New Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church gathers in the Blackwater section of southern Virginia Beach, in the same rural precinct where families first prayed together in 1862. The congregation is known for a history that runs from a bush shelter beneath a grove of oaks to a sanctuary on Head River Road, and for work that reaches beyond the sanctuary: a Thursday food pantry, a free summer reading program for elementary students, and ministries built around youth, seniors and women. Sunday begins with Sunday School at 9:00 a.m., continues with Worship and Praise at 10:15 a.m., and concludes with Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m.
From an Acorn to an Oak
The church traces its beginning to 1862, when a prayer band of followers of Christ in the rural precinct of Blackwater, in the southern sector of Princess Anne County, traveled from home to home for prayer meetings. As the group grew, it wanted a designated place to worship, so members obtained a parcel of land, cleared brush and built a small bush shelter. The shelter stood in a grove of oaks, and the church took its name from those trees. Families including the Hodges, the Cuffees, the Reids and the Humphries were among the early founders.
In 1865 the Rev. John Bass became pastor of the bush shelter, and under his leadership the members built a small but permanent structure. Bass served thirteen years before being called into another field of labor. For the next eighteen years the Rev. J.V. Roach taught, sang, prayed and preached the Word of God until his time as pastor ended.
At the turn of the century the church was without a pastor and began to divide. The Rev. R.R. Cartwright pastored for eighteen years, and during that time the congregation flourished and grew and the name Old Oak Grove became official. Cartwright strongly encouraged parents to invest in their children's education, and some of those young people went on to high school and college. The Rev. W.G. Alexander came in 1920 and served until 1928, followed by the Rev. C.F. Griffin for the next thirteen years. Griffin saw the church remodeled and rooms added, but poor finances limited services to once a month. He agreed to preach on the second Sunday without charge, and the following year services were held twice a month and he was paid for both.
Ground was broken on September 14, 1958, for a new church built just behind the old building. Griffin went home on October 27, 1962, and a couple of years later the Rev. Horace Moore was called to pastor. Members entered the new building on July 4, 1964. On Sunday, May 23, 1976, following morning worship, Moore was called home, and the church was left without a pastor for two and a half years.
In December 1978 the Dr. Olleo L. Cromwell II came as undershepherd, and the church grew both spiritually and physically under his leadership. He resigned on September 27, 1998, and the associate ministers Rev. Tyrone Johnson and Dr. Anthony B. Rodgers carried the ministerial duties until the Rev. Samuel K. Shaw III arrived in November 1999 and was installed as pastor on January 16, 2000.
Under Shaw, classes for preparing for ministry and new members were added to strengthen discipleship. The youth of the church became more involved through a Youth Fellowship service on the third Sunday of each month and a Wednesday youth Bible study, and creative ministries took shape, including a praise dance ministry for young girls and a mime ministry for young males. Attention to seniors grew as well: Grandparents Day became a larger celebration and eventually led to an annual seniors luncheon in September. Shaw resigned on February 26, 2006, and the Diaconate Ministry, with the ministerial staff, continued caring for the congregation.
On March 12, 2008, one of their own, the Rev. Tyrone L. Johnson, was elected pastor-elect and was installed on April 27, 2008. His favorite verse, Matthew 6:33, speaks of seeking first the kingdom of God, and the mission he leads asks the congregation to bring God's people up to God's standards by being doers of the Word of God. The church's own history closes with Matthew 16:18: "...and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights
Sunday morning at New Oak Grove has three steady movements. Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m. Worship and Praise follows at 10:15 a.m., and Morning Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Children's Church meets every Sunday except the fifth Sunday of the month. Sunday services are livestreamed on Facebook Live for those who cannot be in the room.
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Bible Study and Youth Bible Study run at the same hour, giving families a single evening on which to be in class together. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the congregation can be reached at 757-421-0604 or at newoakgrovembc@yahoo.com.
Giving is handled four ways: in person, by mail, through mobile apps and online. Donations can be made through the giving form, and weekly sermon messages are available at New Oak Grove messages.
