CHURCH HISTORY

Founders, 1895

Through the generosity of The Herberts (a white family), who gave land enabling the Blacks in the Buckroe community to have a school, lodge, and a place of worship, Antioch Baptist Church was organized September 1, 1895. The founders originated from Zion Baptist Church (Phoebus) and Queen Street Baptist Church (Hampton). Because the mode of transportation in 1895 was by foot or horse drawn carriage, the small group of dedicated founders of Antioch felt that the distance to Zion and Queen Street Baptist was too taxing to travel. The founders of Antioch Baptist Church were Cornelius Dabney, James Wesley, Christiana Everett, Abby Wilkins, Odgen Boykins, Johnnie Skyes, James Skyes, Jacob Boykin, Humphrey Brown, and Ellen Henry. Before James Herbert and James Wesley formulated the plans for the church building, services were held in the lodge. The construction of the church began in April 1896.

Pastors (1895 - Present)

God has graced and blessed Antioch with eight (8) wonderful men of God to serve the people of God. They are as follows: Rev. William N. Thornton (1895); Rev. Joseph Brown (1901); Rev. J.E. Tynes (1911); Rev. Oliver A. Brinkley (1949); Rev J. Dett Marshburn (1953); Rev. Howard V. Booker (1972); Rev. Raymond L. Lassister (1997). Antioch's current Paster, Rev. Kirk T. Houston, Jr. came to serve in 2022.

Growth of the Church

During the pastorate of Rev. Thornton, he also served as Pastor of Zion Baptist Church (Hampton). Baptismal services were held at Bayshore Beach (currently known as Buckroe Beach) in Hampton. In 1911, under the leadership of Rev. Tynes, Antioch was led to the road of progress spanning 35 years. During this time, the Pastor's study was added to the church. In 1953, Rev. Marshburn, the Pastor of Zion Baptist Church, was installed as Antioch's fifth Pastor. In the late 1960's, the Ways and Means Committee was established. The decision was made to beautify the edifice both inside and out, oversee the needs of the church and organizing fundraisers, and installation of new pews. The Deaconess Board was organized, and the Missionary Circle reactivated. The adjacent house was purchased and served as a meeting place for auxiliaries, Sunday Scholl classes, Vacation Bible School, and rummage sales.

During the pastorate of Rev. Booker, Antioch grew spiritually and numerically:

· Over 23 ministries and/or positions were either organized or reactivated during this 22-year period.

· The youth of Antioch were also busy every third Sunday as they lead the Devotions and served as worship leaders while also participating in Youth Ministry activities.

· Antioch's new edifice was built August 1980.

· Daycare services were provided to children and families under the leadership of Sister Booker.

· Antioch paid and burnt their mortgage in 1995 under the interim leadership of Rev. Lee Edward McDowell.

Under leadership of Rev. Lassiter who served 23 years as Antioch's Pastor, the church continued to grow both in the congregation and ministries:

· The Sheepfold and Single's Ministries were established in 1998.

· In June 2000, the Antioch Improvement Ministries (AIM) Center was formed. The AIM Center (a nonprofit) serves as the community outreach center of the Church providing tutorials, computer training, health education, job search, feeding, and clothing services. Currently, Antioch continues to give generously to those in need.

· As Antioch continued to grow, a 15-passenger van, 25-passenger church bus, and property with house was purchased.

· The Christian Education Director was established.

· Audio/video systems were installed, which allowed for services to be radio broadcasted and streamed on social media platforms.

In 2022, Rev. K.T. Houston, Jr. was called to serve as Antioch's eight and current Pastor. Under the leadership of Pastor K.T. Houston, we adopted a new motto “On the Grow for Greater Impact.” Additionally, Pastor Houston has:

· Expanded the Vision and Mission of the Church (Click Below).

· Implemented new organizational structure to unify ministry operation under Sevenfold ministry (Christian Education, Worship, Evangelism, Missions, Fellowship, Youth & Young Adult, and Congregational Care).

· Started "Kingdom Talks" Tuesdays, a weekly Bible Study that breaks down the principles, practices, and promises of the Kingdom of God.

· Overseen renovations of restrooms, expansion of parking, and installation of new sound and technology to accommodate the church’s growth.

· Expanded Vision of Annual Dollar’s for Scholars Walkathon to involve families beyond Antioch, which lead to raising over $30K in scholarship funds for our students.

Vision and Mission

Get Involved

Find out how you can get involved in our church community. We welcome everyone to come as they are and get connected. Join us for any of our services either in person or live streaming.

* Address: 1563 Old Buckroe Road, Hampton, VA 23664

* Sunday Services @ 10am (In-person or Facebook Live)

* Tuesday Kingdom Talks @ 7pm (Live, Facebook or Zoom)

LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/antiochhampton/

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83356499858 (Passcode: 936203)

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