How it all started...
Baker Road Baptist Church has an interesting history. Under the leadership of its pastor, Rev. A.L. Jordan, Memorial Baptist Church purchased land on Baker Road in 1966. On January 15, 1978, Memorial Baptist Church launched its new mission with thirteen charter families. Those charter families were: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bethell , and Ty, Lou and Julia Boto, Tommy and Rene Bright, Jerry and Jerri Brown, John and Connie Chappell, Robert and Libby Earhart, Jim and Claire Gilbert, Bill and Billie Guiles, Woody and Betty Harrison, Mr. and Mrs. Duane Pugh, Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Sangerhausen, Steve and Elaine Swenson, Mr. and Mrs. George Thompson.
The first service was held at Pumphrey Elementary School with Memorial’s pastor, Dr. Ed. Thiele bringing the message and Woody Harrison, one of the charter members, leading the music. The services continued to be held at Pumphrey Elementary School.
During those formative years, pianists from Memorial, such as Doug Hamill, helped with the music. A while later, Connie Chappell, another charter member, took over that responsibility. The name of the mission during this time was “Fellowship Baptist Mission.” The first new members to join the church were Sandra Woods and her mother, Willie Romine.
On April 16, 1978, Rev. David B. Davis was called to serve as the first pastor. Under his leadership the church adopted the name, Baker Road Baptist Mission in order to impart a specific geographical location. With David’s zeal encouraging the congregation for Christ, they launched a bus ministry which utilized the youth and young adults by going to the apartments and neighborhoods on Saturday mornings. They would meet and invite children and adults to Sunday School.
Some of the bus workers dressed as clowns and rode the busses. Before long, the bus ministry was bringing in over sixty children and adults to the church. The church ran two buses. The first was called Cloud 1 and was painted blue and white (Sterling High School Colors). A second bus, called Cloud 2 was painted maroon and white (Lee High School Colors). Also, under Pastor David’s ministry, the church had an active local radio ministry through KBUK in Baytown.
In August 1979, after 1 year and 4 months as pastor, David resigned to continue his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is now a full-time evangelist and is the founder of Dynamics for Living, an organization that reaches into the schools and community organizations teaching the dangers of substance abuse, violence, suicide, and provides inlets for those who listen to find real hope through the avenue of Jesus Christ.
Coy Lively, a noted Bible teacher of the area, served as interim pastor until November 1, 1979 when the church called Dr. Burt Purvis, a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to serve as its second pastor. The church was small in number but great in spirit and enthusiasm. Under Dr. Purvis’ leadership the ministry of the new church blossomed. Baker Road became the fastest growing Southern Baptist Church in Texas in 1980-1981. The growth produced a great need for a new home; therefore, the members of Baker Road, along with the members of Memorial Baptist, joined together in a “Let’s Build It Now” effort to raise a building on the site at Baker Road.
In early 1980 a groundbreaking service was held, with Dr. Thiele, his staff, as well as other honored guests attending. On Saturday, October 18, 1980 some dedicated members laid carpet all night in the sanctuary so that the church would be ready for its opening dedication service the next morning. On Sunday, October 19, 1980, the first worship service was held in the new building located at 900 West Baker Road. On May 31, 1981, the church was officially constituted as a church, no longer to be called, Baker Road Mission, but Baker Road Baptist Church.
In September of 1982, ground-breaking for a new educational facility occurred to house the growing congregation. The present facility could not house all the Sunday School classes. Youth Sunday School classes met at the “Skate Machine” a few blocks away on Baker Road, and the outreach classes met at Luby’s Cafeteria. The need for two worship services also became apparent. Therefore, the church conducted two worship services in the morning. On April 22, 1984, Dr. Burt Purvis resigned as pastor of Baker Road Baptist Church after establishing Baker Road as a “church on fire for God.” In total, he served four years and five months as pastor. Dr. Ed Smeltekopt was called to serve the church as interim pastor.
On April 1, 1985, Dr. Pete Freeman was called to serve Baker Road Baptist Church, as its third pastor. Dr. Freeman was a graduate of East Texas Baptist College and held a Master’s and Doctorate Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Under Dr. Pete’s guidance, Baker Road sought to finish its building project, though it did not come to fruition during his tenure as pastor.
