A History of Bible Missionary Baptist Church
On August 16, 1992, twenty-two people
met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Mangum
to pray for God’s direction and spiritual guidance
as they discussed the possibilities of beginning a
new work. The mutual consent of those present
was to belong to a community of faith anchored
in the Word of God and actively involved in His
mission for the salvation of the world. A second
organizational meeting was prayerfully held in the
home of Mr. and Mrs. John Feeney the following
evening, August 17, where thirty-three people
voted to organize as a church. On Wednesday
evening, August 19, they held their first prayer
service in the building now occupied by Glory
Baptist Church. On August 22, the group met
at the Feeney home with Dr. Richard Capps,
then Director of Missions for South Roanoke
Baptist Association, for further direction in the
development of a new work. The group held
Sunday school and morning worship service in
Glory’s fellowship hall on the twenty-third.
Rev. William Tyndall led the evening worship
service after a brief business meeting to elect
church officers. On Wednesday evening, August
26, the group held a prayer service and business
meeting in a building formally used by the Wilson
Church of the Deaf on the corner of Corbett
Avenue and Ward Boulevard. Harmony Free
Will Free Baptist Church, the building’s owner,
agreed to allow the group three meetings there
at no cost.
On Sunday evening, August 30, the Mission
Development Council was formed, after a motion
was passed to seek mission status. Bible Baptist
Fellowship was chosen as a name for the group,
and Rev. Charles Middleton and Rev. William
Tyndall were called to serve as co-supply pastors.
A decision to rent the Corbett Avenue site was
unanimously made. On September 16, 1992,
Raleigh Road Baptist Church agreed to
sponsor the mission. This relationship was
required in order for Bible Baptist Fellowship
to become a Southern Baptist Church. On
September 27, the doors of the mission were
officially opened for full membership. All those
who moved their church membership to Bible
Baptist Mission on September 27 and October
4, 1992, were considered charter members.
On November 15, Rev. Arthur Burkam, Jr.
accepted a call to Bible Baptist Mission as
interim pastor.
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The Mission Development Council was
given permission to begin negotiations for the
purchase of the Tilghman Road property on
March 28, 1993, by the membership of Bible
Baptist Mission. A dedication service was held
on that property on September 12. During the
process of obtaining the land, Bible Baptist
Mission decided to adopt the Constitution and
By-laws of Raleigh Road Baptist Church as an
interim document and to follow an elder/deacon
model of church governance. Also, on August
8, the Pastoral Search Committee recommended
that Rev. Burkam be called as full-time pastor.
The mission passed that recommendation
unanimously. On October 10, the present name,
Bible Missionary Baptist Church, was chosen for
the transition from mission to church status. On
October 25, at the Annual Meeting of the South
Roanoke Baptist Association, Bible Missionary
Baptist Church was presented as a Southern
Baptist congregation and was voted into that
association. A Constitutional Service was held
on the Tilghman Road site on November 21
with dinner on the grounds.
Bible Missionary Baptist Church called
Rev. Joel Bradberry to serve as associate pastor
on January 7, 1996. Rev. Bradberry served in
that position until called to Grace Baptist Church in
Toccoa, Georgia, as senior pastor. The church
then called Rev. David Barnes on May 17, 1998,
to fill the position vacated by Rev. Bradberry.
However, when Rev. Burkam announced his
retirement on July 5, 1998, to become effective on September 1, Rev. Barnes was called as senior
pastor. Rev. Barnes led the church throughout
the building of its present facility. On New
Year’s Eve, 2000, the congregation of Bible
Missionary Baptist Church worshipped for the last
time in the “little church” on Corbett Avenue during
the morning service. Evening worship was held in
the new church building on Tilghman Road to
welcome a new year of Christian service and to
praise God for His faithfulness and might. Bible
Missionary Baptist Church, the people of God
standing on the Word of God, reaching people for God, had witnessed a miracle.
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