Church History - UBC

The  congregation of Union Baptist Church is proud of the history of the 125  years of continuous service that the Union Baptist Church has rendered  to each community of which it has been a part.

           

The Union Baptist Church was organized at Sparrows Point,  Maryland  on May 12, 1893 by a group of regenerated Baptist believers in Christ.   They had come to Sparrows Point from the south seeking employment in  the steel mills located there.

Since  there was no church there, they felt that it was their Christian duty  to establish one.  They joined together for spiritual purposes and held  religious meetings in a school house building located at 6th and J  Streets.  This led to the organization of the Union Baptist Church with W. H. Booker as its first pastor.

After a period of spiritual growth and financial stability, they erected their first church building on the corner of 9^th  and J Streets and remained there until 1916.     The next church was  erected at Sparrows Point under the leadership of the late C.Z. Parker.   The following ministers succeeded the late W.H. Booker in the pastorate  of Union Baptist Church:  C.Z. Parker, William Freeman, James Robb,  James Martin, J.W. Pearson, C.C. Crocket, C.J. Garnet (1921-1924),  H.E.  Tucker (1924-1929), C.H. Coleman, D.D. (1930-1950), Carlton Cook  (1950-1974).

Union Baptist  Church marched into the building located at 105 Main   Street  in Turners Station on the first Sunday in January 1974 where it is  currently located.  The building was deeded to the church by the late  Dr. Joseph Thomas.

There  were many hardships and obstacles that had to be overcome.  The church  was under a financial strain because of the cost of the move and the  expense of converting what had been a movie theatre into a modern church  building.

Under  the leadership of the late Dr. William E. Johnson, Sr. and the  determination of its members, the church became free of debt and was  able to burn its mortgage in 1984.  At the time of his death in 2004,  Dr. Johnson was acclaimed as a pastor who reached out to the community  and to all humanity.

Union Baptist  Church  is now under the capable stewardship of Rev. Willard E. Johnson who  succeeded his father in 2004.  In a short time Rev. Willard E. Johnson  has proven himself and is following a long tradition of dedicated and  capable ministers who have served Union  Baptist Church well down through the years.

            

We, the congregation at Union  Baptist Church  feel that we are blessed that we have a pastor who is well known to us  and has a long association with us.  We have confidence in his ability  to lead and we feel that he is truly anointed to preach the word of God.   Praise the Lord!  Union Baptist Church continues to serve the Turners  Station community after being in existence more than 122 years. We pray  that our church will continue to be a place of hope and refuge for all  who are walking in darkness and under the stress of this world.