A Word About Us
The "Church", the Bride and Body of Christ has a rich and colorful history, and so do we . . .
​
Unity Baptist Church began in the Addison Road Day Care Center, owned by Ms. Betty McGhee, with a group of Christians who wanted to give genuine praise, honor and glory to the Lord. Services were held each Sunday with Rev. Andrew Williams delivering God’s Word. Our Bible Study was held each Tuesday evening, conducted by our many friends in the ministry.
Our need for a pastor became evident quickly. Time was set aside from during each service for prayer to God for a pastor. Within two weeks, a formal request was made to Rev. Rece Tucker, Jr. Immediately, both he and the church went into prayer. On Sunday, July 30, 1990 with 33 members present, Unity Baptist Church was formed.
Our first worship service was scheduled for the following Sunday, however, no site had been secured. God, as only a God can do, began to move and within five days a place had been secured. Our hearts will always be grateful to Sis. Elaine Exum. She opened the doors of her business for our Sunday morning worship. Our Bible Study site was secured when the late Bishop Joseph Whitfield, Pastor of the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church, opened his doors to us each Wednesday evening.
In March 1991, we moved to our first home, Suite 303 in Hampton Mall (currently known as Kingdom Square). We grew quickly and the need for additional space became evident. Once again, negotiations began and in December 1992, we moved to the second floor of Hampton Mall where we remained for five years.
Between 1998 and 2004, the church struggled through difficult times. We moved several times, sharing buildings with sister churches; Little David Baptist Church, then under the leadership of Rev. Donald Cole, and Ritchie Baptist Church, then under the leadership of Rev. Jasper Chamberlain.
In October 2004, we moved to Berkshire Elementary School in Forestville, Maryland. God granted us a blessed opportunity to minister one on one in the community by providing school supplies and aftercare meals to the students and staff.
In May 2005, after 15 years of faithful service, Pastor Tucker relocated to Monroe, Louisiana. Although he lives 1,500 miles away, he remains a source of support and encouragement. In April 2009, he returned as our guest revivalist for our first revival in five years!
Rev. Charles Greene, an associate minister of the New Grove Baptist Church, Washington, DC, was called as the Interim Pastor in June 2005. He resigned in March 2006 to begin a new church work.
In May 2006, after many tears and prayers, the Unity Family voted unanimously to call Rev. Carl Bennett, Jr., Executive Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, as Pastor. Although he was a willing worker, he faced many challenges in restoring the church to its full potential, due to his struggle being physically limited.
Pastor Bennett’s email address, preachfish1, was known all over the country and was an immediate identifier as to who he was; a man who loved to fish, whether it was for physical food or as a fisher of men for Jesus Christ. Many, our most memorable fellowships with Pastor Bennett were probably shared either catching or eating fish!
A lover of young people, Pastor Bennett was also known for his Angel Tree Ministry, which provided Christmas gifts to children whose parents were incarcerated.
An electronic wizard, Pastor Bennett was a great fan of email, text messaging, and desktop publishing. In early 2007, he designed and developed our first church website, www.unity-bc.org, He also helped us develop our first mission statement.
God blessed us under his leadership and in July 2007, we relocated to the chapel of Bethany Lutheran Church.
During that same month, Unity was introduced to Rev. Robert Beard when Pastor Bennett called him as to be our youth preacher each Third Sunday. Shortly thereafter, Pastor Bennett asked for assistance as his health began to fail. On December 6th, after a valiant effort, God called Pastor Bennett to eternal rest. It was Rev. Beard who honored his friendship to Pastor Bennett by guiding, counseling, and loving the church through its grief and loss. Since July 2007, he has never left our side.
On February 10th, 2008, a new chapter began in the Unity family. After serving faithfully as an assistant to Pastor Bennett and unofficial Interim Pastor, Rev. Beard was voted unanimously as the Pastor of Unity Baptist Church.
In the twinkling of an eye, the work began! Believing that the church would grow through the preaching and teaching the Word of God, Pastor Beard began reinventing our Christian Education Ministry by re instituting a weekly Bible Study and a Topical Studies class was introduced in June 2008.
