Berean Baptist Church commemorated its 50th anniversary last month in Ashton. The church is located at 629 Main St.

"It was wonderful. We had a lot of people," said Wendell Gaston, an electrician in Ashton and a member of the congregation since 1984. "We actually had the gentleman that started the church 50 years ago, came up and spoke at our anniversary service. Then we had a big potluck lunch afterwards."

John Lovegrove, the founding pastor, started a Bible study in Ashton a couple years before the church was officially founded in 1972. He's still doing the ministry, but he's retired. In honor of the celebration, Pastor Lovegrove spoke about faithfulness.

"We talked about persevering as a church through the years. You know, we've had several pastors that have come and gone," Gaston said. "We're currently actually looking for a pastor. Our pastor passed away recently, and so we are currently searching for a man of God right now."

The church's former pastor David Nichols retired in June of 2021 and passed away last November.

"He was a fireball, but unfortunately health issues got to him to where he had to go on oxygen and eventually just couldn't preach any more," Gaston said.

In the meantime, the church hosts interim pastors and speakers.

"We have the Grandview Baptist Church in Driggs, Idaho, and the Gethsemane Baptist Church in Idaho Falls have both sent people over as guest speakers," Gaston said.

The congregation meets at 10 a.m. for Sunday School and 11 a.m. for Sunday services. In Sunday School, they are currently studying the early Church in the book of Acts.

The group is small but fervent in faith. A typical Sunday may see a dozen believers gathered together for services.

The Berean Baptist Church is also involved in supporting the greater Ashton community.

"We participate in parades and in fundraising for the Fourth of July fireworks and such," Gaston said.

After each service, the congregation joins together in a potluck lunch.

"(It's) a time of good fellowship," Gaston said.

The church hosts a men's breakfast every Easter, a Thanksgiving dinner where they deliver meals to shut-ins, and services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Church deacon Ellis Shirley has been attending since 2004.

"Berean means 'to be sure that what you're bearing is the truth.' We preach straight from the King James Bible," Shirley said.

The original Bereans were a group of Jews that Paul and Silas visited and preached to in Acts 17:1012. The scripture records that they "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few."

Today the Berean Baptist Church continues that tradition of believing in Jesus Christ.

"We are strictly fundamental. We believe in marriage between a woman and man," Shirley said. "And we believe, of course, in the Trinity — Father, Son and the Holy Spirit."

All are invited to come and visit their congregation and worship with them.

"We love the Lord and we preach the word of God," Gaston said. "We plan on doing that until the Lord comes home."