Dr. “Pete” brought to the congregation a “well rounded” church program. Under his leadership, the Sunday School became a major emphasis as he sought to build upon the foundation that had already been laid. In the meantime, mission work took center stage. During Dr. Freeman’s ministry at Baker Road, summer missionaries would come to lead youth activities, and a mission group from the church went to Montana to assist a small church with Vacation Bible School. This was done under the direction of Bobby Leonard. Several members also attended Glorietta’s WIN School. On April 1, 1985, Keith Cummings was called to serve as Minister of Music and youth. Eddie Christy was called to serve as Minister of Music in 1987. On February 19, 1989, Dr. Pete resigned to become pastor of First Baptist Church, Kilgore, TX. He served three years and ten months as the Baker Road Baptist Church pastor.
On July 9, 1989 the office portion of the new building was completed and ready for use as offices and Sunday School meeting rooms. During this interim period many well known men of God in the area filled the pulpit. The church continued to minister and win the lost under the leadership of its assistant pastor Russell Fite. In September of 1989, Russell was called as pastor of Parkview Baptist Church, in Lufkin, Texas.
On November 5, 1989, Baker Road Baptist Church called Rev. Elvin McCann as its fourth pastor. Pastor McCann was a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity degree. Under Elvin’s leadership, stability and missions became the focus. He was known as a loving pastor with a heart for missions and a desire to grow in and for the Lord. In 1990 the church also called Rev. Jim Carroll as its Associate Pastor/Minister of Youth. On August 2, 1992, Pastor McCann resigned and was commissioned by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, to serve in Hong Kong. He served two years and nine months as pastor at Baker Road Baptist Church.
Bass Redd was called to serve as interim pastor and served the church as interim until December 1993. Associate Pastor/Youth minister, Jim Carroll, helped immensely with many administrative tasks during this interim period. On November 6, 1994, after serving five years as Associate Pastor/Minister of Youth, Rev. Jim Carroll resigned.
After receiving the call in November of 1993 to become the fifth pastor of Baker Road Baptist Church, Rev. Marvin Rose formally began his ministry as pastor on January 2, 1994. Before his move to Texas, he was previously serving as pastor of First Baptist Church, Saluda, North Carolina.
Pastor Rose is a graduate of Bluefield College (University), (a Virginia Baptist College) and holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from that school. He is also a graduate of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his Master of Divinity Degree. He has also completed all work towards his Doctor of Ministry Degree with the exception of his Project in Ministry Dissertation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Pastor Rose was elected by the Southern Baptist Convention to serve as a trustee of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in June of 2006; and he served nine years as a trustee.
Baker Road Baptist Church During Pastor Rose’s Ministry:
After beginning his ministry at Baker Road Baptist Church on January 2, 1994, Pastor Rose has become the longest tenured pastor in the history of the church. Currently he has more than twenty-four years above the tenure of the previous longest serving pastor. On January 2, 2022, he celebrated his twenty-eighth year as pastor of the church. He has brought to our congregation a deep love for Jesus Christ, a passion for souls, and strong Bible preaching. Under his leadership, the church has accomplished much for the Kingdom of God and the greater Baytown area.
San Jacinto Baptist Association:
In 1995 to 2000 Pastor Rose led the church to house the San Jacinto Baptist Association in the church’s administrative offices. Pastor Rose moved his and the staff offices to the old office area of the worship center to make room for the Association to be housed in the new offices which were located in the educational building. God richly blessed both the church and the San Jacinto Baptist Association through this arrangement.
F.A.I.T.H. Sunday School Evangelism
In 1997, Pastor Rose introduced the FAITH Sunday School Evangelism strategy to the church. It served for many years as the flagship ministry of evangelism in the church and many came to know Christ through this effort.
Southern Baptist of Texas State Convention
On December 5, 1999, Baker Road Baptist Church removed its affiliation with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and uniquely affiliated with the Southern Baptist of Texas State Convention. Over the years, the church has enjoyed its affiliation with the SBTC.
Completion of the Education Building
In January of 2000, Pastor Rose led the church to complete work on the unfinished Educational Building. He introduced the church to the United We Build fund-raising campaign. Mr. Bobby Eckland, from Eckland/May Associates, conducted the campaign. The cost of completing the Educational Facility was over half a million dollars. With Pastor Rose’s leadership over the following 4 years, the church reduced its debt from half a million to $59,000, and in 2005 the church was debt free for the first time since its initial building program!
Baytown Christian Academy (BCA)
From 1997 to 2004, Pastor Rose led the church to house, in its facilities, the first through third grades of the elementary campus of Baytown Christian Academy. The school initially met in the sanctuary area of the church and in the Sunday school classrooms located around the sanctuary. Having led the church to complete the upstairs portion of the Educational Building in 2000-2001, Baytown Christian Academy moved its entire elementary campus, grades 1 – 6, to Baker Road Baptist Church and remained there until the completion of its High School Campus in 2005, located at 5555 North Main Street.
