Antioch Baptist Church History

 

 

 

Antioch Baptist Church was organized in the early 1900s, according to the record of the Newport News Circuit Court a deed was made and entered into on December 11, 1903 to purchased property at 29th Street and Roanoke Avenue for the amount of $1050.00. The signing trustees on behalf of Antioch Baptist Church were Charles Graves, A. B. Wingfield, John Wombly and Franklin Atkins.

Through the generations, God has sent dedicated pastors to preach, teach and minister to His people.  They included Reverends O. J. Harris, the first pastor who assisted in the organization of Antioch Baptist Church, followed by J.B. Williams, follow by his brother Peter Williams (whose daughter Betsy W. Cary was a musician at Antioch for more than 70 years), follow by Arthur Gaines, O. E. Davis, Mack Samuels, Alonia Knight, Robert Hicks, Rudolph Perry, Benjamin Atkins, Isaac Johnson and currently William O. Greene, Jr.

            In Some of the early deacons were John Davenport, Arthur Davenport, Eddie Shropshire, Howard Coles, Walter Walker, Garfield Braxton, Fred D. Spratley, John Bell, John Porter, Foster Moore, William Capehart who is our current senior deacon, others late modern deacons are Marvin Mitchell, Thomas Weaver and Clifton O’neil worked to make Antioch a solid rock of salvation for the community. There are numerous other individual whose acts were not recorded, such as, associate ministers, deaconesses, trustees, missionaries, ministry leaders and members who also played exceptional rolls in the history of Antioch.

            The church was rebuilt in 1981 under the leadership of Rev. Perry and Rev. Atkins, the Fred D. Spratley, Sr.  Fellowship Hall was completed during the Rev. Johnson era, the mortgage was burned. Note: The Church was rebuilt by the members and friends the Project Manager was Brother Fred Chamberlin who live to be 102.

            Today, we have truly been blessed to have Reverend William Greene as our pastor. He is a faithful servant and a guiding force. A few of the accomplishments God has allowed the church to make under Pastor Greene’s ministry:

 

More than 350 individuals have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and/or rededicated their lives to Him

 

As we move forward building on the foundation of Jesus Christ and the direction of the Holy Spirit Antioch will continue to grow both spiritually and physically. Knowing that we are not laboring in vain, because He, Jesus Christ, stated that”...upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 (KJV).