Adedayo Adebayo
Editor's Note: This article is part of a series featuring the 2020 Sacred Sector Fellows. Each Fellow received a host site placement, where they are conducting an organizational assessment and implementation plan, and then will apply the “Three P’s” -- organizational best practices, public policy, and positive engagement -- at their host site.
I am excited to serve as a Sacred Sector Fellow at the Second Baptist Church of Asbury Park, NJ (SBCAP). The Second Baptist Church of Asbury Park, NJ was incorporated in 1891 after they broke away from the First Baptist Church of Asbury Park, NJ, a predominantly white Church in 1885. Little did this group know that their legacy was going to remain for more than a century. Since the inception of SBCAP, the church has had ten pastors and four interim pastors, all of whom were committed to the growth and progress of the church. The vision to build disciples “by the Spirit of God, and to proclaim and teach the word of God to all; laboring in the community to advance the kingdom of God; living into eternity to the Glory of God” [1] grew, and it has been increasing since its incorporation. In 1901, the church purchased their current site, and they’ve remained there since. From 2010 to 2012, the church began to expand their public positioning by creating an online platform that’s accessible to all members of the public, reflecting all the ministry’s activities.
SBCAP is committed to Christian growth, and they do this through practical, engaging, experiential, and creative teaching of the scriptures. Through the church’s four pillars of purpose – Worship, Discipleship, Benevolence, and Outreach – they achieve their goal. Each pillar is solidly built on the scriptures. [2] SBCAP has a wide range of ministries through which they carry out their God-given purpose. They are an intentional, intergenerational, impactful, and inspirational community. Through the four pillars, they continue to strive to build their community into God’s desired image.
This is a church committed to building lives and impacting society positively. They seek all opportunities to give back to the general community. When SBCAP celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2010, they sponsored four successful events, which included a picnic, gospel program, Sunday anniversary service, and an anniversary banquet held at a local restaurant. Also, the recent Juneteenth celebration on June 19, 2020 was a phenomenal success, as the current pastor led a group of community leaders both within and outside the church to celebrate the event. All these are representations of how effectively the church has been positioning itself publicly, and through their organizational structure, they’ve been able to carry out all their plans. The church currently boasts of having about eighteen different departments, with each having a leader who is equally committed to the growth of the members and the community at large.
One of their departments is G.R.A.C.E (Getting a Real Awesome Christian Experience), “a young adult ministry group which consist of individuals mostly between the ages of 20-40, [that] provides the platform for its members to share their faith with other young adults through education, prayer, and exciting fellowship while affirming their unique gifts and talents.” [3] This group cuts across different departments of the church. I’m looking forward to seeing how I will be a part of the group to learn and gain more experience in youth development, and also contribute with the knowledge I have received from the Sacred Sector, especially on organizational best practices.
I look forward to learning more about SBCAP, and I am excited to find out more about this church that has been growing for more than a century.
[1] “About,” Second Baptist Church, https://www.sbcapnj.org/about
[2] See more on “Four Pillars of Purpose,” https://www.sbcapnj.org/four-pillars-purpose.
[3] https://www.sbcapnj.org/christian_growth
Adedayo Adebayo is a Religion and Society enthusiast, a student at the Princeton Theological Seminary, and a 2020 Sacred Sector Fellow, an initiative of the Center for Public Justice.
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