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The History of First Assembly of God Rensselaer, IN

Lead by the Holy Spirit, Reverend Charles Foster, his wife Barbara, and their children Chuck, Phil, Randy, Susan, and Jeff came to Rensselaer to start Rensselaer Assembly of God on June 29, 1963, after the Lord spoke to their hearts. When he arrived, he was supported by Ruby Eisele and Doris Lane. The Fosters started the church with their own money and paid bills out of their pocket.

The church started in a building called the Stone House owned by Charles Griffin that was located on Melville Street. The congregation paid $45 per month rent and worshiped there for two years. On their first Easter Sunday (1964), there were eighty people present. Brother and Sister Foster felt the congregation needed more room to grow, so they looked at a church on the corner of Elza and Waner Street. Brother Foster went over one cold winter night and walked around the church building and claimed it for the Lord. Rev. Leon Paitte was the pastor in this building at the time and afterwards the Lord blessed them so much that they needed to move to another location.

In the fall of 1964 the congregation rented the old Church of God building at 325 Warner Street with a rent free lease for thirty years with the option to renew. After remodeling and cleaning the building, in Spring of 1965, the congregation moved in.

On October 27, 1965, the church was set in order. Pastor Foster conducted the meeting with thirty-three members present.

On November 15, 1966, the Indiana District unanimously voted to officially recognize the Assembly of God Church of Rensselaer, Indiana, as a dependent Assembly with the Indiana District Assemblies of God Inc.

Brother Foster resigned in March of 1967 and Jake Smith Filled the position until a new pastor was found.

On May 21, 1967, Rev. Grady Goff accepted the pastorate. His wife Helen and their children Tim, Mark, and Jeff were a blessing. The church could not pay them much so they started out living in Robert and Myrtle Down’s basement, then they moved to Robert Cover’s house from there. Howard and Millie Parks (from the Baptist Church) gave them many good meals, fresh milk, cream, butter, fresh meats, eggs, and garden vegetables as well as a deep freezer. The Lord also blessed the family with cash gifts when they needed it.

In November 1967, the Home Missions Department of Section II bought a 60x12, three-bedroom mobile home as a parsonage and helped make payments on it for some time. The mobile home was located in James Chapman’s trailer park on West Washington Street. The landlord, James Chapman, added a 38x12 patio, storage room and screened room.

The C.A. (Christ’s Ambassador’s) group purchased our first bus, a 1955 GMC, on July 6m 1968.

During the Goff’s ministry, the Lord blessed and the congregation was able to accomplish much remodeling to the church building.

Reverend Grady Goff resigned on November 23, 1969. During Goff’s ministry he had brought in Reverend Gerald Flynn from Bloomington to speak for a revival. The congregation like him and his family and called him to try out on November 30, 1969. He was voted in and accepted. Reverend Flynn came in December 1969.

In 1972, Howard Parks, trustee of the church at 325 Waner Street sold us the building for $1.00. A parsonage was also purchased on Weston Street on October 16, 1972. In 1974 the congregation purchased the current property on Clark Street.

During Pastor Flynn’s ministry the church at 325 Warner Street was remodeled and a portion of the land on Clark Street was sold to Lynn Shook so that the debt for the land could be paid off.

Reverend Flynn pastored in Rensselaer for six years and resigned on January 5, 1975. Following his ministry here, he went to Rockville for fourteen months. During the search for a new pastor, Melvin Lane filled the position.

Reverend Jimmie Johnson and wife Pauline with their children, Mary Lou, Cindy, Dolores, Gregg, and Tim were voted in during April of 1975 and moved from Highland, Indiana. He left in February of 1976.

On March 14, 1976, Reverend Flynn returned to pastor the church. In the fall of 1976, construction on a new fellowship building and basement, for a cost of $71,179.31 was started which was used to worship for several years. In October of 1976, the property at 325 Warner Street was sold for $12,000.

The last service in the old building was July 10, 1977, and the congregation moved into the new building on July 17, 1977, which was used as a sanctuary for the next four years. During 1978 a new parsonage was built at 615 Clark Street and it was debt-free by the time work was completed!

In 1979 the church bought Borntrager apartments that were right next to the church with the agreement that Mrs. Borntrager would live in the back apartment rent-free as long as she lived.

In the fall of 1980 construction was started on the new sanctuary and was completed by Easter Sunday of 1981. On January 3, 1981, Rensselaer First Assembly of God, at 615 West Clark Street was recognized as a General Council affiliated church with the General Council of the Assemblies of God, Inc.

In 1984 the True Reeves property, next to the apartments, was purchased at auction for $10,000. In June of 1986, construction was started on the gym and office complex. Also, during 1986, the fellowship building was remodeled for Sunday school rooms and the driveway was blacktopped.

During the Sunday night service on July 5, 1978, Reverend Bradley Wood tried out for the pastoral position, he was voted in and accepted. He returned on August 2, 1987 with his wife Barbara and their children, Steve, Ryan and Monica.

In the fall of 1987, the basement was painted and the foyer was papered. In 1988 a new sign was purchased and the old steeple was replaced on January 20, 1988 due to the wind blowing the old one down.

Sunday evening, June 16, 1991, Reverend Wood resigned and they left on Friday, June 29, 1991. On Wednesday night, July 10, 1991, Reverend Burnside and his wife Shirley came and taught in the service. It was then decided that on July 14, 1991, Reverend Glen Burnside would try out. The congregation voted Brother Burnside in with a 98% yes vote. When they informed Reverend Burnside of the decision, he already had their belongings box and ready to come. The Burnsides arrived Wednesday, July 24, 1991.

During Reverend Burnside’s ministry, the congregation was able to pay off the sanctuary and had a mortgage burning. In October of 1991 the drive was blacktopped and the money was raised in sixty days.

The youth pastor under Reverend Burnside was Chuck Trapp with his wife, Veronica, and daughter Hilary who stayed with us until the fall of 1995.

On July 9, 1994, Reverend Burnside resigned and left on Friday, October 16, 1994. On November 13, 1994, Reverend Paul Hare tried out and was voted in. He moved in on November 29, 1994, with his wife Jane and their daughter Angela. Their first Sunday was December 4, 1994.

The new youth pastor under Brother Hare was Reverend Matt Brown with his wife Melissa and their son Timothy. They moved in on June 7, 1996, and their first Sunday was June 9, 1996.

During Pastor Hare’s ministry, the congregation was able to pay off the rest of the mortgage and the church was debt-free. Pastor Hare resigned sometime in 1996.

[Our detailed notes end at this point and the following information is incomplete. As things are remembered or discovered, we will update the information with further details.]

Reverend Orchard, his wife, and one son served as pastor from 1996 until 2000. In the year 2000, Pastor Mark Callaway became pastor along with his wife, Leslie, and children, Shannon and Nathan. Pastor Callaway informed the congregation in September 2019 that he was resigning to go to California. It was during Pastor Callaway’s time that the (Doing Business As) name was changed to The Bridge.

In December of 2019, Pastor Doug Harris was voted in and accepted. He officially started in January of 2020. Pastor Harris, his wife Rebecca, and sons Samuel and Ian commuted from their home in Dyer, Indiana until June 2020 when the parsonage renovations were completed.

July 8, 2023, the D.B.A. (Doing Business As) name of the church was changed to Brookside Church.