PRAISING THE LORD FOR OUR…

HERITAGE

July 1953 – A religious census was taken by the Portsmouth Baptist Association to determine need for Baptist Mission. Vacation Bible School held in buildings of former Kiwanis Fresh Air Farm with volunteer workers from churches of Portsmouth Baptist Association. October 1953 – Revival Meeting held by different local Baptist pastors. May 23, 1954 – West End Baptist Mission organized. Sponsored by Portsmouth Baptist Association and “mothered” by Jackson Memorial Baptist Church. Sunday morning worship began and Sunday school organized with 83 members. Reverend William Taliaferro appointed first pastor. June 17, 1956 – West End Baptist Mission constituted. Name changed to Pinecrest Baptist Church. December 27, 1959 – First worship service in new sanctuary building. July 27, 1963 – Parsonage purchased, 213 Charlotte Drive. June 12, 1966 – Tenth anniversary service. Dr. Lucius Polhill, Executive Secretary of Virginia Baptist Association, speaker. June 20, 1971 – Fifteenth anniversary service. U.S. Naval Chaplain, Lt. Carl Flick, speaker. 1978 – Church sign, Felton Road, dedicated in memory of Vickie Cross. May 31, 1981 – Dedication of Pinecrest Hall. May 1988 – Flag and church sign, corner of Mimosa and Felton Roads, dedicated in memory of Bessie Cole. December 1990 – Building connecting sanctuary to Pinecrest Hall completed March 1994 – Added a second morning worship service. 1998 – Added new worship center. 2005 – Renovation of 2nd floor of old sanctuary for children’s classrooms. We thank God for the sweet, sweet spirit He has given Pinecrest over the past thirty-five years and look forward to reaching out to His people in the years ahead. Let’s just praise the Lord!   67TH Anniversary Heritage

Pinecrest Baptist Church has a precious history that is being handed to a promising future.  In 1953, it was determined that Portsmouth had a need for a Baptist mission.  Volunteers held a Vacation Bible School in the buildings of the Kiwanis Fresh Air Farm, and one year later, West End Baptist Mission was organized by the Portsmouth Baptist Association and “mothered” by Jackson Memorial Baptist Church. Two years later, on June 17, 1956, the West End Baptist Mission was constituted and the name changed to Pinecrest Baptist Church.  A new building was constructed and the first worship service and Sunday School were held in it on December 27, 1959. Several pastors saw Pinecrest through years of growth and in 1981 a large multipurpose building known as Pinecrest Hall was added and dedicated.  Today Pinecrest Hall is the most frequently used building on the campus for senior adult activities, concerts, youth activities, children’s worship and events and church wide fellowships. As Pinecrest established a ministry of being a community church and reaching out to help any person in need, membership continued to grow.  On Easter Sunday 1994, a second morning worship service was added.  Then in 1998, a new worship center was built and today it accommodates over 500 people in morning worship. The old sanctuary building was converted into classrooms for adults and in 2005 renovation for children’s classrooms upstairs allowing for over 200 people in Sunday school. With the addition of ministerial staff for youth, children, music and education and many volunteers in Sunday school, children’s ministry, and local and overseas missions, Pinecrest continues to grow toward a promising future that embraces the promise of God.