The formal organizational meeting of Nazareth Baptist Church was held in December 1877 and Reverend Virgil Parker was called as pastor. The first known sanctuary was a small rectangular frame building built on land deeded to Nazareth in 1881. The church received its charter in 1885. Reverend W H Neal began a 40-year patorate in 1939. During his tenure, the membership steadily increased and the sanctuary underwent two major renovations. An educational annex was also constructed. Reverence Blakely N. Scott assumed the pastorate in July 1979. Membership has increased from 500 to over 5,000 under his leadership. In 1992, a new sanctuary was constructed and an early worship was added. The Carpenter’s Hall Annex, containing the day care center and administrative offices, was complete in 2002. To accomodate the tremendous growth, construction of another sanctuary began in 2003 and an inaugural service was held on November 6, 2005. For more than 100 years, First Nazareth had reached out to the community in Christian service, carrying forth the traditon established by the founders. Today we engage in a variety of ministries, proclaming mightily that good things do come out of Nazareth, where lives are enriched through worship, and discipleship is strengthened through service to others.