2008 The Year of Affliction
On June 27, 2008, Pastor Rose received word that his boyhood home in Virginia had caught fire and that his mother had died as a result. In July 2008 his mother was interred at Arlington National Cemetery next to his father who was previously interred there. After the funeral and tending to affairs pertaining to the homestead, Pastor Rose returned to Baytown. In August his oldest daughter began college at Ouachita Baptist University, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It was bittersweet sending his daughter eight hours away for college on the heels of such tragedy.
In September 2008, Hurricane Ike slammed into Baytown leaving much damage to the community and major damage to the facilities of Baker Road Baptist Church. The church lost nearly all its useable space in the downstairs building including the sanctuary. As a result, worship services were held in the church fellowship hall, which also sustained major damage. Jokingly the congregation called itself “the church with no walls.” Services continued to be held in the fellowship hall for the next seven months while the entire church facility underwent major reconstruction.
In October, Pastor Rose’s 12-year-old son, was admitted to Texas Children’s Hospital because of an unknown illness that had intensified since the hurricane. In early November his son was diagnosed with blood cancer. By the end of December, the entire staff of Baker Road Baptist Church, except for pastor Rose, had resigned due to the lack of facilities and ongoing construction at the church.
It was during this time that Ronald Loveless, a deacon and properties committee chairman, rallied the congregation behind the rebuild project, helping the pastor ensure that the congregation would be back in its facilities as soon as possible. The congregation also rallied behind Pastor and Melinda and the entire Rose family, in the wake of tragedy, sickness, and major changes. The Christian support and love shown during this time was nothing short of amazing and yes, their son survived his battle with cancer! Unfortunately, the church, during this time, took a major hit in its active membership as some members went elsewhere to worship due to the construction environment at the church. By the time the church was completed, those who had left became active in other churches and did not return.
Once the rebuild was completed in 2008, Baytown Christian Academy reached out to Pastor Rose and Baker Road Baptist Church for help. The Alliance Bible Church, which housed their elementary campus, had sustained irreparable damages from Hurricane Ike. BCA needed a new home for its elementary campus. In April of 2009, the preschool and elementary campus of Baytown Christian Academy moved into the newly completed facilities of Baker Road Baptist Church. The school remained at Baker Road until May of 2011. Pastor Rose has also taught classes for many years in Church History, Bible, Psychology, Computer, and Character Development at both the Jr. and High School campus of Baytown Christian Academy.
From 2012 to 2017 the church worked hard to regain its footing in ministry to the Baytown Area. New evangelistic tools were embraced and once again, the church began to experience growth spiritually and numerically.
Hurricane Harvey
On August 27, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made its presence known in Baytown. The region experienced catastrophic flooding. Eleven families in the church, including Pastor and Melinda, lost their homes and belongings. The church sustained minor flooding in the office area. Pastor Marvin continued to minister to church families during this time, hosting out of town groups/churches to assist in tearing out houses in the community. It was also during this time that Pastor received help from various groups to assist members in the community and within the BRBC family during the rebuild process. Items such as sheetrock, mud, electrical supplies, cleaning supplies, clothes, etc. were distributed to those in need from donations given to Baker Road Baptist Church.
Once again membership waned as people were rebuilding their homes. Many church members were displaced during this time. It took most people well over a year to get back into their homes. In October 2018, Pastor Rose and Melinda moved out of a camper they had set up in their driveway and back into their rebuilt home, thirteen months after the flood.
Covid 19 Pandemic
The end of 2019 brought another disastrous event the Covid 19 Pandemic. Life around the world changed quickly. Due to the Pandemic, services were halted at Baker Road Baptist Church for a couple of months. Pastor Rose recorded his sermons and uploaded them onto Social Media Platforms. Sunday School was taught over Zoom meetings and church business was conducted through Zoom meetings as well. By June of 2020, pastor Rose led the church to begin “in house” services. Into the third year of the Pandemic attendance remains scarce; however, BRBC has not ceased from in-house worship since its initial shutdown when the Pandemic started.
Baker Road Baptist Church is determined, by God’s Grace, to survive the onslaught of hardship it has experienced through natural disasters and the like, only to be the shining beacon of hope to a city that is inundated by the darkness of lost souls.
