Bridgeview Baptist Church

The following is from an interview with Bridgeview's founding pastor , Reverend Irby Tranum, by Syble Farr in 1991. 

Following his ordination to the Gospel Ministry by Second Baptist Church of Montgomery in October 1947, Irby Tranum received a call from Christian friends to preach in the Bridgeview community.  He accepted the call and challenge to organize a Baptist church.

He preached a tent revival for three weeks on the Tallapoosa River with the tent situated across the road from the present church site.  During one of the tent services there was a terrible rainstorm with strong winds blowing, sharp lightning and loud thunder.  The congregation huddled together in the tent and continued with the service.  However, they knew a more permanent and safer structure had to be found.

Following the revival they held services in the Martins' barn until the church was organized with Blount Davidson and Lee Gallman of the Montgomery Baptist Association and a total of thirty-nine members.  Brother Tranum was pastor and baptized thirty-five members in the Tallapoosa River soon after the "Great Tent Revival", which was a very moving experience for all.  Brother Tranum pastored Bridgeview for approximately seven years, helping the church to grow into a viable asset to the Bridgeview Community.

The church prospered with several Bible study groups being held in different homes while the men of the community volunteered in the building of a permanent church, a cement block building.  Revivals were held regularly with some of the leading pastors bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with great power, as much prayer was held in many of the homes in the Bridgeview Community.  "God blessed Bridgeview Baptist Church through the years and annual Homecomings were held on the fourth Sunday of August.  Most of the original thirty-nine members have gone to be with their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, but the spirit of God lives on in many hearts in Bridgeview and will continue to live until Christ comes back to rapture His Church, of which Bridgeview is a vital part", stated Brother Tranum.

Family names represented in the original thirty-nine members were: the Hughes family, who ran a dairy; the Martins, who first tried to interest Brother Tranum in pastoring the new church; the Manns; Ruth and J.T. Brooks, who move their membership from Chisholm Baptist Church so Ruth could become the first pianist; and Leon and Gertrude Butler, described as pillars of the church.  Both Reverend Tranum and Mr. Martin worked at the U.S. Post Office in Montgomery, and it was there where Mr. Martin approached Brother Tranum about pastoring after having learned that Brother Tranum was recently ordained.  Mr. Martin invited him to help organize a Baptist church in the Bridgeview Community and pastor it; Brother Tranum accepted the challenge. 

After leaving Bridgeview, Brother Tranum went on to pastor Liberty Baptist Church, Greenville, AL; Pigeon Creek Baptist Church, Greenville, AL; New Ebenezer Baptist Church, Highland Home, AL; Santuck Baptist Church, Wetumpka, AL; County Line Baptist Church, Prattville, AL; and Ashville Baptist Church in North Carolina where he was pastor from 1976 to 1978.