Union Church is named aptly, after it was formed when the congregations of the First Baptist Church of Lake Orion and the Emmanuel Baptist Church joined their church buildings together in 1953.
According to an article printed in the Aug. 15, 1954 edition of The Fundamental Fellowship, a Royal Oak weekly independent publication, the two congregations merged their buildings and continued as the First Baptist Church of Lake Orion, which was the original building on the corner of Church Street with the steeple.
Both congregations were already worshiping there when the suggestion was made to move the former Emmanuel Baptist building from its location on the southern end of town and join it with the new church.
The Emmanuel Baptist Church building, which today houses the Orion Senior Center, was moved in mid-July of 1954, and set over a basement foundation six blocks high. What was identified as the “Losey” house, formerly located next to First Baptist Church, was moved to make room for the additional building.
Rev. Walter Ballagh, identified in the article as the pastor of the newly merged congregations, said the new addition allowed an old prayer meeting room to be used as part of the main auditorium of the new church, allowing extra seating for about 100.
The addition (the Emmanuel Baptist Church building) was to be used for “young people’s work,” junior church and Sunday school. A pastor’s study, nursery, ladies’ lounge and church office were also added.
Ballagh also made mention of the “thermostatically controlled heating system” allowing them to heat each room of the new structure independently. A new hot water furnace was installed during the remodeling of the First Baptist Church basement.
Asked what he considered the most important part of the merger, Ballagh said “To me, the uniting of two congregations in complete harmony was a major achievement, and now we not only have the two congregations united, we have the two buildings united also.”