The first service was held at Pumphrey Elementary School with Memorial’s pastor, Dr. Ed. Thiele bringing the message and Woody Harrison, one of the charter members, leading the music. The services continued to be held at Pumphrey Elementary School.
During those formative years, pianists from Memorial, such as Doug Hamill, helped with the music. A while later, Connie Chappell, another charter member, took over that responsibility. The name of the mission during this time was “Fellowship Baptist Mission.” The first new members to join the church were Sandra Woods and her mother, Willie Romine.
On April 16, 1978, Rev. David B. Davis was called to serve as the first pastor. Under his leadership the church adopted the name, Baker Road Baptist Mission in order to impart a specific geographical location. With David’s zeal encouraging the congregation for Christ, they launched a bus ministry which utilized the youth and young adults by going to the apartments and neighborhoods on Saturday mornings. They would meet and invite children and adults to Sunday School.
Some of the bus workers dressed as clowns and rode the busses. Before long, the bus ministry was bringing in over sixty children and adults to the church. The church ran two buses. The first was called Cloud 1 and was painted blue and white (Sterling High School Colors). A second bus, called Cloud 2 was painted maroon and white (Lee High School Colors). Also, under Pastor David’s ministry, the church had an active local radio ministry through KBUK in Baytown.
In August 1979, after 1 year and 4 months as pastor, David resigned to continue his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is now a full-time evangelist and is the founder of Dynamics for Living, an organization that reaches into the schools and community organizations teaching the dangers of substance abuse, violence, suicide, and provides inlets for those who listen to find real hope through the avenue of Jesus Christ.
Coy Lively, a noted Bible teacher of the area, served as interim pastor until November 1, 1979 when the church called Dr. Burt Purvis, a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to serve as its second pastor. The church was small in number but great in spirit and enthusiasm. Under Dr. Purvis’ leadership the ministry of the new church blossomed. Baker Road became the fastest growing Southern Baptist Church in Texas in 1980-1981. The growth produced a great need for a new home; therefore, the members of Baker Road, along with the members of Memorial Baptist, joined together in a “Let’s Build It Now” effort to raise a building on the site at Baker Road.
In early 1980 a groundbreaking service was held, with Dr. Thiele, his staff, as well as other honored guests attending. On Saturday, October 18, 1980 some dedicated members laid carpet all night in the sanctuary so that the church would be ready for its opening dedication service the next morning. On Sunday, October 19, 1980, the first worship service was held in the new building located at 900 West Baker Road. On May 31, 1981, the church was officially constituted as a church, no longer to be called, Baker Road Mission, but Baker Road Baptist Church.
In September of 1982, ground-breaking for a new educational facility occurred to house the growing congregation. The present facility could not house all the Sunday School classes. Youth Sunday School classes met at the “Skate Machine” a few blocks away on Baker Road, and the outreach classes met at Luby’s Cafeteria. The need for two worship services also became apparent. Therefore, the church conducted two worship services in the morning. On April 22, 1984, Dr. Burt Purvis resigned as pastor of Baker Road Baptist Church after establishing Baker Road as a “church on fire for God.” In total, he served four years and five months as pastor. Dr. Ed Smeltekopt was called to serve the church as interim pastor.
On April 1, 1985, Dr. Pete Freeman was called to serve Baker Road Baptist Church, as its third pastor. Dr. Freeman was a graduate of East Texas Baptist College and held a Master’s and Doctorate Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Under Dr. Pete’s guidance, Baker Road sought to finish its building project, though it did not come to fruition during his tenure as pastor.
Dr. “Pete” brought to the congregation a “well rounded” church program. Under his leadership, the Sunday School became a major emphasis as he sought to build upon the foundation that had already been laid. In the meantime, mission work took center stage. During Dr. Freeman’s ministry at Baker Road, summer missionaries would come to lead youth activities, and a mission group from the church went to Montana to assist a small church with Vacation Bible School. This was done under the direction of Bobby Leonard. Several members also attended Glorietta’s WIN School. On April 1, 1985, Keith Cummings was called to serve as Minister of Music and youth. Eddie Christy was called to serve as Minister of Music in 1987. On February 19, 1989, Dr. Pete resigned to become pastor of First Baptist Church, Kilgore, TX. He served three years and ten months as the Baker Road Baptist Church pastor.
On July 9, 1989 the office portion of the new building was completed and ready for use as offices and Sunday School meeting rooms. During this interim period many well known men of God in the area filled the pulpit. The church continued to minister and win the lost under the leadership of its assistant pastor Russell Fite. In September of 1989, Russell was called as pastor of Parkview Baptist Church, in Lufkin, Texas.
