THE HISTORY OF GNBC
Good News Baptist Church, like many churches, had a humble beginning in a small home. The church was started by Ron Morrow & Bert Lang in the 1970’s. The church quickly outgrew the home, so they began meeting in the YWCA on the corner of 5th Street & 4th Avenue SE. Eventually, they purchased a bus and began picking up children in the neighborhood and bringing them to church.
As the church continued to grow, Ron, Burt and other church leaders agreed that it was time to hire an ordained pastor. They hired Pastor Craig Smith, but he was unable to stay for long. Then, in 1977, they hired Pastor Dave Smith (no relation to Craig). Pastor Dave (as he was called) pastored the church from 1977 to 1986.
Pastor Rick had already moved on, so the church was without a pastor. It took the church quite a while to find a new pastor. This was hard on the church and membership declined throughout this period.
Pastor Dave hired an Associate Pastor, Rick Patterson, and the church saw tremendous growth under their leadership. To accommodate this growth, the church purchased its current building at 1203 3rd Avenue SW. (This building had previously been the home of Calvary Baptist Church – which built a new facility several miles to the north.)
Thankfully, in 1995, we hired Pastor Robert (Bob) Pleiness. He and his wife, Marilyn, have been serving faithfully ever since. Pastor Bob provided the stability that the church so desperately needed. Pastor Bob served as senior pastor for 15 years.
Due to some health issues, Pastor Bob decided to retire at the end of 2009. However, Pastor Bob and Marilyn are still faithful and very active in the church. Pastor Bob, now a deacon, is a wonderful teacher of God’s Word, and Mrs. Pleiness continues to lend her many musical and vocal talents.
In 1986, Pastor Dave felt that the Lord was leading him to help a congregation in Michigan that had recently lost their pastor. (Pastor Dave is still a beloved friend to this church today. In fact, he preached for us during a special conference in the summer of 2011.)
Many of the earliest members of the church are still with us today, including:
Upon Pastor Bob’s retirement, Associate Pastor Thomas R. Osterkamp, Jr. became our pastor.
Don & Cathy Kaplan
Arlo & Joyce Netolicky
Floyd & Juanita Weis (Juanita now in Heaven)
Jesse & Mary Daugherty (Mary now in Heaven)
Dan Dolphin (now married to Julie)
Thomas & LaRetta Osterkamp
Irene Pettlon and daughters Glenda & Paulette
Gary & Debra Kunce
Randy Richmond (now married to Paulette Pettlon)
Pastor Thomas and his wife both grew up in this church. At the age of 19, Thomas felt God calling him into full-time ministry. He enrolled at Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida. Pastor Thomas married Lysandra (Gilchrist), his high school sweetheart, after his Junior year. He was ordained on December 12, 2009. Upon graduating, he and Lysandra began serving at a church in Alabama.
Back in 2007, Pastor Bob had reached out to Thomas to be our associate pastor. Pastor Thomas and Lysandra were still busy serving God in Alabama where Thomas was the associate pastor at Open Door Baptist Church. Eager to return home, Pastor Thomas accepted the offer.
Upon Pastor Dave’s departure in 1986, Associate Pastor Rick Paterson became the Interim Senior Pastor. Pastor Rick graduated from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in 1970. He came to Good News Baptist Church in 1978. Pastor Rick led the search for a new senior pastor.
He and Lysandra have four lovely girls: Kathryne, Isabella, Abigail and Violet Rose.
By the summer of 1987, the church had found its next senior pastor – Jeffery Bayliff. Pastor Jeffrey was a graduate of Tennessee Temple University and had been serving faithfully in the Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Pastor Rick happily resumed his role as the assistant pastor.
God has done many great things here at Good News Baptist Church. We hope that you will consider joining us and being a part of the next chapter in the history of this wonderful church.
Pastor Jeffery served into 1994, at which time he took the pastorate of another church in order to be closer to his home and extended family.
Written by Arlo & Joyce Netolicky. We appreciate their ongoing efforts to capture the history of GNBC.
© 2011 Good News Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, IA, 319.366.2656