1953-Present
Judson Baptist Church
Carson, California CA
This history of Judson Baptist Church in Carson, California, can best be reviewed from their own website.
The beginning of Judson Baptist Church in Carson, California, can be traced in the early 1950’s to a small group of citizens who had a desire to establish a ministry that worships the Lord Jesus Christ. The group began meeting in homes to fellowship and worship led by Minister D. S. Bennett and under the auspices of the American Baptist Los Angeles City Mission Society (LACMS). The church moved its worship services to the Towne Avenue Elementary School where it received an encouraging personal visit from Evangelist Billy Graham!
With the guidance of LACMS, a new building was erected at 18101 South Avalon Boulevard, Carson, CA, which became Judson’s first home. On June 26, 1953, the church was officially incorporated and named in honor of the great missionary Adoniram Judson. Dr. Paul Garrison, along with his wife Jeannine, served as the first pastor of Judson Baptist Church for approximately four and one-half years. Dr. Garrison was graduate of Eastern Baptist Seminary and Redlands University.
On December 6, 1970, Dr. James Luther Ford, Jr., was installed as the second pastor of Judson Baptist Church of Carson. Dr. Ford had been trained at Moody Bible Institute, Pacific Christian College, and Fuller Theological Seminary. Over the next twenty years, the church outgrew its capacity and plans were made to acquire a larger space became necessary. In early 1983, Avalon Village Baptist Church (formerly known as Carson First Baptist Church) became available and negotiations began to purchase the site. On June 26, 1983, Judson relocated to her new home! The cornerstone was set on Sunday, September 29, 1985, with the unveiling of the dedicatory plaque. Our new campus included a Christian Day School and enough space to share our building with Hispanic and Filipino Ministries.
On December 24, 1996, after 27 years of service, Dr. James Ford, was called home to be with the LORD and in May 1998, Dr. Johnny V. Baylor became the third pastor of Judson Baptist Church of Carson. His preaching and teaching ministry was known over the world! The Judson church family grew spiritually and numerically under Dr. Baylor’s leadership with many outreach, teaching, worship ministries and facility enhancements. Dr. Baylor was partnered in ministry by his capable companion Dr. Sarai Baylor who served in various leadership capacities. The Judson family was saddened on Resurrection Sunday, April 5, 2020, when pastor Johnny Verne Baylor went home to be with his Lord, Jesus Christ. Congregational grief was further exasperated by the worldwide Pandemic of 2020 which prevented them from gathering in mass to celebrate his life and legacy.
On Friday, April 3, 2020, while on his deathbed, Dr. Baylor laid hands on the head of Rev. Terry Lovell Brown, Sr. and bestowed upon him the Pastoral Mantle to lead Judson Baptist Church of Carson as her fourth Pastor. Pastor Brown had been asked of Baylor to do much of the preaching during Dr. Baylor’s most critical time of illness. Pastor Brown and his wife, Lady Karen Annette were officially installed on Sunday, October 25, 2020. Finally, after over 13 months of quarantine and absence from the sanctuary, Pastor Brown led the people back into the church edifices on Resurrection Sunday with a Spirit-Filled worship service! And the best is yet to come![1]
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[1] https://judsonbc.net/our-church-history/