OUR NEW PASTOR

Long Branch Church did not begin with brick and mortar, fine pews and stained-glass windows as you know it today. It goes back more years than any of the present members have lived. However, the history of Long Branch survived the test of time and was passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth until legal documents were recorded. It all began many years ago when slaves from St. Julian, Santee, Mt. Sion, and Chestnut Valley would meet at Chestnut Valley, a sixteen hundred (1600) acre plantation owned by C. I. Dickerson, to worship God. It was told that the owner soon grew tired of the sound of praises of worship and gave his slaves a piece of land near the southern most part of the plantation (right where we are now) to be theirs as long as it was used for worship. (This area became known as "Long Branch" because there was and still is, a very long branch of water that began from underground springs near what is now the John Minor Place. This branch flows into the James Taylor Pond and continues from the pond northward on the left of Rt. 2 Highway all the way to Massaponax.) On this spot of grounda brush arbor building was erected by the slaves to be used to worship. 

On July 13, 1882 the first wooden framed church was completed by Tom Hailstalk, a carpenter, and others was known as Long Branch Baptist Church. It wasn't until May 30th, 1884, two years later, a deed was made between Charles and Lucy Pierson, the landowners, and John Arthur Jackson, Hazelwood Turner, Phillip Burris, Wellington Gordon, and Anthony Jones, the first Trustees of Long Branch Church. It consisted of 1/4 acre of land and was to be used only to erect a church. For some reason the deed was not recorded at the County Courthouse until 1902, 18 years later and on December 22, 1909, the original deed was delivered to Rev. A. Goodloe, the first minister of the wooden frame church. Years later when the government purchased land, now A. P. Hill, Mt. Dew Church, Ol' Bethlehem Church of Caroline, and many homes were taken. As a result, several families came to this area and united with Long Branch Church. 

Worship service was held on third Sundays of each month.  Homecoming and Revival always begin on third Sunday in August. Great revivals were held in this wooden framed, wood stove heated, lamp lighted church, and many souls were won to the Lord, and many were strengthened.

Not much is known about the early/first organizations of the church. The only known organization was the Sunday School which has no record of its beginning.

In 1959 the new Long Branch Church was completed!!