Anderson Living Hope Church

In 1900, before Henry Ford manufactured the famous Model-T, God was pouring out His Spirit in revival across our land. Many small organizations were formed during that time for the purpose of spreading the message of scriptural holiness. One such group was organized in Pennsylvania in 1894, and called themselves the Holiness Christian Association. In 1897, the group changed their name to Holiness

Christian Church. While the Spirit of God was moving in Pennsylvania, and other sections of our country, He was also challenging the hearts of seven individuals in Anderson, Indiana. These seven sensed the leadership of the Holy Spirit to begin a new holiness church, and thus formed an organization in 1900 affiliated with the Holiness Christian Church. Cloud Chapman on South Chase Street. The small congregation called Rev. Bayless Grimes to be their first pastor in 1903. However, in the meantime, their faith in God and persistent hard work had caused the congregation to grow and be able to dedicate a new church building on October 2, 1903. From various accounts of those early days it is easy to conclude that the congregation of people worshipping at 24th and Delaware were committed to their Lord. Their love for Jesus motivated them to do three things above all else: win souls every way possible, preach the holiness message and support missionary efforts around the world. Through a series of mergers, the Holiness Christian Church became the Pilgrim Holiness Church in 1922. This local congregation continued to minister effectively in the community of Anderson. During the next 30 years, under the leadership of six great pastors, the church enjoyed a period of outstanding growth and effectiveness. A weekly radio ministry was begun. Attendance of 400 and 500 were not unusual. Several outstanding times of revival resulted in many conversions to Christ and commitments to holiness. A number of the “older” saints in the church today became part of the family of God in the period before 1951. The age of the church building and the size of the congregation demanded that a new church facility be constructed; and on May 12, 1957, the new building was dedicated to the Lord. A record attendance in the new building was set on December 3, 1961, just three and a half years after its dedication. The attendance that day was 438, with 108 in the Onward Class. Seven years later, in 1968, the Pilgrim Holiness Church merged with the Wesleyan Methodists and the name of the local congregation was changed to Central Wesleyan Church. As the church continued to minister, several groups began to feel a need for a central place of fellowship. This was especially true among those who worked with the youth of the church. A home was purchased and the first Youth Center was developed. Little by little additional property was acquired. Finally, in 1977, the present Bateman Community Center was constructed which helped to meet the growing needs of children, youth, and adults for ministry and fellowship. The Anderson Central Wesleyan Church has a purpose to:

Demonstrate the reality of God’s presence in our services, our lives and to the world. Foster a genuine love for God and for people regardless of who they are or what their background is. Reach people for Christ by sharing the good news of the gospel one person at a time. With these values in mind, the church continues to this day sharing Christ to the World one person at a time.