Church History

On January 2, 1959 , the Palestine Missionary Baptist Church of Jesus Christ was organized under the leadership of Rev. Earl Abel. The first service of eleven Christian men and women full of the faith and the Holy Spirit, united themselves into a body of Christian believers, was held in the home of the pastor at 3317 Askew. The next Sunday the Linwood YMCA located at 3416 East Linwood was secured as a place of worship, where services were held for four years.
(1959 –1962)

On August 22, 1959 , four lots of ground were purchased, on which our first sanctuary was built. It is now our Wedding Chapel. This purchase was a mere four months following the organization of the church.

On September 17, 1961 , we held our first ground breaking service; the membership, then totaling 165, believing, “With God all things are possible.” Mark10:27. We decided to build a church without backing except individual pledges by the members. We were encouraged even with the setbacks to walk forward with renewed strength and faith.

April 10, 1970 arrives, and we hold dedication service for the completed educational building.

The first of many soul winning Noon Revivals was held on March 5, 1976 .

April 3, 1980 , the third ground breaking service for a new and larger house to worship and praise our Lord.

August 9, 1981 , a SABBATH that we all could sing, “ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ”. We gratefully and prayerfully held our first worship service in our current sanctuary. It seats 1,600 people; has an elevator servicing all four floors; Prayer Room; Pastor’s Study; offices for the church staff; classrooms and a well-organized Library.

March 9, 1988 , a fourth ground breaking for our own Senior Citizens Complex, “ Palestine Gardens ”

September 24, 1989 , the dedication of “ Palestine Gardens, ” a Senior Citizens Complex with 58 units located at 33 rd & Montgall.

March 1991, ground was broken for the Senior Citizens Activity Center.

In 1992 , we paid off the mortgage to our church, five years ahead of schedule. On December 1, 1992 , the dedication service of Palestine Senior Citizens Activity Center was held. The Activity Center is dedicated to serving senior residents of the Central City.

On May 2, 1993, Palestine started a mission with Rev. Jimmy Hall as the pastor in Blue Springs, MO, in one of the schools of that community. It is now the Capernaum Missionary Baptist Church, the first African American Church in that community. In 2003, Rev. Verbert Strong was called to be the pastor following Rev. Hall’s return to his native Mississippi.

September 15, 1993 , the church voted to seek pledges for the building of CampPalestine in Chilhowee, Missouri located near Warrensburg, Missouri. Dedication of Camp Palestine was November 19, 1995 . The 150- acre Camp includes an Olympic Pool, a 64 - room lodge, cafeteria with commercial kitchen, 16 cabins, a chapel, and well-stocked seven- acre lake. The latest additions to the camp grounds include a basketball court, walking track, walking trail, and baseball fields .

July 29, 1996 thru August 2, 1996, our children and teenagers assembled for a week of religious training and fun for the first time at Camp Palestine.

April 6, 1997 , ground breaking service for Palestine Estates, another Senior Citizens Complex located at 33 rd & Prospect.

Palestine Estates was scheduled for completion by May 1998 .The Grand Opening was Saturday, July 18, 1998 .

March 30, 2003, ground was broken for expansion to the sanctuary; balcony; two-tier parking, a lift to the choir stand for handicapped choir members and other inside face lifting that include the relocation of the sound room, which share their area with the media ministry. This building phase was dedicated November 23, 2003.

Our founder and first pastor, Pastor Earl Abel was the author of a book titled, “If A Church is to grow... Keys to Nurturing Church Growth in the 21 st Century.” His book was published in September, 1998 . Dr. C.A.W. Clark, pastor of the Goodstreet Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas and former revival evangelist here, at Palestine wrote the foreword.

We thank God for our founder and first Pastor, Rev. Earl Abel, who under the protective wings of God led us until his home going on May 17, 2005. We continued to be blessed by the presence and sweet spirit of his wife, Sister Hazel Abel until her home going on September 24, 2007.

We are grateful to God for the increase in our membership from eleven (11) to over three thousand (3,000).

WE HUMBLY SAY, “…. GOD GAVE THE INCREASE” I CORINTHIANS 3:6

We shall continue to be ambassadors for CHRIST,

moved by FAITH, be a Beacon Light in the community and a temple that is pleasing in the sight of GOD.