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Merged churches warm new home
New Baptist Church dedicates their new church with food, games and family fellowhsip on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008.
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HUNTINGTON -- Two formerly separate churches warmed the halls of their new home Sunday.
The New Baptist Church is composed of the former congregations of Beverly Hills and Twentieth Street Baptist. Members of both churches voted to merge in February. The new church is located on 28th Street near 5th Avenue in the former Tri-State Ice Arena building.
Sunday was the first service of the new church.
"Our purpose today is to break in this new church," said Trent Eastman, the lead pastor of New Baptist. "It's the first of many things we will be doing here. We have a lot of activities for the kids, food and fellowship. You can't get to know someone from sitting in a pew. These fellowship events are how you get to know the congregation."
Eastman said Beverly Hills Baptist had outgrown its former location. Twentieth Street Baptist sold its former church building to Marshall University.
"We are no longer two separate churches or two churches meeting together. We are the New Baptist Church," Eastman said.
The renovated property has two floors and has space for classrooms and youth activities. One section is split into a gymnasium for the children.
"We have the sanctuary side and the wild side," said Anita Jones, who used to attend Beverly Hills Baptist. "We want to show people that you can worship and have fun. I love this new church."
Jones estimated that about 400 people showed up to meet each other at the new facility.
The New Baptist Church meets Sundays for Sunday school at 9:45 a.m., worship service at 11 a.m. and an Awana meeting at 6 p.m. followed by evening worship. Wednesday service begins at 6:30 p.m.
