Welcome to Oak Grove Baptist Church. Our church has a rich history spanning more than eight decades. God has used the members of Oak Grove Baptist Church in many and varied ways to fulfill His mission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). We provide this narrative in the hopes that it will give you an idea of the character and personality of Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Our story began almost a century ago, when several families from western North Carolina and Virginia left their homes in the Appalachians and moved to Harford County in search of economic opportunity. They found Maryland’s farmland to be rich but soon became homesick for their churches back home. After two revivals during the summer and winter of 1931 at the Women’s Christian Temperance Union Hall on Churchville Road, thirty-nine men and women established the Oak Grove Baptist Church on December 13, 1931, as an affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church has grown over almost nine decades from under fifty members to over 600. It is worth noting that many descendants of the original members are still active in our church.
In 1932, the church obtained two acres of land at Schucks Corner in the center of Harford County, Maryland, and built a white, neoclassical building with a sanctuary on the main floor and classrooms in the basement. The first worship service was held in the original sanctuary in October 1932.
Through the 1940s and 1950s, the church grew, as evidenced by East and West educational wings added in the 1950’s. (The original sanctuary plus the East and West wings now constitute what we call Education Building 2).
As time passed, the church completed three more major building projects: the current sanctuary in 1964, Education Building 3 (EB3) in 1990, and Education Building 1 (EB1) in 1995.
Originally, the church conducted baptisms in Bynum Run, just to West of Oak Grove along Churchville Road.
Later, a baptistery was added to the back of the original sanctuary. Now we conduct baptisms in the “new” sanctuary.
The current mission statement of Oak Grove Baptist Church is to celebrate the greatness of God, connect to one another, and commit to God’s mission. We are a vibrant community of believers. At the heart of this mission is to preach the Word of God, which our nine pastors have faithfully done.
Again, we extend a warm welcome to you. What we have provided here is only a brief summary of our church’s history. Please contact us if you have any questions about the history of Oak Grove Baptist Church and we will be happy to help you in any way we can.
Sincerely,
Oak Grove Baptist
Historical Committee
Bel Air, Maryland
October 1, 2018