The Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church, while not established until 1856, had it’s beginning in 1838. The Colding Family started the first colored settlement known in those days as Kaighnville.
Old-fashioned Summer Camp meetings were held in this area. The first colored Baptist Church in the state of New Jersey was the outgrowth of these Summer Camp meetings. In 1848, Reverend Sampson White, former Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York, NY and current Pastor of Concord Baptist Church of Christ was one of the leaders of the camp meetings. For years he held a series of house-to-house prayer meetings in the home of Mrs. Mary Colding. However, he felt the need to establish an organized Baptist Church. Reverend White organized a Sunday School in 1856. This Sunday School was the beginning of the first Black Baptist Church in the city of Camden as well as the state of New Jersey.
In 1863, after the death of Reverend White, the Reverend L.D. Francis became the pastor. The cornerstone for a meetinghouse was laid in 1864. The Church was built on the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Kaighn Avenue. It was given its first name, Mt. Zion Baptist Church. It was later known because of its location as the Seventh Street Baptist Church. In 1873, under the leadership of Reverend Moses Wilcox, then pastor, a brick building was erected. The church, which included a pool, was then dedicated as the Seventh Street Baptist Church. In 1882, the mortgage was paid in full and in 1864, and an extension was added to the building. The church had 265 members. In 1896, Reverend Moses Wilcox died and Reverend Troy was then called to serve as the Pastor until 1898. Reverend S. J. Henderson substituted until 1900 when Reverend John T. Plenty became the Pastor. Several years before, Miss Helen Monroe, a public school teacher and active member of the Seventh Street Baptist Church, had suggested the need for a better church building and more desirable location. In 1905 the old church building then at Seventh and Kaighn Avenue was sold. It became necessary to look for a new site. The church purchased property on the southeast corner of Seventh and Kaighn Avenue, but racial opposition prevented the use of this site for a church building. |
1856-1873 Rev. I.D Francis |
1873-1896 Rev. Moses Wilcox |
1896-1898 Rev. H. Troy |
1898-1900 Rev. S.J. Henderson (int.) |
1900-19013 Rev. John T. Plenty |
The Pastor Reverend John T. Plenty formed a building committee composed of several deacons and trustees to seek a permanent church site. The members of the committee were Lloyd Loflind, Mace Young, Charles W. Moore, William E. Rand, Ronald Jones, and Reverend John T. Plenty. These men sacrificed much to make the purchase of a new church site possible. They even mortgaged their homes to help raise the purchase money. In 1905 a site was secured on the northwest corner of 9th and Kaighn Avenue. The cornerstone was laid that year and the building was completed in 1906 at a cost of $19,000. The church was dedicated as the Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church of Camden, NJ, Inc. A pipe organ and other furnishings were secured in 1911. In 1913, Reverend John T. Plenty retired as Pastor, but lived in the area until his death in 1920. He was moderator of the Bethany Association for many years. His memory will always live, for it was under his leadership that the former church was built. No sacrifice was too great for him to make for the church. |
In 1914, Rev. George E. Morris, the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Morristown, NJ for twenty years and President of the Afro-American Baptist State Convention of the State of New Jersey was called as Pastor of the Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church. Under his leadership all previous records were broken. The membership grew to over 900 members. The churches budget exceeded $50,000 annually. In 1916, a large bell was installed in the tower of the church at a cost of $300. More than $10,000 was spent on the improvements, which included a tile pool, a new carpet, and an oil burner. The mortgage was paid off in 1919. In 1925, a modern pipe organ was installed in the church at a cost of $7200. Rodman Wanamaker, the son of John Wanamaker, a lover of music and owner of the largest organ in the world, was the first to make a substantial contribution to the Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church Organ Fund. The church contributed to home and foreign missions, schools, hospitals and worthwhile causes, which amounted to hundreds of dollars. Reverend Morris retired in 1938 after 14 years of faithful service. Pastor, Reverend William Pinkston served as “Acting Pastor” until 1939, when Reverend Charles Sumner Lee answered the call to be the Pastor of Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church. Reverend Lee, an active and dedicated man continued the growth of the church. A parsonage was purchased and two new units were added to the organ, which was dedicated as the George E. Morris Memorial Organ in 1944. A beautiful annex was added to the church building. However, Reverend Lee answered the call to First African Baptist Church of Philadelphia, PA in 1950. |
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Rev. Herman Watts In 1951 Reverend Herman Watts accepted the call to Pastor the Church. Reverend Watts pastored the Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church for 17 years. Under his leadership the Church retired $15000 of debt, and began a “Building Fund”. In 1967 he answered the call to pastor the Friendship Baptist Church of New York, but left the Church debt free and with $19000 in the Building Fund. The Church also became the second Black Baptist Church of South Jersey to join the American Baptist Church Convention.