Feeding Our Neighbors in the Pungo and Blackwater Area
New Oak Grove's outreach ministry runs a food pantry every Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. The church calls its pantry "small but mighty" and reports that neighbor visits rose 146 percent year over year, a sign of how many households now count on the groceries provided.
The stories the church shares come from families with tight budgets. One mother who lives with her son, both of them disabled and on limited incomes, said the food filled her freezer and took away the worry of stretching her grocery budget. A family of seven with five children said the extra meats, breads, salads and snacks came in handy, and a family of three said the groceries left more room in the grocery budget for other needs.
Beyond the pantry, New Oak Grove supports several community organizations, including the American Red Cross, a hurricane relief shelter, Susan G. Komen, Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. The Senior Resource Center is also among the organizations the church supports. A Food Bank Distribution and a Harvest Feast are additional gatherings the church has hosted with neighbors.
Reading to Succeed: Summer Reading Academy and the Bell-Holloman Scholarship
Founded in 2011, the Summer Reading Academy is a free, three-week program for students in grades K-5. Its aim is fluency and reading stamina so that comprehension improves, and students work with interactive texts chosen to support lifelong literacy. Poetry and story read-alouds are part of the program, and the church accepts student registrations and summer employment applications each year.
The Bell-Holloman Scholarship supports students who have been members in good standing for at least six months. Applicants must show a grade point average of "C" or better, submit a letter of acceptance on official letterhead from an accredited college, university or trade school, and write an essay of at least two handwritten pages, or one typed page, on a topic of their choosing, such as life experience, career choice or testimony. Applications are considered during the applicant's freshman year of college.
Youth, Seniors and Women of Excellence
Johnson's pastoral leadership revamped both the youth and seniors ministries. For young people, Wednesday Youth Bible Study at 7:00 p.m. runs alongside the church's regular Bible Study, and creative outlets have continued, including praise dance for young girls and mime for young males. The youth also gather for a Youth Fellowship on the third Sunday of each month and take part in gatherings such as NOG NFL Jersey Sunday and the NOG Black History Celebration, when members honor Black history together.
For seniors, the church builds around Grandparents Day and an annual luncheon held each September. The NOG Harvest Feast and a combined ushers anniversary are other gatherings the congregation has marked, and the church has celebrated members and families in moments of achievement, including congratulations to Aliyah "Lele" Webster and the stories of Dr. Ciara Sivels, a nuclear engineer, and Christian Basnight, whose first article was published with the Tennis Channel.
First Lady Selnetta "Lady J" Johnson has served in many capacities, including as a Sunday School teacher, president of the women's ministry and an usher. She serves with the Deaconess Ministry and directs the Women of Excellence Women's Ministry, mentoring young girls in the church and in the community. The music ministry is led by the Minister of Music, Robert Dennis, and the Music Director, Ashley Dennis, with James "Buddy" Johnson on lead guitar and Brett Hinton on drums.
Day-to-day governance rests with three teams, each anchored in a verse. The Deacons Ministry, chaired by Rex T. Cuffee, takes I Timothy 3:13 as its charge, about using the office of a deacon well. The Deaconess Ministry, chaired by Shirley Turner, holds to Acts 9:36 and Tabitha, "full of good works and acts of charity." The Trustees Ministry, which handles stewardship of the church's resources, is chaired by James E. Richardson under Luke 12:42, about the faithful and wise steward.
A Pastor Who Served Before and Leads Still
The Rev. Tyrone L. Johnson was drawn to ministry by Matthew 20:28, in which the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. He wanted to be a Virginia Beach pastor, and before entering full-time ministry he retired as a construction inspector after more than 35 years of service. He served in the United States Army and the Virginia National Guard, and during that time was deployed to the Gulf War. He continues to serve on the board of the Court House Estates Home Owners Association.
