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Our History
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In the early fifties, when poodle skirts were abundant, Ed Sullivan and Elvis Presley entertained the masses, and the average salary was less than $3,000, members of the 1st Pilgrim Holiness Church (now 1st Wesleyan Church) started a Tuesday night prayer meeting that would become the foundation of what would eventually be known as Garrison Hills Wesleyan Church. During its first 50 years, GHWC has seen 3 locations, 5 name changes, and 13 pastors and assistant pastors. Amid the changes of the world around it as well as the changes it has experienced within itself, the church has held steadily to its vision to reach the lost of Battle Creek.
The following is from "The History of Our Church," written for the church's 50th birthday celebration in 2002.
The History of Our Church
In the early part of the 1950’s, nine members of the 1st
Pilgrim
Holiness
Church
in
Battle Creek
,
Michigan
began meeting in an old schoolhouse at
8283 Cooper Road
. Every Tuesday night they would join in fellowship and prayer for the concerns of the church body. In 1952 the
Cooper Road
schoolhouse, known as “
Joy
School
,” became the location of an afternoon Sunday School class under the leadership of Rev. R. Hawkins.
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The Franklin Street location |
1st
Pilgrim
Holiness
Church
received a vision for a new church in 1953, and Rev. W. N. Miller directed the nine original prayer group members to take the responsibility to plant the new church. A location was chosen on
Franklin Street
, and the newly planted church was appropriately called 2nd
Pilgrim
Holiness
Church
.
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Rev. Leonard Pittman pastored the new church until July of 1955. The average attendance for the church’s first 2 years was 47. After Rev. Pittman left, Rev. J. C. Brillhart took over in August of 1955. The church was then known as
Northside
Pilgrim
Holiness
Church
.
While at
Hastings
camp in the summer of 1958, Rev. Brillhart met Rev. James Witmer. He returned to the church with a proposal to hire Rev. Witmer as pastor, since Rev. Brillhart’s health was declining. Rev. Brillhart retired for health reasons that July, and Rev. Witmer began his role as the new senior pastor in August.
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