Village Baptist Church Profile
Brief History
1968 - Village started as a mission, meeting in a house on Pointer Ridge Drive
1971 - Village constituted as an independent church, with John Woodall as pastor
1974 - Dr. Dan Ivins called as pastor
1979 - Groundbreaking for a building at the current location
1980 - Start of services in the new building
1984 - Dr. James Dunn serves as interim pastor after Dr. Ivins resigns to accept a call elsewhere
1985 - Dr. Bruce Salmon becomes pastor
1992 - Contemporary worship service added
1994 - Village joins the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
2000 - Church building burned. Village meets at neighboring church
2002 - Village returns to a new building at the current location
2013 - Village calls Rev. Starlette Thomas as associate pastor (now interim pastor)
2017 - Dr. Bruce Salmon retires
Membership
Approximately 200 members, extremely diverse in age, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, including a significant number of immigrants, particularly from the Caribbean and Africa.
A number of members travel significant distances to come to Village (Annapolis, Gambrills, Calvert County, Eastern Shore).
Community
Bowie is a suburban community east of Washington, D.C., in Prince George’s County, which is one of the most affluent African-American-majority counties in the United States.
Paid Staff
Full-time pastor
Part-time associate pastor (pending budget availability)
Secretary (20 hrs/week)
Choir director/organist
Early service music leader
Volunteers
Commission & Committee members - Support various activities
Choir members and pianist
Sunday School facilitators - Village runs a variety of classes for all ages during the Sunday School hour.
Polity
Deacons - Village deacons are servants who help the pastor. Village uses the Deacon Family Ministry Plan, in which each deacon has a “flock” of church members to support.
Business Meeting - Village is a democracy, with quarterly business meetings used to make decisions.
Church Council - Heads of the program commissions meet monthly as the Church Council to coordinate church activities.
Financial
Budget approximately $250,000/year
Church building bonds will be paid off in 2020
Activities
Missions program: http://villagebaptistbowie.org/VBC_Missions.html
Web Site: http://villagebaptistbowie.org
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/59130468304/
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