Best Baptist Church Long Beach Near Me

4worldlovers: Under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the late Reverend Martel Culp and a group of dedicated Christian individuals organized Grace Memorial Baptist Church on the 1st Sunday in September of 1985.

On Sunday, October 6, 1985, Grace Memorial Baptist Church held its first Worship Service at 2172 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. In February 1988, Grace Memorial Baptist Church moved to the Sunset Lodge Hall, located at 516 West Esther Street also in Long Beach.

The members dedicated themselves to doing the work of the Lord. Pastor Culp often stated, “there were no “Big shots” or “little shots” in this ministry, but that we were all “shots” doing the work of the Lord.”

During Pastor Culp’s service, he encouraged young Ministers of the Gospel to exercise their divine calling and invited them to come and share the Gospel. One of the young ministers invited to come was Rev. Willie Larry McIntyre, Jr., who had received his call to the ministry while serving at our home church, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Culp extended an open invitation to this young Minister to come and minister to us every 3rd Sunday of the month, which was Youth Sunday.

On June 4, 1990, Pastor Culp went home to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On August 26, 1990, Rev. Jimmy Lee Harris was chosen as the Pastor of Grace Memorial Baptist church, he served as pastor for approximately one year.

In October of 1991, Pastor McIntyre was led to be a part of this Ministry and in April of 1992, the Church Council chose him to pastor Grace Memorial Baptist Church. Respecting the vision of our late founder, Pastor Martel Culp, Pastor McIntyre recognized the vision in which the Lord had placed before him to establish this ministry as a “Pillar in the Community”.

Through feverent prayer, obedience to the will of God, and patience to wait on the Lord, Pastor McIntyre’s unwavering faith encouraged the congregation to trust God. On July 28, 1996, we moved into our current facilities and in October, we purchased this property at 1021 East 19th Street in Long Beach, California.

Since Pastor McIntyre’s inception, the membership has grown and Lord continues to add to this body of believers. Through his intense instructional teaching, members of this church body have come to know and serve the Lord, developing a personal relationship with the Lord and exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Pastor McIntyre’s energy and zealous spirit has motivated this church body to”…press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” and to become diligent workers in the body of Christ.