North Orange Baptist Church honors 75 years

ORANGE North Orange Baptist Church (NOBC) has seen many changes over the years from the humble beginnings of a few citizens meeting in the home of Oliver and Pat Seruntine to discuss organizing on April 7, 1939 to celebrating 75 years this Sunday. The church officially organized on April 13, 1939 in the home of Mrs. Frank Cooper.

The church will celebrate the 75th anniversary, also known as the Diamond Anniversary, 10:45 a.m. April 6, at 4775 North 16th Street, Orange, with former staff members Bro. Lynn Ashcraft preaching the morning message and Bro. Wade Daniel leading the worship service. The service will be followed by a dinner on the grounds in the Christian Life Center where guests and members are welcome to hear and share stories from the past 75 years.

Ashcraft was the Lead Pastor at the church for 34 years prior to Lead Pastor Scott McIntosh acquiring the position.

It speaks well of the church for a pastor to serve that long at one church, McIntosh said. I was always told there was a friendly congregation here.

McIntosh also said the church tries to contact guests to say thank you for attending.

We do not try to convert them to our church, we just want to say thank you for being with us, McIntosh said. It is part of the friendliness of our church family.

McIntosh, former missionary to Scotland and Africa, has been the Lead Pastor for the past six year at NOBC.

When the church began its first building program, authorization was given to borrow a sum not to exceed $1,350 for the construction of a new building. Those dollars in todays value is the equivalent of $22,881.36.

The church has had four locations over the years with the first at 1301 North Tenth Street, Orange. The church completed construction of the present Christian Life Center (CLC) Building in 1989. The addition provided a place for Wednesday evening activities, for recreation, fellowship, and all church banquets. It also provided space for youth and adult Sunday School departments. The cost of the CLC project was just over $1 million. The building saw further expansion in 1998 with additional parking, a new preschool/childrens building, a music suite, and remodeled space for adult Sunday School departments. Cost of the expansion project was approximately $1.4 million.

NOBC reaches out in local missions and several International mission opportunities from Honduras, Uganda, and France. Each summer, the youth and other groups have traveled to New Mexico and Arizona to work with the Navajo.

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North Orange Baptist Church honors 75 years