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Rev.
Joseph Pinkston (.int) 1968-1969 |
In 1969, Reverend Don Juan Hayes became the Pastor of Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church in its sixty-third year. He continued the Building Fund and formed two committees, “Search and Program” and “Finance and Construction.” The Search and Program Committee carried out their plans and the two committees performed as one. They were as follows: Henry Gardner and Walter Cordon, Chairmen Theodore Davis, Legal Advisor William Braswell, Theodore Godfrey, Joseph Wade, Stuart Davis, Preston Gunning, Florence Wilson, Vyola Fisher, Robert T. Johnson, Joseph Wilson, Jr., Gladys Foster, Evelyn P. Johnson, Warren P. Miller, Odean S. Wortherly. The Church became excited about the prospect of a new building and really began enlarging the Building Fund. In 1972, Reverend Hayes answered the call to Ebenezer Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, but that did not stop the momentum of a new building. Reverend Joseph Pinkston served as interim Pastor for sixteen months. |
Rev.
Joseph Pinkston (.int) 1972-1974 |
Reverend Gabriel Philemon Chum Reverend Gabriel Churn answered the call to Pastor in 1974. The committees had worked diligently during the past two years and in 1975, the building that had been built in 1906 was completely demolished. The Church worshiped in the Cooper Methodist Church building that was owned by Cooper Medical Center from May 1975 until June 1976. On Sunday, July 4, 1976, the Church Body paraded from 6th and Steven (The Cooper Church) to the brand new church at Ninth and Kaighn Avenue. |
Rev. Alvin L. Mills 1978-1980 In October of 1976, the Church was again without a Pastor and a pulpit committee was formed to supply the church’s needs. In January 1978, Reverend Alvin La Tens Mills answered the call to Pastor the Church and served until April of 1980. |
Reverend Dennis Earl Thomas
1981-1987 In July of 1981, Reverend Dennis Earl Thomas accepted the call to become the 12th Pastor in the Church’s 125-year history. A new spiritual life was given to the Church and the membership grew. One of the most exciting programs added under his ministry was the Sheepfold Ministry. In 1983, a Mortgage Completion Drive was initiated to become debt free. A goal was set of $100,000.00 to be raised in six months. They not only reached their goal, but they exceeded it by raising $118,000 to apply against the mortgage. Their slogan “DEBT FREE in ‘83” became a reality. In February 1987, Reverend Thomas answered a call to the First African Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia. Upon Reverend Thomas’s departure, Reverend Robinson was asked to be the Interim Pastor. He accepted this position with enthusiasm and fulfilled his duties with compassion, honor, and dignity. |
Rev.
Jack Robinson (.int) 1981-1987 |
In 1989, Reverend D. Keith Owens accepted the call to be the 13th Pastor of Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church. This was his first church pastorate; formerly Director of Public Relations for National Ministries, American Baptist Churches, USA. He spent much time with the youth and renewed our Black College relationship through financial support and starting Black College Sunday as Reverend Watts had done in his tenure. After four years of dedicated service, he departed Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church and Reverend Robinson stepped in one more time to lead the Church as Interim Pastor for the next two years.
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Rev.
Jack Robinson (.int) 1994-1997 |
After a long search, Reverend Britt A. Starghill answered the call and on April 13, 1997 and was installed as the 14th Pastor of Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church. For the past 16 years Pastor Starghill has served as the under shepherd, successfully moving KABC into the 21st century. Since becoming the Senior Pastor he has moved in the direction of Traditional Worship, Progressive Values, and Inspiring Communities. Jesus Christ is the answer and the focus of every sermon that he preaches. The purchase of a pipe organ, Hammond organ, and the addition of drums have insured the diversification of sacred music from classical to anthems to gospel. He insists on and has ordained seminary trained men and women in ministry and has ordained women as deacons. In 2004, Pastor Starghill initiated The Nehemiah Project, a 501(c)(3) community development corporation to address the blight that has consumed the Gateway neighborhood in Camden, NJ. Since its inception, NPCDC has served as a catalyst for the revitalization of this Camden community. Pastor Starghill is currently embarking on a three to five year plan to insure that Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church remains relevant and discipleship continues to grow as the demographics of the Camden community are transformed over the next five to ten year. |
Pastor - 2017 - 2021 |