The mission of the Greater Wabash Baptist Association is to encourage and facilitate cooperative ministry, fellowship, and mutual care among our churches. It is also to assist our churches in the areas of evangelism, missions, education, ministry, church renewal, leadership, development & new work, and to coordinate the use of resources in meeting these goals.
History
The Greater Wabash Baptist Association was originally known as the Mt. Erie Baptist Association. It was constituted on October 27, 1882. The original churches were Pleasant Hill, Indian Prairie, Salem, Six Mile (now Keenes), Arrington Prairie, Olive Branch, Barnhill, Providence, and Ziff.
During the past 126 years, there have been 64 churches who have been members of our association. There are currently 27 churches and 1 mission.
Beginning in 1902 the association called a missionary annually. God has surely blessed our association with a group of Godly men to have ministered to our pastors. Until 1973 the missionary worked from his home. On January 10 the First Baptist Church of Fairfield voted in a Business meeting to make a room available for the missionary to use as an office. The association used this location until 1975. The association purchased a building south of Fairfield and made it her home until August 1996. In January 1996 the association purchased a building in Fairfield and remodeled it to suit the needs of the DOM and secretary. This building located at 101 NE 7th Street is the current location for the Greater Wabash Baptist Association.
The Mt. Erie Baptist Association became the Greater Wabash Baptist Association at the Annual Meeting on October 8, 1974. The committee felt the name Mt. Erie did not identify the association of churches. They agreed that the current name described the geographical area in which our churches are found.
GWBA Staff
Director of Missions, Ron Trotter
Secretary/Clerk, Angela G. Vaughan
Angela has been the associational secretary since August, 1995. She loves her job and thanks God for bringing her to this position. She enjoys ministering to the churches through her position and always loves answering the phone because "I never know who might be on the other end and what needs that person might have. What an opportunity I have to help someone through something as simple as picking up that phone". Paperwork comes second in this office - people come first!
She has been married to Scott since 1976. They have four sons, Lucas, Joseph, Noah, and Micah, and 1 daughter, Samantha. They were blessed with their first grandchild in July, 2008. His name is Jaxson Robert. Their first granddaughter was born in July 2010. Her name is Gracyn Lynn.
Angela has lived in Fairfield most of her life, attending and graduating from Merriam Grade School and Fairfield Community High School. She enjoys taking care of Jack and Gracyn, gardening, reading, walking, and travelling with Scott in the RV. They are planning on becoming Snowbirds to Key Largo, Florida when Scott retires. They have cattle, horses, and numerous barncats on their 25 acres just outside Fairfield.
Treasurer, Dixie Cherry
Physical Location
The address of the associational office is 101 NE 7th Street, Fairfield, IL 62837. That is also our mailing address.
