The past, leading to the present, began when in 1932 descendants of the Cape Verdean Islands started meeting for bi-lingual worship services in English and Portuguese at the Winthrop Street Baptist Church, Taunton, Massachusetts. Sunday school classes were formed and soon attendance grew to warrant the first-step: Organizing the Portuguese Baptist Church. Later, in 1940 thesecond-step: The name was changed to the First Portuguese Baptist Church. Rev. Manuel Avila and Rev. Antonio Rodrigues were the first two pastors.
In 1945 the church took its third-step: To acquire its own property at 29 Oak Street in Taunton. After meeting at the Oak Street location for nine years, the church decided to take the fourth-step to acquire some available land nearby on Pine Street. The church purchased the land and built a new church at that location. While meeting at these locations The First Portuguese Baptist Church, congregation was under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Williston Holbert and Rev. Manuel Oliveira. During Rev. Holbert’s tenure, the church became known throughout New England for its preaching, outreach, music and dedication to missions and denominational support. Also during this era, Rev. Roy Fralin Sr., Associate Pastor was called and instrumental in rejuvenating the Youth Fellowship Program.
In 1969 the church, took the fifth-step and purchased their third building formerly owned by Winslow Congregational Church at 61 Winthrop Street in Taunton. The congregation moved there and continued to thrive and in 1977 took the sixth-step, to change its name to The Baptist Church of All Nations (BCAN) in order to truly reflect the membership who now was from the Cape Verdean Islands, Portugal, Brazil, Africa, the Caribbean Islands, South America and Europe. As the church membership grew from 1978-2001 both physically and spiritually; fresh ideas with the future in mind echoed throughout the building two significant senior pastors, ministers in training and a licensed to preach Deacon came to mind: Senior Pastors Rev. Tyrone Woodberry Sr., Rev. Stephen J. Murphy; the training of Rev. Stephen Sanden and Rev. Cynthia Correia and Deacon Joe Pina. Their boldness in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost so that they may be saved and live their lives more abundantly led to the seventh-step and the painful reality that the third building due to the depleting structure needed to be torn-down:
“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better' ” (Luke 5:37-39).
While working on the new building project the Lord continued to renew and revive the membership from 2001-2009: This season of blessings was evident through these years in the extraordinary leadership and ministry of visiting Pastor Rev. Edmund Henley; Senior Pastors Rev. Dr. Robert J. Gomes, Rev. Dr. Johnny M. Wilson Jr.; and the leadership provided by Deacon Ronald Walker, Chair of The Board of Deacons, the church staff and many others. The Holy Spirits empowerment of the congregational leaders and members to facilitate the love of Jesus Christ as a family and to provide a ministry model that employs ministries of hope and transformation continues to this day. Rev. Dr. Luz Celeniar Tirado’s vision was to challenge us to remember the past as we prepare for the future and beyond. Upon her arrival in November of 2009, Pastor Lucy provided the ministry of “equipping” the saints by preaching and teaching on topics that capture the total person (mind, body and spirit).
After seventy-eight years of ministry and seven steps of preparation The Baptist Church of All Nations Family continues to provide a strong presence in Taunton, Massachusetts. Thank you Lord for the past generations that prepared for us the steps to follow and for teaching us to continually prepare the steps needed for the generations that will follow.
Sincerely,
From the Voices of the Past, Present and Future Generations
