On July 14, 1907, a small group led by Rev. A. Gardner held a prayer service on the southwest corner of Holly Beach (now known as New Jersey Ave.& Spicer Ave.) under a tent borrowed from Mrs. Harriet. Later they held services in a building leased from C.A. Morton on Youngs Ave.

The present site was purchased in 1912. The Church was recognized in 1913 by a council of brethren. The new church, Eureka Baptist Church was built in 1915. The building consisted of one floor.

In the 1920’s the church was made larger and the second floor built, which is the main sanctuary. For heat, a space heater was used and downstairs heat came from the old potbelly stove. During these pioneering years there were various ministers coming in and pastoring the new church. Many people were led to Christ through the preaching of the gospel in its fullness. The church was incorporated July 22, 1922, in the presence of Palmer Way; Attorney at Law. Those who signed were: Benjamin Billups, William Sydnor, Otis Calloway, Benjamin Baker and John White.

The church was blessed with trustees, out of which some were ordained as Deacons. Deacons of Eureka Baptist Church around this time were: Brother Noel, Brother J. Quarles and Brother B. Billups.

In the late 1940’s, Rev. Stanley Hatch Sr. pastored Eureka. Under Rev. Hatch Sr. much was accomplished. The main sanctuary floor was brought up to a beautiful hardwood finish, new pews and pulpit set were installed. This includes Communion table, Deacon chairs, new stained glass windows, electronic chimes and the pulpit was extended on each side. During these accomplishments Rev. Hatch did not neglect to preach the word of God.

Also in the 1940’s, the property at 120 W. Youngs Ave. was willed to the church by Mrs. Parrish, for the church parsonage.

In the 1950’s Rev. C.T. Mayo, a dynamic preacher and man of God, pastored Eureka Baptist Church.

The first Hammond Organ was purchased. Deacon L. Johnson moved forward with his desire for an organ, and interceded. The project was brought before the church, a committee was formed, and they along with members and friends accomplished that goal. Sister Alice English was the organist who served for 12 years. The old space heater and potbelly stove was replaced by a new oil heat furnace. Other Deacons of Eureka around this era were: Bro. L. Johnson, Bro. C. Mack, Bro. M. Taylor, Bro. H. Duckett, Bro. R. West, Bro. R. Carey, Bro. G. Lamont and Bro. E. White. The Gospel continued to be preached and many accepted Christ as their Saviour.

In the 1960’s, Rev. T.B. Whitfield pastored Eureka.

New doors were purchased and the front doors were widened. The first water fountain was presented by Sis. Mary Frances  Gillyard and Sis. Blanch Hayward. This was later replaced with a new one by Sis. Blanch Hayward and Bro. Larriet Lamont, which was in use until the late 1990’s. Bro.& Sis.  W. Norman were moved by their love and concern for the church and had the sanctuary carpeted from the choir loft, down the center isle to the top of the stairs, the Senior choir placed the glass top on the Communion table, Missionary President, Sis. C. Billups enclosed a corner of downstairs with curtains for a nurse’s aide room and Communion linens were replaced with light-weight material for easier care. Many organists played for Eureka. Sis. Rita Patrick (1907-2001) was hired and served until the early 1980’s.

In the 1970’s,  Rev. Elijah Horton (19??-2010), was installed as Pastor on July 5, 1970. The church was renovated. Drop ceilings were installed in the sanctuary along with florescent lighting, wood paneling was installed on the lower half of the walls in the sanctuary, the upper half of the wall stayed the original tin, air conditioners were installed, the archway behind the choir loft was enclosed, light fixtures were presented by Bro.& Sis. J. Evans, the 3-D ‘Lords Supper’ was placed at the center of the archway by the family of the late Deacon& Sis. L. Johnson, in their memory. A piano was purchased, a Hammond organ was purchased to replace the first one, the Pastor’s study was renovated with wood panel and drop ceiling, new furniture and flooring. The vestibule was renovated with new ceiling, flooring and paneling. Renovations were done by Mr. Ray Kingsley. A new roof was also put on the church. The churches gratitude was extended to Mrs. G. Krogman for the generous donation of $1,200 left to the church from the will of the late Mayor George Krogman.

The original carpet from the top of the sanctuary stairs to the vestibule was replaced by Sis.’s Helen Stith and Blanch Hayward. New padded chairs for the choir loft and unpadded chairs for the dining room were installed by Helen Stith, Blanch Hayward, Margaret Carey, Katherine Quarles and Carrie Allen. Rev. W. McClurkin installed the new floor in the dining room.

Deacons of Eureka around this era were Bro. William McClurkin, Bro. Willie Johnson Sr., Bro. J. Turner, Bro. Joe Carey and Bro. Clarence Shelton. Rev. Horton continued in preaching the word of God.

In the 1980’s Rev. Willie L. Johnson Sr. (1943-2006) pastored Eureka Baptist Church. Rev. Johnson Sr. was installed as pastor on January 3, 1981. With a God given vision, Pastor Johnson moved the church onward and upward. He re-established a powerful Wednesday night bible study and prayer service by keeping the doors open and praying for the many that entered looking for help, remaining constant in praying and calling all members to prayer and shut-ins. Rev. Johnson Sr. started a prison ministry in the early 1980’s at Southern State Correctional Facilities, with the help of Deacon James R. Hatch Sr., who was a correctional officer at the time. A Christmas banquet was started in 1985, where home cooked food was brought in to feed inmates and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was done every third Tuesday in December.

