On March 3, 1963, Community Baptist Church was organized under the leadership of the late Reverend Wilmer Wright. We began having services in a barbershop at the corner Willow Penn and Lakeland Avenue, Bristol, PA. The first members were: Frederick and Catherine Etheridge, Georgia Harris, Arthur Brown, Levy Brown, Elsie Streeter, Margaret Streeter and Catherine Wright. Due to rapid growth of the church, the Lord blessed us to move to Beaver Dam Road and Vandike Street, Bristol, PA in 1965. The church was set apart in 1966 with the aid of the late Rev Isaac Ballard and New Bethlehem Baptist Church Trenton, NJ. On March 2, 1987, Rev Wilmer Wright retired after 24 years of faithful service as Pastor and in 1987, Rev. Joseph R. Wright was installed as Pastor. That same year in August, we marched from our old place of worship to our present location. Rev Wilmer Wright was called to his eternal rest on December 24, 1988.
Since the passing of our founding Pastor, the church has grown both physically and spiritually, as he instilled in us many fond memories and touched many lives during his thirty-one years of service to the church as well as the community. On May 23, 1996, God truly blessed us to purchase ten acres on Durham road in Middletown, PA. As the Lord leads and guides the church to support the vision, we are looking to future development. Our building plans are for a new sanctuary, Fellowship hall, Christian Nursery, Daycare, Senior Care and finally Community Outreach Center with adequate facilities for our children. Because of our rapid growth, we now have two services on Sundays, an Early Morning service at 8AM and an 11AM Worship Service. Currently our membership totals more than 450 members, of which 350 are active. We have an average of about 300 members in attendance per week. |
