The Second Baptist Church was officially organized at the home of Eleanor Hill on March 21, 1887. Ten days later, the church was incorporated. In the early years, the church had several pastors, most notably Rev. Asbury Smallwood, who in 1904 was responsible for erecting the foundation of the stone building that the church worships in today.
The Rev. Cornelius P. Williams, of Chase City, Va., joined Second Baptist in October 1938. He served as interim pastor from 1939 until 1941. On July 3, 1943, Rev. Williams was called to be pastor of the Second Baptist Church. “C.P.” as he was affectionately called, encouraged members who had sought to worship God in other places to return to Second Baptist; and they did. Rev. Williams was also known to share his pulpit with many who have since gone on to pastor at churches of their own.
With the church's spiritual, financial and membership growth, it became necessary to enlarge the edifice. In the fall of 1978, the church began construction of what would come to be known as the educational wing. On October 28, 1979, a dedication service was held for the new wing and a cornerstone was laid. The church celebrated the mortgage burning on July 25, 1993.
Over the years, the church became a more integral part of the community, including serving as a host site for Monmouth County Head Start and later the New Hope tutoring program. On February 26, 1995, Rev. C.P. Williams was called from labor to reward.
Second Baptist went through a transitional period until May 19, 1996, when Rev. Aaron N. Gibson, Sr., was installed as the 13th pastor of Second Baptist Church. His vision — which is based on Proverbs 29:18, “where there is no vision, the people will perish” — is to be a church led by the spirit of God. God blessed Second Baptist with a substantial increase. On September 5, 2000, it was necessary for the church to offer two services – at 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
In September 2004, Rev. Aloisio Campos Jr. and his Portuguese congregation began sharing the Second Baptist Church facilities for a 7:30 p.m. Sunday worship service and mid-week Bible study.
On April 18, 2004, with God’s blessings, we embarked on a new building phase. Psalm 127:1A, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that built it,” was selected as the Scripture to encourage God’s people to see the vision for Second Baptist Church. Over the next three years, the church would engage in an aggressive fundraising campaign in an effort to support the pending project. The building committee established at the turn of the 21st century included: David A. Brown, chairman, Chanta L. Jackson, vice-chairman, Jack Blanton, David G. Brown, Taliese Cooper, Stacy Crockett-Gibson, Deacon Willie Hunter, Rolanda McCain and Mary Warren. Chanta L. Jackson also assumed the role of project manager.
The vision took its first step at becoming a reality in October 2007 when we broke ground on our 10,000+ square feet expansion. The project was initially expected to take one year to complete. However, with the unexpected national economic downturn and the base realignment and closing of Fort Monmouth impacted Second Baptist greatly. It would take until January 2012 to complete the building. The dedication service was held on April 14, 2012. The church continued to serve as a light to the Greater Long Branch community in spite of numerous unprecedented challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rev. Gibson concluded his faithful ministry in December 2023. The church entered a sacred season of seeking God's will for their future leadership. The congregation united in earnest prayer, trusting that the Lord who had faithfully shepherded them through nearly 14 decades would once again provide the right shepherd.
What followed was a testament to God's perfect timing and faithful provision. The church embarked on a thoughtful and Spirit-led pulpit search process. Second Baptist Church joyfully called Rev. Terence T. Dunlap, Sr. as our pastor-elect.
The culmination of this faithful journey came on June 7, 2025, when Pastor Dunlap was officially installed as the 14th pastor in Second Baptist Church's rich history. The installation service was a celebration of God's faithfulness—both in providing the right leader and in sustaining the church through our period of transition.
As Second Baptist Church steps boldly into this new chapter, there is excitement about what God will accomplish through the partnership of pastor and people. The same God who has written every chapter of SBC’s story continues to author our future with love, purpose, and divine direction.