Johnson graduated from Tidewater Bible College with a bachelor's degree in Christian Leadership. He has taught classes, held seminars, served as a revivalist and preached at various churches. He was a member of the Hampton Roads Black Caucus and is a member of FLAME, Fostering Leadership and Ministering Excellence, a group of preachers founded by Bishop Dwight Riddick Sr. of Gethsemane Baptist Church in Newport News for the mutual benefit of ministering to ministers. He is also affiliated with the Steynburg Preaching Institute, a peer learning group that challenges preachers intellectually and academically.
Since taking the pulpit, Johnson has strengthened leadership roles and responsibilities, added training for the ministerial staff and carried out part one of an expansive building plan. He established Oak Grove Hall, a banquet facility, and founded the Summer Reading Academy. He formed an affiliation with Blackwater Baptist Church, becoming the first African American preacher to grace that pulpit, and he has partnered with sister ministries to host Tri-Church Revivals. His work has extended into civic life through relationships with Councilwoman Barbara Henley, former Congressman Scott Rigell, Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander and other city and school board officials, along with training and community service seminars. When churches and businesses closed their doors in March 2020, he formed a special committee to plan the church's reopening.
What New Oak Grove Holds
New Oak Grove describes itself as a body of baptized believers who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Its mission statement reads, "Bringing God's People Up To God's Standards By Being a Doer of The Word Of God," a charge anchored in Isaiah 59:19 and James 1:22-25. The vision is to transform lives so that people live up to God's standards by upholding the Word of God, impacting the church, the community, its youth, young adults and seniors in a positive manner by being relevant in the world. The church describes itself as remembering its past, living in the present and establishing its future on a blessed hope in the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Eight core values shape how the congregation interacts. Integrity means doing right when no one is looking. Love is adoration and care for God's people and His creation. Dedication means being committed and supportive of the work of ministry at New Oak Grove. Unity means standing together as one body on one accord regardless of individual differences. Respect means esteeming and valuing another's perspective as one's own. Faith means walking by faith and not by sight. Teachable means keeping an open mind and receiving instruction that brings growth and maturity in knowledge and understanding. Relevant means being practical and focused on matters of today that may affect the church body.
The statement of faith says the church exists to advance and promote the worship of God through the reading and study of the Holy Bible as the revealed Word of God, to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to conduct the development and benefit of each member and the winning of souls to Christ. It commits the church to being missionary in spirit, extending the Gospel through organized religious channels to the entire world, sustaining the ordinances, doctrines and ethics set forth in the New Testament, providing regular opportunities for public worship, and channeling offerings to the support of the work of the Kingdom of God.
The church covenant, entered by members who have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, binds the congregation to walk together in Christian love, to advance in knowledge and holiness, and to give the church a place in their affections, prayers and services above every organization of human origin. Members promise to contribute cheerfully and regularly toward church expenses, to support a faithful and evangelical ministry, to relieve the poor and to spread the Gospel throughout the world. They commit themselves to family and secret devotion, diligent study of the Word of God, the religious education of their children, seeking the salvation of their kindred and acquaintance, being kind and just to those in their employ, watching over and exhorting one another, bearing one another's burdens, and remaining ready for reconciliation.
Partnerships That Reach Beyond the Parish
New Oak Grove names four affiliations: the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention, the Virginia Baptist State Convention, the Roanoke Missionary Baptist Association and the Hampton University Ministers' Conference. Each connects the church to a wider circle of Baptist life, from missions and state fellowship to regional association and ministers' conference.
Those relationships show themselves in practice. The congregation has hosted Tri-Church Revivals with sister ministries and shared history with Blackwater Baptist Church. The church also keeps close ties to the city of Virginia Beach, sharing information about the city's free email newsletter and its public engagement sessions, and it has served alongside city and school board officials on community questions.
More than a century and a half after the first prayer band walked from house to house in Blackwater, New Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church still gathers at 3200 Head River Road for Sunday School at 9:00 a.m., Worship and Praise at 10:15 a.m. and Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m., with Bible Study every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and a food pantry every Thursday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. The grove of oaks that gave the church its name continues to grow.