FBCOP.com: History

The First Baptist Church of Oakland Park, Florida was started as a mission of the First Baptist Church of Pompano Beach. In a business meeting of First Baptist of Pompano Beach on April 18, 1951, Landrum Blount, a member of that church, spoke of a need for a church in Oakland Park. At his insistence, a Mission Committee was appointed to investigate this need.

As a result of this committee’s report and subsequent action by the congregation, Dr. E. J. Daniels was invited by the Pompano church to hold a revival in Oakland Park from May 30 through June 10, 1951. Dr. Daniels’ revival bore powerful spiritual fruit, and on the first Sunday of September 1951, meetings started to be held in the Oakland Park Women’s Club on Old Dixie Highway, under the leadership of Rev. Terry Thorpe, for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Sunday School and preaching service.

The mission church thus started soon outgrew the facilities of the Women’s Club, and a church building began construction in the spring of 1952. All the labor for the original auditorium was done by volunteer workers, many of whom were not even members of the mission church. Letters were requested from First Baptist of Pompano Beach for eighty-two charter members, who comprised the membership when the First Baptist Church of Oakland Park was chartered on November 23, 1952.

Additional expansion of the church facilities continued as the first floor of our Sunday School was added in 1954 and a second floor in 1957. A pastorium was also built. Through the 1960s and 1970s, the Lord blessed the church and caused it to grow, and during the term of Pastor J. David Carter from 1972 to 1975, a bus ministry was initiated. After some years of financial ups and downs, the church strengthened financially during the early 1980s. Under the leadership of Rev. Clyde Murdock (1980-83), the congregation began an effort to pay off the church’s mortgage, and on June 3, 1984, after a potluck dinner following the morning service, a “mortgage burning” ceremony took place to celebrate the meeting of this goal.

A new chapter in the history of our church began on June 13, 2004, when we welcomed Dr. Merlin Berkey as our new Pastor. Pastor Berkey brings with him a wealth of experience in pastoral ministry and counselling, making him especially well-suited to fill this leadership role.

The devastation brought by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 impacted our church building significantly, removing the cross on the steeple and destroying the porch at the side of the sanctuary. We have made great strides in rebuilding and early in 2009 a beautiful new cross was added to the exterior of the church, along with extensive renovations inside our sanctuary.

Through our many trials and joys, God has continued to work in our church, which has now been a lighthouse for Christ in our community for over half a century. We look forward to His using First Baptist of Oakland Park in His service for many years to come.