Bear Creek's History

     In 1811, James Madison was serving as President of the United States, and Dayton, Ohio, founded 16 years earlier, had a population of 383. The church known as Lower Miami was having some internal difficulties (of a nature unrecorded and unknown to us today). A mediating committee of four elders from Virginia met at the home of Jacob Miller, and on October 18 divided this territory into four divisions: Lower Miami, Lower Stillwater, Wolf Creek, and Bear Creek. With this division, Bear Creek inherited two ministers, Elder David Bowman and Henry Metzger. Elder Bowman and his direct descendents had charge of the congregation for over a hundred years, with Parker Filbrun being the last of this direct Bowman heritage to be presiding elder. Thus the congregation was often called the Bowman Church.
     On the day of Pentecost in 1850, Brethren from over the Brotherhood gathered on the David Bowman farm on South Diamond Mill Road (across from Trissel Cemetery), for Annual Meeting, being hosted by the Bear Creek congregation. This Annual Meeting was conducted in both German and English, as German was the predominant language at Bear Creek at that time. An estimated 20,000 people were in attendance, making it the second largest gathering in Montgomery county up to that time.
     Bear Creek people were involved with the dissension that resulted in the separation in 1880 of the Old Orders,and in 1881 of the Progressives. Several strong families withdrew from the Bear Creek congregation to help form these branches of the German Baptist Brethren.
     In 1889, twenty members of Bear Creek, along with eleven from Lower Miami and fourteen from Lower Stillwater, petitioned their congregations to organize a church in West Dayton. These petitions were granted and in April of that year the West Dayton congregation, now Mack Memorial, was organized.
     In 1906, the Lower Stillwater, Wolf Creek, and Bear Creek congregations agreed to form a new district and the Trotwood congregation was organized, with thirty members from Bear Creek being transferred to the new congregation by letter.

Our Building

     During its first 27 years, the congregation met in homes. Then in 1838, a church house was built just west of Little Bear Creek on the south side of the Dayton and Western Pike (West Third Street). Little is known of this building. Some sources say it was brick, others say that it was a log building. Twenty-one years later, in 1859, a brick meeting house was built on the same site. This building was innovative in that it had a basement and that it used benches with backs, a break from the simplicity of plain benches. This building was in use for fifty-one years, the last service being held on March 17, 1909.
     On Monday, March 18, dismantling of the church house began. While it was being razed and replaced, the congregation met in the Stonequarry School on Union Road just north of Jalappa Road (now Hoover Avenue), until March of 1910, when services were held in the basement of the new church. On May 8, 1910 the new church was dedicated.
     In the 1950's plans were made to expand and renovate the building used since 1910. On October 6, 1957, our church, as it currently stands, was dedicated. It is estimated that over $35,000 in labor volunteered by the members went into this structure. In 1950 a parsonage was built just west of the church. Rev. and Mrs. George Phillips were the first occupants.
     In 1998 the Bear Creek Remodeling Committee was formed. Since 1998 the nursery, youth, and junior youth classrooms have been remodeled and updated. In September 2004 the remodel of the Sanctuary was completed. The remodel of the Sanctuary included painting, carpet, and a sound and projector booth, complete with a new sound system and a video projector and screen.

Bear Creek Beginnings         

 The Ladies' Aid was organized in 1907 and became a very active group, meeting all day to quilt and piece quilt blocks. The Ladies' Aid is an ecumenical group and remains active today.
     Singing in the early years was by "lining" and unaccompanied, often led by a Deacon. In 1926, a piano was obtained, and in 1936 an organ was given by Ida Bright, and Howard Erbaugh was elected to the new office of Music Director. Bear Creek has always had an able choir and has been blessed by a succession of talented Choir Directors to this day.
     Bear Creek supports many services and organizations within their community.Bear Creek has many dedicated tithers and has generous in its support over the years to Brotherhood Fund, Bethany Seminary, the Brethren's Home, Outdoor Ministries at Woodland Altars, and to Heifer Project, just to name a few.
     The present is but a passing moment, a bridge, carrying a continuing program of Christian worship, inspiration, education, service, and dedication. What does the future hold for Bear Creek? Only God knows and we as a congregation will continue to pray for God's will for our church for the future that lies ahead.