Birth of a Church

In 1919, the Louisville Cement Company started building homes for its employees in Speed, and made a commitment to improve streets and sanitation, to provide recreational facilities, and to beautify the town. The same year, it began building the Speed Community House, which opened in 1920. The community house quickly became a major hub of activity, including hymn sings. During one of the hymn sings, someone asked, “Why don’t we have a church in Speed?” The discussion turned to “What kind of church?” The people of Speed knew that the community was represented by many denominations and that none was large enough to organize its own church.

The dream regarding establishing a church in Speed led to a meeting in 1923 to discuss the necessary steps to make this a reality. A committee was formed to canvass the community and muster support for the project. Committee members included Harry D. Baylor, James and Jesse Himebaugh, Charles Swartz, Ernest E. Seibel, George Briner, E. R. Gentry, Otto Whitesides, Jessie Riggle, and Thomas McDonald. This committee represented several denominations, including German Lutheran, Church of Christ, Methodist, Presbyterian, and German Reformed. At Gentry’s suggestion, the committee contacted Dr. John M. Macmillan, a Presbyterian minister in Louisville with a strong interest in interdenominational ministries.

On June 1, 1923, William S. Speed notified the committee that he and his sister, Olive Speed Sackett, along with the Louisville Cement Company, would build a church as a memorial to their father, James Breckinridge Speed, founder of the company. The building dedication took place Sunday, July 6, 1924. (Excerpts taken from "A Ministry in Community: A History of Speed Memorial Church 1924-1999, by Carl E. Kramer.)