Sunday Morning on Jacksonville Road
Christ Baptist Church sits along Jacksonville Road on the north side of Burlington, New Jersey, where it has gathered for worship since the first Sunday in December of 1989. The congregation traces its roots to February 23, 1863, when twelve members set apart from the First Baptist Church on Broad Street launched what was first known as the Second Baptist Church of the City of Burlington. The name was extended in January of 1998 to Christ Baptist Church, the Second Baptist Church of the City of Burlington, the designation still used today.
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 AM, with Sunday School meeting an hour earlier at 9:00. Both take place in the sanctuary and education wing of the Jacksonville Road campus. Services are livestreamed through YouTube and Vimeo for members and friends who cannot be present, and recordings remain available afterward.
A Lineage That Goes Back to 1863
The church's own recorded history begins in 1863, just 53 days after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Black Baptists of the Burlington area had previously worshipped alongside white members at the First Baptist Church on the west side of Broad Street at Stacy Street, a relationship the congregation describes as amicable. Twelve founders - Alexander Tariff, Clara Jacobs, Hiran Cornish, Nancy Cornish, Mary Meredith, Robert Laws, Louisa Laws, Susan Carter, Ester Simmons, John Romeo, Peter Still, and Lavinia Still - asked to form a fellowship of their own. Reverend Kelsey Walling was called as the first pastor in July of 1863, and for eight years he led the small flock from house to house until a permanent structure was acquired.
Reverend James E. Wilson followed Walling in 1871 and served until 1878. During his pastorate, the church grew to the point that the original building had to be rebuilt. Reverend Evans Davis was called on October 13, 1878. In 1882 the Reverend J. B. Randolph took the pulpit and would lead the congregation for more than a decade; with Deacon Charles Carter, who was a carpenter by trade, he located a desirable lot on High Street opposite Belmont Street and, drawing on the trades of the membership, raised a new edifice in a single year. The cornerstone was laid in 1891.
The congregation has long been associated with the Bethany Baptist Association and, more recently, with the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. and the Lott Cary Conventions. Through the years it has also been a mother church: in 1910 eight members asked for letters to plant what became St. Paul Baptist Church of Florence, New Jersey, and in 1960 another eight were sent out to form a congregation in Tabernacle, New Jersey.
Twenty-Six Pastors and a Move to Jacksonville Road
Between the Civil War era and the present day the church has been served by a roster of more than two dozen pastors, including W. I. Wright, whose tenure from 1936 to 1964 saw the burning of the mortgage, the purchase of two houses on East Federal Street that were merged into a parish house and education wing in 1948, the addition of a baptismal pool in 1953, and the dedication of a bronze plaque to the founding members in 1958.
The long tenure of Reverend Frederick C. Johnson, who assumed the pulpit in November of 1975 and served until 2016, transformed the congregation's physical footprint. Early in his pastorate the church purchased nearly fifteen acres of land at 950 Jacksonville Road, a transaction Trustee Johnathan Harris was instrumental in initiating. Construction of a new edifice on that property was completed in October of 1989 and the congregation moved in on the first Sunday in December of that year. The mortgage was burned in 1998. During the Johnson years the church also licensed, ordained, commissioned, or installed more than fifty ministers into gospel ministry and adopted mission partnerships that stretch around the world.
The Pastoral Team Today
The Reverend Clabon Bogan, Jr. currently serves as Interim Senior Pastor, having returned to the role in September of 2022 after an earlier stint from 2017 to 2021. Bogan has spent more than thirty-seven years in pastoral ministry in the South Jersey area, including service as Senior Pastor of Mt. Olive Baptist in Mizpah and First Baptist Jericho in Deptford, and as a bi-vocational pastor while working as a Vice President of Non-Foods in corporate retail. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Bible and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Philadelphia Biblical University, with additional study at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, Alliance Seminary in New York, and is a certified FIRO Clinician.
Doctor Darren T. Johnson serves as Assistant Pastor. A former English and Social Studies teacher in Philadelphia, he has also served as Christian Education Pastor at Sharon Baptist Church of Philadelphia and as Senior Pastor of New Life Bible Fellowship. He currently chairs the board of Men of Purpose International (MOPI), an organization focused on restorative justice and reducing recidivism for individuals and families affected by incarceration. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies, a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Philadelphia Biblical University, an MBA from Cairn University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Howard University School of Divinity.
