rented locations on the west side of Saginaw including Hamilton & Cass Sts. in 1897, and Cleveland & Webster Sts. in 1904, before purchasing a lot on Madison & Porter Sts. in 1944, and pitching a gospel tent there where David Octavius Calderhead (1897-1980) from the old Mansfield Gospel Hall (+1936-1947) of Ohio preached a season, which resulted in professions and baptisms. In 1945, they erected a building on the purchased location, and met in their first owned location on Feb. 28, 1946. As per their website, the following Sunday, Mar. 3rd, the gospel was preached by William H. Ferguson, who had visited the area for many years.

The formal opening date was Mar. 17th, 1946 with 75 met to remember the Lord, and 200 in the afternoon and evening, with special ministry from Peter J. Pell from Grand Rapids, as well as Cyril Brooks (who married this writer's parents in the Philippines in 1953). In 1965-1966, there was a short-lived division from the GH known as Saginaw Gospel Chapel.

The Gospel Hall had a "gospel booth and trailer" at the Saginaw County Fair for many years, distributing thousands of Walter Kember's framed scripture texts. In 1974, thru a contact made from that effort, a six month gospel series was initiated in Chapin, Marion Springs and Fenmore, Michigan with fruit. The assembly also held a Friday night children's neighborhood outreach, using a school bus for transportation from the Bridgeport area and elsewhere. From 2002-2011, the assembly hosted a booth at what was then known as the Oakley Tractor Show with giveaways of gospel magnets and calendars.

On Oct. 1st, 2007, a celebration of 120 years included a special afternoon meeting from David Nicol, Donald LeCureaux and Dan Shutt who presented assembly history and the gospel. It was noted also on the website that in July of 2015, a university student from Nepal attended the Sunday evening gospel meeting, which resulted in 38 other students attending subsequent meetings.

As per the Dec. 2024 Truth & Tidings, the assembly relocated to Bridgeport due to a "deteriorating neighborhood", and challenges to accommodating those with physical disabilities. The new hall is also closer geographically to where most of the believers reside. Their first meeting in the new hall was held n Oct. 20th, 2024 with Paul Barnhardt as a special speaker.

Locations

• Saginaw:
  • Hamilton & Cass Sts. +1897+
  • Cleveland & N. Webster Sts. +1904+
    • see BGH's website for a picture of this rented hall.
  • 521 Cleveland St. +1936+
  • Madison & Porter Sts. 1946-2024
• Bridgeport:
  • 6785 Dixie Hwy. ?-current

AKA

• West Side Saginaw Gospel Hall 1888-1904+
• Saginaw Gospel Hall 1888-2024
• Madison Street Gospel Hall 1946-2024

Early Correspondents

• Edward S. Williams @ 201 Stark St. +1927-1936+

Also See

• Who's Who at Bridgeport Gospel Hall, MI notable alumni
• Visiting Ministry at Bridgeport Gospel Hall, MI conference news, etc.

Sources

• 1897-2016 AAB's
• BGH's website
• Truth & Tidings (T&T): 2024-12