Pilgrim Baptist Church in Red Bank is celebrating its 118th year with a new Walk of Faith initiative. PHOTOS BY JEREMY GROSSMAN/STAFF It’s a major accomplishment for an African-American church to be able to celebrate more than 100 years of history, according to Pastor Terrence Porter, the senior minister at the Pilgrim Baptist Church.
“There’s so many times when our history, and those people that played a role in our history, are lost in the archives, or lost with the passing of one individual,” Porter said.
But this week, the church celebrates its 118 years of history, and although the church usually celebrates its anniversary every five years, this is a special occasion for Pilgrim Baptist as the Walk of Faith is unveiled to the community.
The Walk of Faith is a new initiative that provides families with the opportunity to purchase pavers that will be placed in front of the church, memorializing individuals of the past and present.
“I think, historically, when you don’t celebrate your history in any context — but especially in the church context — you’re losing out,” Porter said.
The Rev. Terrence Porter (left to right) with Willie Gill and Ollie Jones, trustees of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Red Bank. Pilgrim Baptist Church, one of the first African-American churches in Red Bank, has played a significant role in Red Bank since it was founded in 1896. Without a permanent home, its members traveled from house to house and location to location. The congregation’s first structure was built in 1910 at 17 Pearl St. and it moved to its present location at 172 Shrewsbury Ave. in 1955.
Throughout its 118 years, the church has been heavily involved with the local community as well as missions abroad.
Pilgrim Baptist played a significant role in the collaboration of resources and agencies during the superstorm Sandy recovery, as well as sending work teams to support the Louisiana area in the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.
One of the church’s biggest concerns locally is the issue of homelessness.
“Whatever’s the issue within the community, it’s an issue within the church that we try to involve ourselves with,” Porter said.
Each year, the church teams with the county, Lunch Break and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen to help hundreds of homeless families.
“I just believe we can do more together than we can do in isolation, so I believe in partnerships with whoever wants to partner with us,” he said.
Abroad, the Pilgrim Baptist Church supports Aslan Youth Ministries’ initiative to build a medical clinic in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, as well as build a Pilgrim Baptist Church location in La Cajou, Haiti.
The church’s weeklong celebration of its history culminates this weekend, starting with a theatrical production of “The Glory Train” on Friday.
On Saturday, the church will hold a major community concert, when members of the church will perform with members of other churches in the Shore area.
And on Sunday, the Walk of Faith will be officially dedicated before traditional services begin.
Porter encouraged all members of the community to participate in the celebration.
“[The church] is part of what makes Red Bank such a special community of diversity and inclusion … and anybody that’s really sincere about history, they want to be where history’s being made,” Porter said. “And we’re going to make history with the Walk of Faith, because for an African-American church, or any church, that’s a significant thing to do — to memorialize your past, but also celebrate your present.”
For more information on Pilgrim Baptist Church and its 118th anniversary, visit www.pilgrim-baptist.org.