Other members of the pastoral staff include Reverends Emmanuel Paul, John E. VanLoan, Leroy Scott, Louise Dean, Marossa Davis, and Nathaniel Cheers, along with Ministers Shawn Bryant and Derrick Thomas. Brother Gene Davis and Reverend Marossa Davis share Sunday School Superintendent duties.
Bible Study and Prayer Through the Week
Weeknight ministry centers on a hybrid Bible study and a telephone prayer line. Tuesday Bible Study meets from 7:00 to 8:30 PM both in person at 950 Jacksonville Road and online through Zoom (Meeting ID 87536782426), allowing members across the region to participate from home. The midweek Prayer Meeting is held Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM as a conference call. Anyone may join by dialing 605-472-5657 and entering access code 2833791, with the gentle reminder that phones should be muted when not actively praying.
Fuel for Courage is a separate virtual Bible study in which the pastor fields contemporary questions about faith and Scripture for further clarification. An in-person Advanced Bible Study explores doctrinal principles, biblical teachings, and church history in a structured setting; the congregation notes that despite the name, everyone is welcome to attend.
Sunday School for Every Age
Christ Baptist operates a full Sunday School program that opens at 9:00 AM each Sunday, an hour before the worship service. The school is built around age-appropriate classes drawn from David C. Cook and Union Gospel Press curricula.
- Pre-School Class (ages 3 to 5) - instruction in praying, singing, and Bible stories in a warm and friendly environment.
- Beginners Class (Kindergarten and 1st grade) - David C. Cook Elementary curriculum with storytelling, scripture verses, games, recitation, and activities.
- Primary Class (2nd and 3rd grade) - David C. Cook Elementary lessons highlighting witnessing and understanding Christianity.
- Juniors Class (4th and 5th grade) - David C. Cook Elementary lessons, video segments, Bible games, and scripture memorization.
- Middle School Class (6th to 8th grade) - David C. Cook Bible in Life Echoes curriculum, identifying doctrines vital to Christian growth through discussion and life application.
- High School Class - David C. Cook material focused on the centrality of Jesus Christ in biblical principles.
- College and Career Class (ages 18 to 25) - Union Gospel Press student book with lively discussion and fellowship around the Word of God.
- Adult Classes - three parallel classes, with the Bible as the authoritative source of truth, studying books of the Bible using the Union Gospel Press curriculum and Bible Expositor commentary for teacher preparation.
- Women's Class (18 and older) - Union Gospel Press material with doctrines of the Bible, activities, and daily-life application.
- New Member's Class for Adults and Youth - eight consecutive lessons on the fundamentals of the Christian faith, taught with biblical handouts.
The mission of the school is drawn from II Timothy 2:15: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Children, Youth, and Young Adults
Children and teenagers find a full range of programming beyond Sunday School. The Jesus and Me Ministry, known as JAMM, provides a loving community for younger children that leads and supports youth on their Christian journeys and inspires joyful service to God and others, anchored by 1 John 1:7. The 8:28 Ministry is the young adult counterpart, framed by Romans 8:28, offering leadership development and community for adults in their twenties and thirties. A dance ministry made up of children and young adults uses movement to express faith, celebrate God's love, and communicate the gospel.
During his interim tenure Pastor Bogan established the 8:28 leadership training group for young people and introduced a 12-Hour Leadership Enhancement Seminar. The church also created its first-ever praise dancing team, a Young Adult Choir, and a recurring program called "Youth Speak," in which a different young person each month addresses the congregation on a topic assigned by the pastor.
Women's, Men's, Marriage, and Senior Ministries
The Women's Ministry, under President Melinda Morgan, gathers women of God for fellowship and open discussion of life issues guided by Scripture, with the goal of offering comfort, healing, direction, and deliverance to those who want a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. The women host an annual Angel Tree Christmas wish program that provides holiday gifts for children in the community; registration each fall takes the first seventy-five applicants. The ministry also operates the Missionary Society, a group of Christian women who embody the teachings of Jesus through prayer, faith, and love while supporting the needy, elderly, sick, and housebound.
The Men's Ministry brings together men united in Christian love, dedicated to fostering mutual spiritual growth, deepening worship of Jesus Christ, evangelizing the unsaved, and serving the church and community. The Marriage Enrichment ministry offers couples a platform for strengthening and enriching their marriages through prayer, shared ideas, and fellowship, with a focus on communication, problem-solving, and honoring their roles as godly partners. A Senior's Fellowship invites older members to share life experiences, take trips, and celebrate their diverse talents through music, poetry, and crafts.
