Baptist Church in the Great Valley

Name of congregation:

The Baptist Church in the Great Valley

Location:

Devon, Tredyffrin Township

Denomination:

An independent congregation affiliated with American Baptist Churches.

Size of congregation:

About 150

What is the history of your congregation?

It was founded on April 22, 1711, by a group of 16 Welsh Baptists. In 1722, a log meeting house was built on what is now the northwest section of the church cemetery.

What makes you proud of your church?

Although the congregation is small, the church is "big" in supporting a wide variety of mission programs that include Valley Forge REACT program, which aids needy families on the Main Line, as well as two separate Alcoholics Anonymous groups. We also sponsor activities to benefit Hurricane Katrina and tsunami victims. The church also holds CROP walks to help feed needy families and takes part in a host of other activities to benefit Baptist Children's Services, Soldiers' Angels, Gift of the Heart, the Baby Manna project of the Philadelphia Food Bank, and others.

How do you see your church's role in your community?

By being active wherever needs exist, and in working with other Christian and Jewish groups to promote common tenets of our faiths. This fall, the church opened its doors to the Holy Ascension Antiochian Orthodox Mission so that this young congregation of about 90 members would have a place to regularly hold weekend services and other religious events.

Another outreach program of the church is to allow the American Association of University Women to hold its annual July book sale in the congregation's Scott Building, next to the Meeting House.

In the past several weeks, a group from our church has met with leaders of the Islamic Society of Valley Forge (across the road from us) and with Rabbi Yosi Kaplan of the Chabad Lubavitch Chester County Center (next to the Islamic Society) on the potential for ecumenical social activities among the three groups.

Staff:

Pastor: the Rev. Arthur R. Namendorf

Days and hours of services:

Worship services are at 11 a.m. Sundays. Sunday school is at 9:45 a.m. Sundays from September to June.

During summer, worship services are at 10 a.m. in the church's Meeting House, more than 200 years old. Sunday school is in the Scott Building.

Communion services, open to all regardless of affiliation, are held the first Sunday of the month as part of the morning service.

Address:

945 N. Valley Forge Rd., Devon, Pa. 19333

Contact information:

610-688-5445,

» READ MORE: www.bcgv.org

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The e-mail address is

» READ MORE: mail@bcgv.org

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