As we are commissioned to be servants and serve the community, we held our first UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY DAY in August 2008. In keeping with our church motto, Bringing Unity to the Community, we moved Unity into the community by providing free blood pressure screens, food, giveaways, and fun. In August 2008, we purchased and installed our official church sign at Bethany Lutheran Church. In June, we added a church van to help those who would otherwise be unable to attend weekly and Sunday services.
With a heart for young people, especially young men, Pastor quietly opened the doors of our church to the community and began a weekly fellowship each Wednesday afternoon. Several young men enjoyed fellowships that included ministering to those in the nursing home, passing out fliers and door hangers for various church events, and Bible Study.
In October 2009, the Awkard, Bennett, Chalmers (ABC) Memorial Textbook Scholarship Fund was formed. Appropriately named, it honors Deacon Gerald Awkard, Rev. Carl Bennett, and Trustee Lincoln Chalmers. These men of God loved young people and worked towards their success. The scholarship fund is dedicated to helping students obtain textbooks while attending college or other institutions of higher learning.
As part of bringing unity to Unity, Pastor Beard began a yearly church retreat which is also used to celebrate his pastor’s anniversary. A quarterly dining fellowship was added, which quickly became one of our favorite events. The moments of fellowship, love, and laughter helped heal many wounds and restored joy and hope for a bright future.
In August 2011, Unity moved to its current location at 1944 County Rd, Forestville, MD and God has kept on blessing. Rev. Osha Banks created a new Web page which displayed pictures of our Unity family. Rev. Tracy Gavins, was instrumental in obtaining a lighted marque which highlights our church name, and times of service; several new ministries have been added: The Hospitality Ministry/Culinary Ministry, an Outreach Ministry and a Women’s Fellowship Ministry. Our ministerial staff has grown and God’s word is still being preached. To date, Pastor Beard has ordained three Ministers into Gospel Ministry.
God has enabled us to open our doors so that two others churches would have a place to worship.
In 2014 Pastor Beard implemented the Money Challenge, as a building fund project; within the first year $10,000 was raised!!
The family that plays together stays together, in 2015 the UBC family traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana in support of Pastor Beard as he proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus at Greater St. John Baptist Church. We ate, laughed and enjoyed several excursions in the city; a great time was had by all. Unfortunately, on our trip our beloved Deacon Willard Strine, became ill where he transitioned from labor to reward, his funny, and loving personality is missed by all, he will always be in our hearts.
2017 Project Smart Move two years to INDEPENDENCE is our new focus and is well on the way. With God's continued guidance, under the leadership of Pastor Beard, and the fervent prayer and financial support of the UBC Family, we will move into our own worship edifice in two years. We believe the word of the God, when it says we are the head and not the tail; we are striving to be the lender and not the borrower. Unity has begun the process of moving by adding a new sound system, computer and printer, as well as a new keyboard donated to the music ministry by Sis. Cherece Armwood.
In 2018 Rev. LaTeesha McGinnis established the Information Technology Ministry (IT Ministry). The IT Ministry includes facets of digital and electronic information pertaining to Unity Baptist Church. The Unity Baptist Church Facebook Page, YouTube Channel, Paypal Online Giving account, and vibrant church Web page connects the world to a plethora of church information, recorded sermons and lessons, and provides a vehicle for online giving for members, friends, and partners from all over the world!
Unity Baptist Church continues its efforts to bring Unity to the community by various outreach efforts, conversing with neighbors, donating clothing and food resources, and encouraging individuals to attend worship services. We thank and praise God for the new members that have joined as a direct result of those efforts.
Our motto.... “Small but not insignificant.” testifies to all the blessings of God bestowed upon us Sunday after Sunday. Chief among them being the presence of His spirit.
Unity continues to grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are taught that God's Word is the tool that gives us help in times of distress, and joy when our strength is weakening. We are unified in his hands, as we continue to fulfill Pastor Beard’s vision….“We are establishing at Unity Baptist Church, a culture of committed believers who love, respect and adore both Christ and the body of Christ.”
At Unity Baptist Church, we are committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ, and are here to spread His message with loving patience and kindness.