Antioch Baptist Church began as a vision by church leaders from Hopewell Baptist Church and New Salem Baptist Church to plant a new congregation to serve the community between the two of them. On October 3rd of 1892 Antioch was officially organized and held its first meeting. Rev. A.C. Davis was elected to serve as Antioch’s first pastor. The church met regularly on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of each month. Initially, the church worshiped under a brush arbor, then erected a board arbor, and in 1895 they constructed a one-room frame building. The building was used for worship until early 1926 when it was relocated and renovated to increase the size of the auditorium and to accommodate the need for Sunday School rooms.

 

     As the church grew in membership there was a need for additional space. In 1952 the churchmen erected a new brick sanctuary building which included a baptistry, nursery, and six Sunday School rooms. Then in 1962, a new educational building with nine Sunday school rooms, two nursery rooms and a fellowship hall in the basement was erected. Again, in response to a growing congregation the education building was expanded in 1984 to include an additional six Sunday School rooms and restrooms.

 

     In 2002, the current sanctuary was built to accommodate the escalating attendance and in 2007 the fellowship hall was completed. What began as a vision originally given to two rural congregations over a century ago, God has faithfully used to change the lives and eternal destiny of thousands of people in this community and beyond for his namesake. Over the course of Antioch’s long history, the Lord has called thirty men to pastor the people of Antioch. The current pastor, Rev. Joe Query, began his ministry at Antioch in October 2010.