The Agoga Tabernacle was located on the northeast corner of Fourth and Cherry streets from 1923 to 1967, when it was razed to make room for Welborn Clinic. The spacious structure was erected at a cost of $80,000 by First Baptist Church, a still-active congregation that traces its roots in Evansville to 1847, whose building stands on the northwest corner of the intersection. The purpose of the tabernacle was two-fold: to house the Agoga Bible Class, which grew a membership of 800 men within a decade, and to provide a space for athletics. Beginning in 1947, it hosted the popular Tri-State Independent Basketball Tournament until the building closed, boosted by the church’s belief that sports promoted “clean living and finer citizenship.â€Â
My grandpa played trombone in the Agoga Bible Class band. I remember sitting next to him on visits.
I played violin there in the latter 1950s. Was your grandpa Glenn Gregory?
My father was one of the Presidents of the
AGOGA BIBLE CLASS, he held that position
for over 30 years.
The new building was erected in 1967 by the
AGOGA from monies received for their old building. Not by any funding from First Baptist Church.
The AGOGA was always a separate entity.
They were never legally owned in anyway
by the First Baptist Church until the late 1990’s when “trustees of the AGOGA BIBLE CLASS” signed it over when so many of the
members had passed away or were to ill to
be able to attend.
I know this as I was one of the class officers
to sign it over to First Baptist Church.
And at no time did the First Baptist Church
pay anything towards the building.
I grew up attending First Baptist Church and
the AGOGA BIBLE CLASS.
Vicki Kavanaugh Brown,
Daughter of:
Charles F. Kavanaugh,
President AGOGA BIBLE CLASS
Hello Vicki! I remember Charlie Kavanaugh very well as he and my grandfather Ed Gentry, also a long time active member of AGOGA, were good friends. If I’m recalling correctly, I believe my grandfather was a long-time trustee.
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