One of Gloucester County’s older black churches will celebrate its 150th anniversary this Sunday by “Reflecting on the Past, Honoring the Present, and Providing a Legacy for the Future.”

First Baptist Church, Ordinary, will observe its sesquicentennial anniversary at 3:30 p.m. Pastor Reginald Davis and the congregation of the historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg, will be the special guests.

First Baptist of Gloucester was originally known as “Old Glebe Colored Church” when it became an independent African-American congregation in 1867. The congregation comprised primarily former slaves who had been freed with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.

Prior to this, both slaves and whites worshipped at Providence Baptist Church, which was organized in 1850 in Ordinary. Providence had 430 members; the slaves worshipped separately in an arbor—an old shack that was attached to the church.

Apparently emancipation of the slaves in 1863 caused great consternation among the white members of the church, who reportedly questioned what was to be done with the hundreds of freed slaves, a history stated. In response, Providence Baptist Church was given permission to dismiss the former slaves on Saturday, July 27, 1867. At that time, 326 emancipated slaves left the church and established worship services at the Old Glebe Hill Meeting House. One hundred and four white members were left at Providence, and although physically separated, the relationship between the two congregations remained intact.

Providence Baptist Church and the Glebe Hill Meeting House, located on a hill on Route 17 near what is now the First United Baptist Church, shared white farmer Harry E. Corr as their preacher. Mr. Corr preached for the former slaves on the second and fourth Sunday afternoons and for the whites in the mornings. Providence members also assisted the fledgling congregation by helping draft by-laws, raising funds for the purchase of the Glebe Hill Meeting House (later referred to as Old Glebe Colored Church) and making the Providence Meeting House available for funeral services.

On June 5, 1867, the name of the Old Glebe Colored Church was changed to First Colored Baptist Church and it became the third oldest African-American congregation in Gloucester County. Zion Poplars Baptist Church, on T.C. Walker Road, is the county’s oldest African-American congregation.

On Aug. 30, 1884, two acres of land were purchased in Ordinary for $15 per acre. A small wooden frame church was built on this site and named First Baptist Church. This was the first church for African Americans in the area. This church later burned; a second, larger church was built on the same site; the cornerstone of the new church was laid on May 7, 1896. The second church reflected the increasing prosperity of the congregation.

The building had a whitewashed wooden exterior, and the shingled roof held a steeple that housed a bell which rang to announce the beginning of church services. Double wooden doors opened into the church vestibule, and on either side of the vestibule were stairways that led to the balcony. The ceiling of the sanctuary was oval and made of tongue and groove board with exposed beams. The pine floors were kept highly polished and were adorned with red carpet runners. Oil lamps hung along the walls and were used for light. Heat was provided by wood-burning, then later, coal-burning stoves; however, there was no air conditioning.

This second church caught fire and burned on a Sunday afternoon in March 1940. Just a few months elapsed before the church was re-built on the same site—this is the church building that stands today “as a monument to God’s grace and mercy, and the perseverance of God people to endure through all trials and tribulation,” a church release stated.

Nine pastors, including the Rev. Ward Warren, current pastor, have led the 150-year-old congregation. Mr. Warren was installed as the ninth pastor on May 15, 2016, and he has led in the observance of the 150th numerous anniversary activities which have included: a breakfast honoring senior members; a Vintage Hat Fashion Show and Luncheon, and a Black History Month program that honored some of the founding members of the church.

First Baptist Church is located at 4213 George Washington Highway, Ordinary.