On November 5, 1989, Baker Road Baptist Church called Rev. Elvin McCann as its fourth pastor. Pastor McCann was a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity degree. Under Elvin’s leadership, stability and missions became the focus. He was known as a loving pastor with a heart for missions and a desire to grow in and for the Lord. In 1990 the church also called Rev. Jim Carroll as its Associate Pastor/Minister of Youth. On August 2, 1992, Pastor McCann resigned and was commissioned by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, to serve in Hong Kong. He served two years and nine months as pastor at Baker Road Baptist Church.
Bass Redd was called to serve as interim pastor and served the church as interim until December 1993. Associate Pastor/Youth minister, Jim Carroll, helped immensely with many administrative tasks during this interim period. On November 6, 1994, after serving five years as Associate Pastor/Minister of Youth, Rev. Jim Carroll resigned.
After receiving the call in November of 1993 to become the fifth pastor of Baker Road Baptist Church, Rev. Marvin Rose formally began his ministry as pastor on January 2, 1994. Before his move to Texas, he was previously serving as pastor of First Baptist Church, Saluda, North Carolina.
Pastor Rose is a graduate of Bluefield College (University), (a Virginia Baptist College) and holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from that school. He is also a graduate of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his Master of Divinity Degree. He has also completed all work towards his Doctor of Ministry Degree with the exception of his Project in Ministry Dissertation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Pastor Rose was elected by the Southern Baptist Convention to serve as a trustee of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in June of 2006; and he served nine years as a trustee.
Baker Road Baptist Church During Pastor Rose’s Ministry:
After beginning his ministry at Baker Road Baptist Church on January 2, 1994, Pastor Rose has become the longest tenured pastor in the history of the church. Currently he has more than twenty-four years above the tenure of the previous longest serving pastor. On January 2, 2022, he celebrated his twenty-eighth year as pastor of the church. He has brought to our congregation a deep love for Jesus Christ, a passion for souls, and strong Bible preaching. Under his leadership, the church has accomplished much for the Kingdom of God and the greater Baytown area.
San Jacinto Baptist Association:
In 1995 to 2000 Pastor Rose led the church to house the San Jacinto Baptist Association in the church’s administrative offices. Pastor Rose moved his and the staff offices to the old office area of the worship center to make room for the Association to be housed in the new offices which were located in the educational building. God richly blessed both the church and the San Jacinto Baptist Association through this arrangement.
F.A.I.T.H. Sunday School Evangelism
In 1997, Pastor Rose introduced the FAITH Sunday School Evangelism strategy to the church. It served for many years as the flagship ministry of evangelism in the church and many came to know Christ through this effort.
Southern Baptist of Texas State Convention
On December 5, 1999, Baker Road Baptist Church removed its affiliation with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and uniquely affiliated with the Southern Baptist of Texas State Convention. Over the years, the church has enjoyed its affiliation with the SBTC.
Completion of the Education Building
In January of 2000, Pastor Rose led the church to complete work on the unfinished Educational Building. He introduced the church to the United We Build fund-raising campaign. Mr. Bobby Eckland, from Eckland/May Associates, conducted the campaign. The cost of completing the Educational Facility was over half a million dollars. With Pastor Rose’s leadership over the following 4 years, the church reduced its debt from half a million to $59,000, and in 2005 the church was debt free for the first time since its initial building program!
Baytown Christian Academy (BCA)
From 1997 to 2004, Pastor Rose led the church to house, in its facilities, the first through third grades of the elementary campus of Baytown Christian Academy. The school initially met in the sanctuary area of the church and in the Sunday school classrooms located around the sanctuary. Having led the church to complete the upstairs portion of the Educational Building in 2000-2001, Baytown Christian Academy moved its entire elementary campus, grades 1 – 6, to Baker Road Baptist Church and remained there until the completion of its High School Campus in 2005, located at 5555 North Main Street.
2008 The Year of Affliction
On June 27, 2008, Pastor Rose received word that his boyhood home in Virginia had caught fire and that his mother had died as a result. In July 2008 his mother was interred at Arlington National Cemetery next to his father who was previously interred there. After the funeral and tending to affairs pertaining to the homestead, Pastor Rose returned to Baytown. In August his oldest daughter began college at Ouachita Baptist University, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. It was bittersweet sending his daughter eight hours away for college on the heels of such tragedy.
