Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Star Courier, April 24, 1953, p. 5B. NOTE: The item below was abbreviated from the original as noted by the ellipsis. The original article is accompanied by one photograph of the church. According to the 1940 Bloomington City Directory, Rev. Moses M. Porter and his wife, Georgia E., resided at 509 W. 8th Street. Porter's occupation was noted as pastor of the Second Baptist Church. I do not find his burial noted in Monroe County (IN) cemetery indices. SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF BLOOMINGTON TRACES HISTORY BACK TO HOME MEETING IN YEAR 1872 The Second Baptist Church is one of Bloomington's older community churches with the first meetings of the congregation dating back to 1872. Long before the first formal church building was erected, the members met in various homes. The first minister of the group is remembered as the Rev. Clay. The ministers who constituted the council that organized the Second Baptist Church on March 23, 1872, included: Phillip Siscoe, William Singleton, William Lyon, and John Ghan.Early ministers included: Rev. J. E. Rogers; Rev. Henry C. Reed; M. C. Elzy; Rev. M. M. Porter. The Rev. Porter came to Bloomington from Mitchell in 1907 and remained for 17 (sic) years until his death in November of last year. He was a native of Selma, Alabama. The first church building was a frame structure at the northeast corner of Eighth and Rogers streets. It served as the house of worship until 1943 when the present stone structure was erected at the southwest corner of Rogers and Eighth. This building was made possible by the untiring efforts of the Rev. Porter who also contributed some of his own funds to the construction of the $40,000 edifice. The congregation later repaid him and built a parsonage near the church at 509 West Eighth Street. Mrs. Porter, widow of the minister, still resides in the parsonage. Among the early and more recent names on the church register are: John Morris, William Duerson, Charles Booth, Macy O'Deal, Virgil Lomax, Lyman Brown, George Morton, Dwight Ghan, George Martin, Milton Johnson, Commodore Terrell, Dwight Ghan, Macey O'Deal, William Lewis, Peter Gray, Milton Morris, Mac McCoy, Warfield Alexander, Harrison Thomas, George Erwin, William Arnold, Anthony Johnson, Edward Thomas, Anderson Ghan, Jordan Freeman, Frank Jackson, Charles Dunham, Mrs. Jennie Johnson, Mrs. Anna Hafford, John Chandler, Marcus Herrin, Ida Burnet, Susie Tinsley, Mrs. Nora Ford, Albert Fearmin, Lizzie Lewis, Lora Thomas, Mary Knight, Henry Reed, Sallie Hufford, Julius Hawes, William Wayne, Nancy Clasby, Susie Chandler, Lulu Gordon, Peter Gray, Milton Morris, Levi Tinsley, Andrew Henson, Thomas Duerson, Thomas Rosie Alexander, Josephine Stone. Several months before the death of Rev. Porter, the ministering of the congregation was taken over by young Marvin Chandler, native of Bloomington and son of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Chandler of 1223 West Eleventh Street. Chandler attended Banneker School, Bloomington High School and Franklin College. He is now a student at Indiana University. He became an ordained minister in April 1952. The Rev. Chandler is married to the former Miss Portia Thomas of this city. They have two children, Suzanne and Jolene. They make their home at 919 West Eighth Street.