Under Rev. Johnson Sr. many capital improvements were accomplished. New padded pews were purchased and arranged in two isles, new carpet was installed, a trustee room was built, a new sound system was installed, a new copy machine was purchased allowing the church to make weekly bulletins, remodeling of the men & women’s bathrooms ( by Mr. Paul Shelton), new electrical wiring was installed in the church, white iron rails were installed in the choir loft by Rev. Johnson, along with repairing of the baptismal pool. Under the direction of Sr. Usher President, Mary Frances Gillyard, money was raised to purchase a commercial stove. Many thanks to Pastor,  members and co-worker, Deaconess Ida Crawley (19??-1999) presented the church with a new brass 3-tray Communion set, with two bread plates. A new clerical office and robe room was built downstairs. Under Rev. Johnson Sr. property was purchased for a new edifice on the square blocks between Park Blvd. to Arctic and  Spencer to Spicer Aves. The property on Youngs Ave. (parsonage) was sold and used for the building fund project, in the amount of over $100,000 dollars. The new property was purchased for approx. $370,000 dollars and at present is valued at over $1.2 million dollars.

Through the years of preaching, teaching and evangelizing, Rev. Johnson led many to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Rev. Johnson was renowned for his revivals around the East Coast. He raised and nurtured many men and women in ministry work, some of which are: Evang. Lottie Miller, Evang. Mary Carey, Min. Gloria Langford and Rev. Carrie Williamson; Rev. James Hatch Sr., Rev. Willie L. Johnson Jr., Min. Robert Baker, Min. Willie Chaney, Deacons: Craig Edwards, Mark E. Johnson Sr., Leon Henry and Pastors Richard& Nadine Manning.

Sadly, after 25 years of pastoring, Rev. Willie L. Johnson Sr. suddenly transitioned from time to eternity on July 3, 2006.

After much prayer, the Eureka Baptist Church pulpit committee led by Deacon Craig Edwards voted  Rev. Willie L. Johnson Jr. Pastor elect. On January 18, 2007 Rev. Willie L. Johnson Jr. was installed as Pastor of Eureka Baptist Church.

Under a great teaching and preaching ministry, Rev. Johnson Jr. is leading Eureka Baptist Church into the technology of the 21^stCentury. Rev. Johnson Jr. introduced the church to the computer system for church business and the World Wide Web., the church board of trustees voted to install new windows to replace the ones from the 1940’s, replace the carpet, purchase wireless microphones, and ongoing renovations and building development. Renovations such as: painting of the church; interior and exterior, updated remodeling of the 1980’s women’s bathroom from two tight stalls to one comfortable modern stall and the clerical office/robe room to the conversion of one larger office, renovated kitchen flooring and pulpit/alter area to create one continuous arched step up/down, thereby also creating more alter/floor space for ministering and ease of movement accessible from both sides of the pulpit. Building development has been brought up to codes of the local and state health and fire departments thus allowing us to be approved for and granted licensing to run a summer camp, which was launched for the first time in the summer of 2016. This camp was instituted per Pastor’s and certain members desire to establish the footprint for the childcare center that will be one of the ministries offered in our new sanctuary on the property purchased in the 1990’s under the pastorate of Rev. Johnson Sr.

Rev. Johnson Jr. has blessed the body of Eureka Baptist Church with his simplistic yet significant thematic preaching/teaching/singing style that draws souls to Christ with an urgency, confidence, trust, belief and knowing that Jesus Christ loves them too much to leave them in the same condition that he finds them and saves from the power and penalty of sin. Pastor Johnson Jr. attributes the perfecting of his preaching/teaching style to the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the mentoring and the Apostolic covering of Bishop David G. Evans thru the joining of The  Abundant Harvest Fellowship of Churches in 2012 , his diligent study and seeking of God’s face.

Pastor Johnson Jr.’s preaching, teaching, and pastoring style has afforded individuals the ability to clearly recognize their own ministry gifts and allowed those same individuals the opportunity to acknowledge and operate in their ministry gifts according to knowledge of the word of God and under authority of himself and the Holy Spirit for the edifying of the body of Christ. Under Pastor Johnson Jr.’s leadership souls have been joined to the body of Christ and Eureka specifically. Some Deacons appointed in this ministry era: L. Preston Crawley Sr., Michael Vasser Sr., and Nathaniel Matthews, while others have acknowledged a call from God to ministry work.

Those who Pastored Eureka Baptist Church: Rev. A.J. Gardner, Rev. B. Billups, Rev. H. Isaac, Rev. W. Jones, Rev. J.E. Cooper, Rev. J.S. Henderson, Rev. J.C. Washington, Rev. Reed, Rev. Barnes, Rev. S. Hatch Sr., Rev. C.T. Mayo, Rev. Wolf, Rev. T.B. Whitfield, Rev. Adams, Rev. E. Horton, Rev. W.L. Johnson Sr., Rev. W.L. Johnson Jr.

This Church History was revised and/or amended in August of 2016.