BPC: Boldly Proclaiming Christ
At its heart, Bay Presbyterian Church has always been a church on the move. From its founding in 1912 as a Sunday school for children who couldn’t make the 2-1/2 mile trip over a dirt road to the only church in Bay Village, to its explosive growth as it faithfully ministered to Cleveland’s West Shore communities, to its current call to bring Christ’s love to Northeast Ohio, Bay Presbyterian Church is a suburban church that has never accepted the status quo of suburban life.
The small band of individuals that would eventually be chartered as Bay Presbyterian Church began meeting in a one-room brick school house at the corner of Columbia and Lake Roads in Bay Village. The school, located at the church’s present site, eventually became the church’s first home several years after Bay Presbyterian was officially organized on March 25, 1917.
In 1932, the church building was consumed by fire—yet the congregation rallied and rebuilt its structure less than six months later. The post-World War era produced more significant change, as Bay Village, now a fast-growing suburb, caused BPC to grow considerably. In 1955 a new sanctuary was completed—now the church’s Great Hall—and a Christian education wing was added four years later.
Unexpected Change
By the 1970’s, BPC’s membership had grown to over 1,000. Following the tragic death of the Reverend John Oerter, who succumbed to a heart attack while on a rafting trip, 29-year-old Hu Auburn was called as BPC’s ninth Senior Pastor in 1975. Under Hu’s leadership the church experienced another surge in growth; a new and contemporary sanctuary was built in 1989, followed by a major new Christian education wing to the east in 1998.
2008 was a year of great consequence at BPC. Within a twelve month period the church consummated a transition in denomination from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church; accepted the retirement of Hu Auburn after 33 years; and called Garnett Slatton as its tenth Senior Pastor. Any one of these events might have stalled a typical church—but BPC weathered all three with virtually no loss in membership or momentum.
Entrepreneurs for Christ
Nearly 100 years after its founding, BPC remains a unified, energized and highly focused congregation. Unlike many large churches, BPC is rarely concerned with preserving its past or avoiding change. Instead it has thrived year after year by teaching, equipping and inspiring highly qualified and visionary individuals among its staff and membership—people who have seen Christ at work first-hand within the church’s walls and who have responded in faith by initiating their own ministries both inside and outside BPC, often with the active support of the church itself. This is truly an empowered congregation.
As it enters its second century, Bay Presbyterian clearly understands its roles in mission, in teaching and worship, in supporting families, and in serving the cause of Christ in the world. BPC remains at the corner of Columbia and Lake—but its walls, and its people, have never been spread further outward.
“Christ Is Alive and With Us” is a detailed and highly engaging history of Bay Presbyterian Church, written by BPC member and elder Perry Pascarella. The book is available at no charge through the church in hard copy, as well as in e-book format. To download the e-book, go to the download page.