Worship and the Arts
The Music Ministry encourages worshippers to connect with God in spirit and truth through musicians and vocalists held to high standards of both musical excellence and spiritual devotion. Under Pastor Bogan's interim tenure, the W. R. Wright and Angelic Choirs were combined into a single Mass Choir, the Men's Choir was reformed, and a Young Adult Choir was created. The Audio/Visual Ministry manages both in-house and streaming transmissions, with a dedicated sound engineering booth installed at the rear of the church, and a new state-of-the-art sound system introduced during the interim period. Drama and Dance Ministries extend worship into plays, skits, mime, and movement, giving members additional ways to evangelize and share Christian principles with the community.
Outreach Beyond the Walls
From its earliest days Christ Baptist has understood itself as a sending church. Today its outreach spans the city of Burlington, the Delaware Valley, correctional facilities across the region, and ministry partners on three continents.
The Helping Hand Rescue Mission of Philadelphia serves the needs of the homeless by providing food, clothing, personal hygiene items, spiritual encouragement, hot meals, and work clothes when available. Gifts of Love provides food and other needed supplies in the local area and overseas. A Feeding Ministry partners with another local church to operate a feeding program in Burlington City three days a week, with volunteers serving hot meals and collecting non-perishable food items for distribution.
The Nursing Home Ministries offer a one-hour worship service featuring singing and a 15-to-20-minute message called the "Word of Exhortation" based on the Bible. Teams visit Complete Care at Burlington Woods (115 Sunset Road in Burlington) on the first Sunday of the month at 2:30 PM, Complete Care at Marcella Nursing Home on the third Sunday at 2:00 PM, and Wynwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center (1700 Wynwood Drive in Cinnaminson) on the fifth Sunday at 2:00 PM. The objective is to minister and educate attendees in biblical doctrine while uplifting both active church members and the residents who attend.
The Prison Ministries team provides worship and learning services - from devotions to benediction - at the Burlington County Prison, Central Reception and Assignment Facility, Juvenile Reception and Assessment Center, and Albert C. Warner Youth Correctional Facility.
Internationally, the church supports the Christ Baptist Church of Rajahmundry, India, where sixty pastors are sustained under the name of the Christ Baptist Association. True Light Ministry International receives 200 pounds of rice each month for orphanages in Liberia. Through Strings of Love, Haiti, a delegation from the church has visited Dame Marie Baptist Church and its satellites, delivering goats, sneakers, hygiene kits, and solar lights, and hosting a two-day Diabetic Awareness and Screening Clinic. The Cornerstone Christian Academy in Philadelphia and the Youth Achievers' Committee of Burlington County are additional partners receiving financial and volunteer support.
What the Church Believes
Christ Baptist holds to a confessional Baptist faith expressed across eight core statements. Members affirm the absolute authority of the Bible as the Word of God, authored and preserved by the Holy Spirit. They believe in the Holy Spirit who dwells in the hearts of those who have been born again, and in the eternal security of the believer kept by the power of God. The church looks for the personal, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, and imminent return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who will establish His millennial kingdom and reign for one thousand years. Those who are born again have everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but have passed from death unto life. The congregation pursues a sanctified Christian life that brings honor to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and confesses that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, was born of the virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins under Pontius Pilate, died, was buried, and rose on the third day for our justification, was received up into heaven on the fortieth day, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father and soon to come again.
Giving, Prayer, and Getting in Touch
Tithes and offerings can be made online through Faith Teams eGiving, through the Faith Teams mobile app, by texting GIVE and a dollar amount to 609-337-2080, by mail to P.O. Box 10, Burlington, NJ 08016, or in person during services. Questions about giving can be directed to trusteechair@cbcburlingtonnj.org.
Members and friends who wish to share a prayer concern may submit one through the Prayer Request form online. Prayer requests are then lifted up during the Wednesday Prayer Meeting and shared with the prayer team. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the office is closed on Saturdays. Office hours for in-person visits can also be arranged by calling (609) 387-1234 or emailing ChurchOffice@CBCBurlingtonNJ.org.
Christ Baptist Church stands at 950 Jacksonville Road in Burlington as a community rooted in 1863 and still growing, with its doors open to neighbors who want to worship, study, serve, and belong.