OUR HISTORY

 

On Sunday, February 2, 1997, over 100 friends of Abiding Faith Baptist Church gathered in the gymnasium of Wooster Baptist Church on Bayway Drive to celebrate the first worship experience of the new congregation.  Wooster provided a year of vital assistance as primary sponsor and Abiding Faith flourished with the help of God.

 

On January 4, 1998, the church was constituted and later joined the fellowship of the San Jacinto Baptist Association with 49 other local congregations.  The membership voted to purchase an 8-acre tract in December of 1998 and relocated to its permanent site at 8203 John Martin Road.

 

During the history of Abiding Faith, the church has been active in the formation of community outreach ministries that have impacted and changed lives.  These have included a weekly Bible study at the Plains State Prison in Dayton, attended by 200 female inmates.

 

The church provided ministry assistance at truck stops for individuals unable to attend Sunday service because of their jobs.  Drivers of eighteen-wheelers received God's word on site at many truck stops located along the I-10 East Freeway corridor in Baytown.

 

Our involvement has also included bi-weekly visits to Baytown area nursing homes where the elderly, sick and shut-in were ministered the Word in addition to sharing a smile, handshake, and Holy Communion.

 

Abiding Faith organized the New Beginnings Faith Center in the McNair Community and operated the facility for one year.  Individuals suffering from alcohol and drug abuse received spiritual guidance and other vital assistance.

 

Meetings at the church were held each week for participants to discuss chemical dependency issues and recovery efforts with the help of a trained facilitator.

 

The church body has sponsored trips to Ft. Worth, Austin, Glenn Rose, Texas, and the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas where members enjoyed many cultural experiences, great Christian fellowship and lots of good wholesome fun.

 

Abiding Faith held its annual family picnic in the month of August for several years where large crowds from the community gathered for a day of food, games and other activities.

 

In the month of November church family and friends meet each year to celebrate the season with our annual Thanksgiving Feast.  Baskets of food are given to assist others in Baytown enjoy the seasonal celebration in a spirit of love.

 

Members and non-members attended weekly computer literacy training on site.  Some graduates used the training to gain employment or to enhance their basic computer knowledge and overall general skills.

 

Abiding Faith assisted in sponsoring the Newport Community Baptist Church.  Newport is building a new sanctuary in Crosby on a 5-acre site.

 

Abiding Faith exercised its option in 2004 with the Baptist Church Loan Board to purchase our facility.  Many improvements have taken place after eight years at the John Martin location, which include:

 

• Putting on a 30-year roof

• Installing ceramic tile in the foyer and Fellowship Hall

• Building an elevated sound booth

• Purchasing two stoves

• Upgrading sound system

• Installing PowerPoint Technical Center

 

Future plans call for construction of a new parking lot in front of the church property for greater public visibility on the John Martin Road entrance.

 

Abiding Faith traded its tractor for a new mower in the spring of 2006, which will help improve grass cutting at the site.

 

We continue to express our gratitude for the gift of pews donated to the church in the main sanctuary.

 

Last year the Abiding Faith Drama Division performed the production, "Hold Up The Light" to a capacity crowd.  Our 40-member church cast later took the play to Hitchcock, Texas to benefit the Greater Saint Matthews Baptist Church youth department.

 

We are gratiful to God for the leadership at Abiding Faith which includes two elders, three deacons and four associate ministers.  We thank Him for members that proudly assist our pastor by helping to fulfill God's vision for this unique church family.

 

Abiding Faith is committed to lead men, women, and children to a close personal relationship in the Lord.  Our mission is to nurture and equip the believer in sound biblical teachings, spirit-filled worship and praise, Christ-centered fellowship and effective community outreach in Him.

 

 

We continue our strong partnership with the Pregnancy Resource Center of Baytown, providing financial assistance and volunteer support.