CommonCall: Long obedience the norm at Caldwell church

Maybe there’s something in the drinking water in Caldwell—or in the waters of the baptistry at First Baptist Church.

More likely, it’s in the hearts of the people who consider First Baptist Church in Caldwell their family—a commitment to serve each other and their Lord for years on end.

Eugene Peterson famously defined discipleship as “a long obedience in the same direction.” He could have been describing the Caldwell congregation.

First Baptist in Caldwell boasts an unusual number of people who have labored at the same tasks for decades. Even so, it’s a tight-knit family that continues to embrace new members and gladly offers them places to serve.

“Our people realize it enriches the church to be open and welcoming. There’s a desire to bring more people into the family,” said Paul Batista, whose family has been part of First Baptist in Caldwell six generations.

Setting a high standard

In a church where long-tenured service is the norm, Dorothy Broaddus sets a high standard. She has worked in the church office 60 years, including the last 40 years as church treasurer and financial secretary.

For most of her soon-to-be 96 years, she has lived across the street from the First Baptist building—a fact that initially led to her work in the church office.

“The pastor would holler out the door: ‘Dorothy, are you busy? I need something typed,’” she recalled.

For four decades, she has worked closely with the church’s finance committee, keeping track of all financial matters and preparing a monthly report for the congregation.

“When I started, the church had a $17,000 budget. Now, it’s about $600,000,” she said.

She performs her duties with a pencil, paper and adding machine.

“I don’t even know how to turn a computer on,” she said.

For most of her years as financial secretary, Broaddus has walked from her house to the church office. During the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked from home, but in recent months, she has returned to the office across the street.

“God has taken care of me and watched over me,” she said. “God has seen me through it all. It’s not what I’ve done. It’s what God has done through me.”

Grew up in the church’s music ministry

At age 84, Ray Ann Alford, can’t quite match her sister-in-law’s long tenure at First Baptist, but she has been church pianist for 50 years.

It’s not an overstatement to say she has been part of the church’s music ministry nearly her whole life, considering her mother—Ray Broaddus—was the church’s longtime organist and occasional pianist. The duo played together for 15 years—mother on the organ and daughter on the piano—until her mother retired from the post.

“My mother taught all of us (Alford and her sisters) music from the time we were still in the womb,” she said. “I grew up in this church. … It means everything to me.”

Alford fondly recalls the music directors—some paid ministers of music, and others volunteer song leaders—with whom she has worked over the course of five decades. She particularly remembers good times with Dorothy Batista, who led the music more than 20 years and served as interim music director on multiple occasions.

Not surprisingly, given the multi-generational nature of First Baptist in Caldwell, the church’s 150 anniversary history said of Dorothy Batista: “Both her mother and grandparents were instrumental in establishing the wonderful music programs which continue to this day.”

The sesquicentennial history also added, “Anyone who heard Dorothy sing knows that the Lord blessed her with a voice like the angels.”

Her son Paul, certainly agreed, noting his mother’s voice was “strong and pure, like a piece of crystal.” If anyone objected to a woman leading in worship, he never heard about it.

“Everybody knows everybody pretty well, and I think most people saw her as the most qualified person, so they thought she ought to be doing it,” he said.

Alford also speaks highly of her instrumental colleague Cassandra Russell, who began serving as organist at First Baptist in Caldwell 25 years ago, after several years as assistant pianist.

“I had to learn about stops and pedals,” Russell recalled.

‘It’s more a ministry than a job’

The organ Ray Broaddus and others played for many years is still in the church’s chapel. Russell plays the “new organ,” dedicated in 1991 in the church sanctuary.

Nadine McManus became church secretary at First Baptist in Caldwell 38 years ago, about eight years after she joined the church.

“It’s more a ministry than a job to me,” she said. “I’m just honored and humbled to serve here.”

That’s characteristic of the attitude of most people at First Baptist in Caldwell, according to Charles and Jane Sebesta. He has been a member 54 years. She joined five years later when they married.

He has been a deacon about 45 years and served on multiple committees. She has taught Sunday school at least 30 years and served in other capacities.

“We have a family attitude here. That’s why we have a group of people who are so faithful,” he said.

While the Sebestas described the church as close-knit family, they noted a significant number of young families who have continued to join in recent years and assume leadership roles.

“They jump right in and work,” she said, pointing particularly to a young mother with four children and a fifth on the way who led in Vacation Bible School. “We welcome the young people. … There are plenty of jobs to go around.”

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