Blue River Gospel Hall, WI

Blue River Gospel Hall is an open brethren assembly in Grant Co., part of the Platteville micro in southwest Wisconsin, founded in 1932.

The April 2001 edition of Truth and Tidings carries an overall history of Gospel Hall assemblies in Wisconsin including BRGH, written by correspondent James Frazier. The relevant excerpt to the history of BRGH is as follows:

"Five assemblies were planted in nine years in southern Wisconsin. Blue River being one of them. On July 6, 1932 Mr. Stephen Mick and Mr. Charles Summers from Tocoma, WA, pitched a tent in the village. The first saved were Anna Zemlicka and her daughter Marie, who is in the assembly to this day. During those meetings, Mrs. Lucy Studnicka went to the doctor with her son and asked the doctor, “What is going on in the tent?” He replied, “Oh, I guess a couple of men are preaching to empty seats.” Curious, they went to the tent and were impressed. She was heard to say, “This is what I have always been looking for.”

God began to work in the Studnicka family. Mr. Summers left the first of September, but the meetings continued until the weather turned cold. Nine professed in the first series. Mr. Mick rented a garage to store his tent. It was stolen but recovered by the sheriff. A wealthy man with influence in the community had arranged the theft and hindered Mr. Mick from using the building he had rented for meetings in the winter. However, Mrs. Zemlicka opened her home for two weeks of meetings. Following this, there were meetings in the Garner building. [Mrs. Garner was in fellowship with the subsequently founded assembly.]

This series resulted in fifteen professing. That winter, more professed, and on May 21, 1933, twenty-six obeyed the Lord in baptism. They sat down to break bread on May 28, 1933, in the Garner building, which was owned by a sister in the assembly. During the year of 1933, the Studnicka brothers cut logs on the family farm and had lumber prepared for the new hall. They gathered in the hall on February 24,1935. The first conference was held the following November.

A new hall was built and used for the first time on the 23rd of January 1986. There are about sixty in fellowship. Five are of the original twenty-six, and we thank God for eleven fourth-generation believers."

As forementioned, the assembly started hosting annual conferences in Nov. 1935, and has continued to this day, generally in a local school in Highland, Wisconsin.

In 1993, a couple brethren from this assembly had gospel meetings in a local YMCA in Waukesha that were fruitful, and Waukesha Gospel Hall was borne, which continues to meet.

GospelRiver.com has MP3's of past annual conferences for BRGH 2010-current, as well as for La Crosse Gospel Hall. A young man named Isaiah Frazier from the assembly also shared his testimony at Sarnia Gospel Hall in Ontario, Canada on Feb. 9th, 2024 that is available on YouTube. There are a total of 21 other messages on Gospel Hall Audio connected with BRGH.

Locations

• 1935-1986: old hall
• 1986-current: new hall

Meeting Times

• +1936-1967: SS 9:30am, BB 10:30am, G 8pm
• 1968: SS 10am, BB 10:30am, G 8pm, P/M Th. 8pm
• 1969-1972: SS 10:30am, BB 11:00am, G 8pm, P/M Th. 8pm
• 1973-current?: SS 9:45am, B 10:30am, G 8pm, P/M Th. 8pm

Correspondents

• William Studnicka @ Muscoda 1932-1962
• Raymond Studnicka @ Boscobel 1963-1979
• Otto Studnicka @ Muscoda 1980-1991
• James C. Frazier 1992-current

Also See

• Who's Who at Blue River Gospel Hall, WI notable alumni
• Visiting Ministry at Blue River Gospel Hall, WI news, etc.

Sources

• Our Record: 1932-12
• James & Jan Frazier 3-23-2025
• 1936-2024 AAB's (assembly address books)