In September 2008, Hurricane Ike slammed into Baytown leaving much damage to the community and major damage to the facilities of Baker Road Baptist Church. The church lost nearly all its useable space in the downstairs building including the sanctuary. As a result, worship services were held in the church fellowship hall, which also sustained major damage. Jokingly the congregation called itself “the church with no walls.” Services continued to be held in the fellowship hall for the next seven months while the entire church facility underwent major reconstruction.
In October, Pastor Rose’s 12-year-old son, was admitted to Texas Children’s Hospital because of an unknown illness that had intensified since the hurricane. In early November his son was diagnosed with blood cancer. By the end of December, the entire staff of Baker Road Baptist Church, except for pastor Rose, had resigned due to the lack of facilities and ongoing construction at the church.
It was during this time that Ronald Loveless, a deacon and properties committee chairman, rallied the congregation behind the rebuild project, helping the pastor ensure that the congregation would be back in its facilities as soon as possible. The congregation also rallied behind Pastor and Melinda and the entire Rose family, in the wake of tragedy, sickness, and major changes. The Christian support and love shown during this time was nothing short of amazing and yes, their son survived his battle with cancer! Unfortunately, the church, during this time, took a major hit in its active membership as some members went elsewhere to worship due to the construction environment at the church. By the time the church was completed, those who had left became active in other churches and did not return.
Once the rebuild was completed in 2008, Baytown Christian Academy reached out to Pastor Rose and Baker Road Baptist Church for help. The Alliance Bible Church, which housed their elementary campus, had sustained irreparable damages from Hurricane Ike. BCA needed a new home for its elementary campus. In April of 2009, the preschool and elementary campus of Baytown Christian Academy moved into the newly completed facilities of Baker Road Baptist Church. The school remained at Baker Road until May of 2011. Pastor Rose has also taught classes for many years in Church History, Bible, Psychology, Computer, and Character Development at both the Jr. and High School campus of Baytown Christian Academy.
From 2012 to 2017 the church worked hard to regain its footing in ministry to the Baytown Area. New evangelistic tools were embraced and once again, the church began to experience growth spiritually and numerically.
Hurricane Harvey
On August 27, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made its presence known in Baytown. The region experienced catastrophic flooding. Eleven families in the church, including Pastor and Melinda, lost their homes and belongings. The church sustained minor flooding in the office area. Pastor Marvin continued to minister to church families during this time, hosting out of town groups/churches to assist in tearing out houses in the community. It was also during this time that Pastor received help from various groups to assist members in the community and within the BRBC family during the rebuild process. Items such as sheetrock, mud, electrical supplies, cleaning supplies, clothes, etc. were distributed to those in need from donations given to Baker Road Baptist Church.
Once again membership waned as people were rebuilding their homes. Many church members were displaced during this time. It took most people well over a year to get back into their homes. In October 2018, Pastor Rose and Melinda moved out of a camper they had set up in their driveway and back into their rebuilt home, thirteen months after the flood.
Covid 19 Pandemic
The end of 2019 brought another disastrous event the Covid 19 Pandemic. Life around the world changed quickly. Due to the Pandemic, services were halted at Baker Road Baptist Church for a couple of months. Pastor Rose recorded his sermons and uploaded them onto Social Media Platforms. Sunday School was taught over Zoom meetings and church business was conducted through Zoom meetings as well. By June of 2020, pastor Rose led the church to begin “in house” services. Into the third year of the Pandemic attendance remains scarce; however, BRBC has not ceased from in-house worship since its initial shutdown when the Pandemic started.
Baker Road Baptist Church is determined, by God’s Grace, to survive the onslaught of hardship it has experienced through natural disasters and the like, only to be the shining beacon of hope to a city that is inundated by the darkness of lost souls.
FIRST PASTOR
Rev. David B. Davis and Libby
April 16, 1978 - Aug 12, 1979
SECOND PASTOR
Dr. Burt Purvis
Nov. 9, 1979 - April 4, 1984
THIRD PASTOR
Dr. Pete Freeman
Apr 1, 1985 - Feb. 19, 1989
FOURTH PASTOR
Rev. Elvin McCann
Nov. 5, 1989 - Aug. 2, 1992
FIFTH PASTOR
Rev. Marvin L. Rose
January 2, 1994 - Present
Finishing out the educational building in 2000
Expanding the vision...
The vision of Baker Road Baptist Church is create a community of authentic believers and to witness a city transformed by the life changing reality of the gospel, as people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Where we are headed...
The Church is meant to be the visible body of Christ, sent into the world to glorify God and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ is returning one day to judge both the living and the dead and to usher in the fullness of God's kingdom on earth.
