By Ashley McLeod, Staff Writer
Sep 16, 2014, 12:11
PRINCE GEORGE — What is believed to be the first Baptist church in Virginia celebrated its 300th year serving the community on Sunday.
Oakland Baptist Church, located in Prince George, was founded in 1714 by Robert Norden and continues to thrive today despite past challenges that threatened the lasting presence of the church.
“This church has weathered storms. At one point it got down to one member, but they stuck it out, and we’re still here,” said Pastor Robert Livesay.
The church service was originally held in the home of founder Norden and was moved when a meeting house was built in 1719 as Davenport’s Meeting House. At the time, this was the only Baptist church in the area.
During the Civil War, the church was used by soldiers in the area.
“The original church was used by Union soldiers in the Civil War. They tore half of it down and used the firewood to keep warm. They used the other half as a clinic or hospital, and brought their wounded here,” said Livesay.
After the war, a group of Czecho-Slovak Baptists received the deed to the church and it became the Czecho-Slovak Oakland Baptist Church. Services at the church were given in Czech and English at this time.
Beginning in the late 1960s, construction began on new structures for the church, including an education building for Sunday school classes.
The current pastor came to Oakland 22 years ago, and since his arrival, the congregation has grown a considerable amount.
“When I came here 22 years ago, there were nine people in the church. I thought ‘this church won’t last,’ but we went through some hard times and we’re still here,” said Livesay.
The newest building at Oakland is the current sanctuary, which seats more than 300 people inside and the average service is approximately 200 people. The service at Oakland is also broadcast on television every Sunday.
According to Livesay, most Baptist churches last around 10 years, and Oakland’s 300th celebration is something for the church members and community members to be proud of.
“Not all churches get to be 300 years old. We’re thankful that during the hard times there were some people who realized that this place was important. They stuck it out and endured a lot of hardships,” Livesay said.
Pastor Livesay believes the success of the church is due to the dedication of its members, and the generosity toward others.
“I think the secret is that we always put missions as number one. We’ve always been a mission-minded church, giving exceedingly to missions, and it’s just amazing,” Livesay said.
During the celebration, descendants from the Skalsky family, the Czech-Slovak Baptists who helped in keeping the church alive, sang to the congregation in Czech. This group included Jerry Skalsky from the Prince George Board of Supervisors.
Dr. Fred Anderson, the director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies, portrayed the renowned Baptist preacher Dr. William E. Hatcher, who preached in Richmond for the majority of his life, from 1834 to 1912.
During the service, Livesay encouraged the members of the congregation to keep the church strong and continue to build the church for the future generations, and also applauded those in attendance for keeping the church alive today.
“We think it’s a wonderful, wonderful accomplishment,” Livesay said.
