Open Bible Baptist Church sits on New Brooklyn Road on the eastern edge of Williamstown, a quiet stretch of Gloucester County, New Jersey, where the building draws a steady Sunday crowd and a faithful Wednesday night following. The congregation belongs to a stream of Christians who hold the Word of God as the supreme and final authority and the local church as an independent body of believers. Pastor Sal Yannizzi was called to Open Bible on April 3, 2022, by a unanimous vote, after pastorates in Philadelphia, the Southside of a Pennsylvania city, and Bradenton, Florida. He and his wife have four children, three daughters and a son, and six grandchildren.
A Sunday Rhythm Built Around the Word
The Sunday schedule at Open Bible begins at 9:30 a.m. with adult Connection Classes and children's Sunday school running in parallel. Each adult Connection Class is designed to help adults grow deeper in their faith through meaningful Bible study, discussion, and community, with topics chosen for different stages and interests. At 10:45 a.m., the main worship service gathers in the sanctuary and combines music with teaching. Greeters station themselves at the doors and at a Welcome Desk, ready to help first-time families find the nursery, restrooms, sanctuary, and fellowship area, and to answer questions about what to expect during the service.
Anyone arriving between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. is invited to the Gathering Grounds for coffee and fellowship before the morning begins. Parking is described as plentiful, and the campus is well maintained. The leadership team is in the lobby after the service to greet newcomers.
Midweek Service and Children's Programs on Wednesdays
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., the church gathers for a Midweek Service that runs about an hour. The same hour hosts the children and teen ministry for younger members of the household, so an entire family can be present together at the church. Kidz Quest's Master's Club runs at the same hour, focusing on discipleship, Scripture memory, and spiritual growth; children learn biblical truths, memorize God's Word, earn awards, and build relationships in a structured, encouraging environment. All kids ministry volunteers are background-checked for the safety of the children.
The Pulpit and the Teaching Lineup
Most Sunday mornings feature Lead Pastor Sal Yannizzi preaching. He is supported by Tyler Austin, whose role includes children's ministry, adult groups, community outreach, speaking, and teaching; Tyler and his wife Carry have served in full-time ministry for nearly twenty years and at Open Bible for the last nine. Carry serves as the church secretary. Raji Smith serves as an assistant to Pastor Yannizzi alongside his wife Fadilla and children. Aaron Ingala oversees the music ministry and leads the worship team in services, and guest preachers, including Preacher George Riddell, fill the schedule during mission weeks and other Sundays. Isaac Zeller, the Youth Director, and his wife Kaitlyn work together in leading the OB youth teen ministry, providing a healthy, spiritual, safe environment for teens.
Children and Teens at Every Stage
Open Bible cares for its youngest members through a Nursery Ministry that serves infants through age 2 during every service. The nursery is staffed by caring volunteers who are background checked and committed to showing Christ's love through attentive care, play, and comfort. Kidz Quest, the children's ministry for older children, runs Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and Children's Church at 10:45 a.m. during the main worship service, with age-appropriate Bible lessons, worship, hands-on activities, and crafts. The Teen Ministry gives middle and high school students their own environment of Bible teaching, fellowship, and discipleship under Isaac and Kaitlyn Zeller.
Adults: Ladies, Men, Young Adults, and Seniors
Beyond Sunday school, Open Bible runs several adult ministries. The Ladies Ministry gathers for a weekly Bible study on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. for fellowship, discussion, and prayer, and hosts seasonal gatherings and special times of encouragement throughout the year. The Men's Ministry meets for a Men's Breakfast on the third Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m., with Men's Small Groups meeting throughout the week to study Scripture, pray, and pursue growth in service together. Encounter, the young adults ministry, meets every other Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Connection Building Lobby for Bible study, meaningful friendships, and encouragement to follow Christ wholeheartedly. The Senior Adult Ministry creates opportunities for fellowship, service, and continued spiritual growth, including a Bible Assembly where seniors assemble Bibles that are sent around the world to support global ministry efforts.
For deeper study, the OB Institute rounds out the adult discipleship pathway with structured teaching for those who want to keep going further in the faith.
What Open Bible Believes
The church's stated purpose is to make disciples of Christ who are making disciples of Christ, a process worked out through loving the Lord, growing in grace, serving one another, and sharing the Gospel. Open Bible holds that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice, the supreme and final authority in the lives of believers. The church confesses one God existing in three eternal, coequal, divine persons, and teaches that man was created in the image of God with a body, soul, and spirit, that humanity inherited a sinful nature through Adam, and that no one can save himself. Salvation comes through the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
Open Bible teaches the existence of Satan as a fallen angelic being, the author of sin and the deceiver of this present world, whose powers are limited by God's permissive will, and who will be destroyed in the lake of fire. The church holds to the independence and autonomy of the local church, believing that New Testament local churches are organized to minister Christ to a lost world and for worship, edification, and fellowship. The church teaches the Second Coming in stages, including a rapture, a seven-year tribulation, and a thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints. Believers are kept by God's power and are secure in Christ, with positional, progressive, and ultimate sanctification promised to every true believer.
OB Care and Grief Support
Open Bible's OB Care ministry centers on GriefShare, a weekly support group that meets for three months at a time to walk with people through a loss. The gatherings are led by people who have themselves navigated grief and want to help. GriefShare is open to anyone in the community who is struggling through grief, whether or not they attend Open Bible.
Missions and the Wider Church
Missions are a regular rhythm at Open Bible. The calendar includes a Mission Conference each fall, an annual Missions Month with guest speakers from the field, and ongoing support for missionaries such as the Betancourths to Latin America. Sermon series like the Everyday Christianity series and past teaching series on the book of Galatians and the Family of God shape the church's approach to discipleship and missions in the everyday life of a Christian.
Staying Connected Through the Week
Sermons are posted online and are available in video and audio. The livestream of services is available on the church's YouTube channel. Giving is set up online through Subsplash, and a First Time Guest Information Card and Event Sign Up Card are available for visitors. The church office can be reached at 856-629-3800 or by emailing the secretary; the church's address is 1073 New Brooklyn Road, Williamstown, New Jersey, with a mailing address of PO Box 806, Williamstown, NJ 08094. Open Bible maintains a presence on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where announcements, sermon links, and event updates are shared.
The staff team, the greeters at the door, the teachers in the classrooms, and the volunteers in the nursery all share a common purpose: to make disciples of Christ who are making disciples of Christ. That purpose is the thread that ties together a Sunday school class, a Wednesday night Master's Club, a Tuesday ladies' Bible study, and a Saturday men's breakfast, and it is what has shaped this independent Baptist congregation on the edge of Williamstown for years.