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CHURCH HISTORY
             COMPILED BY MRS. HELEN CLARK RITGER
zAssembly of God Pentecostal
A GROUP OF people were gathered together by Miss Olga Wisthof in
September, 1937, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Bethke. There-
after, families met in homes of members, conducting prayer meetings
and Bible Study, until 1939, when the church at 502 South Commer-
cial Street was purchased from the Scandinavian Lutheran organiza-
tion.
  The following pastors have served the church: Rev. Carl Erickson,
Rev. Devore Walterman, Rev. David Wakefield, Rev. Allan McKel-
lips, Rev. Darrell Meyrer, Rev. Hardy L. Thompson. Rev. A. R.
Portinga is the present pastor.
  The General Council of the Assemblies of God was organized in Hot
Springs, Arkansas, in 1914. Though the movement is young, the
church in Neenah is one of 7,514 churches in the United States.
Calvary Baptist
FIvE Neenah men, W. J. Garfield, Elbert S. Shumway, E. J. Nuss-
bicker, Oscar Sindahl and Clyde Smith, were the founders of this
church, originally known as the First Fundamental Church of Neenah.
It had been incorporated as the "Union Gospel Tabernacle" in 1931.
This group of men held meetings in the homes of members. In 19331
they took over the church which was, years ago, used by the Nor-
wegian Methodists, corner of Isabella and Caroline Streets.
  The first pastor of the church was the Rev. W. G. Wittenborn, who
served the congregation from 1931 to 1940, and during his time, ar-
rangements were made to purchase the former Norwegian Methodist
Church, and the congregation took the name of the "First Funda-
mental Church." Rev. A. A. Bandow served as pastor 1940-1949.
  Since the church is Baptistic in nature, the name was formally
changed to Calvary Baptist Church in November, 1955.
  During recent years larger quarters have been necessary, and a wing
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