All Services held at:

480 S. Parkway East
Memphis, TN 38106  

901-948-9786 (office)

On Wednesday, May 3, 1967, through an invitation extended to the home of Mrs. Laura D. Jones, twenty-four people met and established what is now known as Christ Missionary Baptist Church.

Rev. Eddie Currie presided over the meeting and emphasized the them of "LOVE" as the power that should and would hold us together to ensure our progress.  The members left this meeting not knowing where their next meeting would be, but light hearted and confident that this was what each wanted and was willing to work to make it possible.

During the years of 1967 and 1968, there were many new challenges and frustrations.  These were dark days of disappointment and the numbers had to rely on prayer and the power of God to sustain them.  With much faith and prayer, our church moved to the present site at 494 South Parkway East.  Our church moved to this edifice on Palm Sunday, 1968.  This was a Pentecostal Day of rejoicing.  On Easter Sunday, April 7, 1968, we celebrated our Opening Day.  By the grace of God and through footsteps of faith, the founding members made leaping strides from the fledging days of 1967 to the present.  For more than thirty-two years, God has led hundreds of people to unite with the Christ Missionary Baptist Church.

Over the years, the church has served as a center of worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism and ministry.  In keeping with its theme of "The Church where Everybody is Somebody," CMBC has evolved into a vibrant faith community with an appreciation for diversity and the various gifts of its membership.  For more than 27 years, Rev. Currie served as the caring and compassionate under-shepherd of Christ Missionary Baptist Church.  Under his visionary and dynamic leadership, Christ Baptist grew from a small group of 24 to a stable, vibrant community of faith.  According to the grace of God given to him as a wise master builder, Rev. Currie laid the foundation for a ministry, which served as a vehicle for sharing God's redemptive message.  His deep commitment to the proclamation of the  gospel was accompanied by a caring ministry to hurting and broken people who needed to experience the love of God in their lives.

The death of Rev. Currie on May 11, 1994, left the congregation in a precarious situation, for the church had never been without a leader.  The time between May 1994 and March 1995 was most trying.  On March 4, 1995, the congregation chose to elect Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart as its Pastor.  This act itself was history in the making.  Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart became the first Black female in Memphis and Shelby County to be elected to pastor an established Black Baptist congregation.  Pastor Stewart had been licensed, ordained, mentored, and nurtured by Rev. Currie.  She was installed the second Sunday in May 1995 as Pastor of Christ Missionary Baptist Church.

After the election of Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart as pastor, the membership witnessed a transformation of ministries. Under the current leadership, ministries have been born, programs have been redefined, activities have been enlarged, and lives have been transformed. Members have began to view Christ Baptist as a full service, all inclusive church. As the church continues to expand its ministries and to live out its calling as "Hearers and Doers" of the Word, a number of outreach initiatives have been undertaken.

There has been tremendous growth in the membership at CMBC, thus presenting opportunities, as well as challenges. In 1997, the church also entered into Phase I of a comprehensive renovation and remodeling program. Remodeling of the sanctuary and restrooms, new heating and air conditioning unit, renovation of the church offices and acquisition of adjacent properties were some of the aspects included in the remodeling program. Due to growth of our membership, Christ Baptist was forced to hold two worship services in 1998 at 8:00am and 11:15am. Then to accommodate the continuously increasing growth CMBC began holding three worship services (7:45am, 10:00am, and 12:30pm) in April 2001.

After much fasting and praying, the congregation as a whole decided to move forward with the next plan of kingdom building: the erection of a new worship edifice that will be built to the glory of God! The congregation submitted ideas for the new church and Rev. Dr. Stewart, along with the CMBC Board of Leaders, pursued the job of locating a builder who not only had a great deal of expertise in the field of designing worship centers, but who also had a heart of compassion and a heart for God's people. Over the past years, the church has acquired numerous properties, including two duplex dwellings at 1432, 1434, 1436, and 1438 South Wellington, as well as 479 South Parkway East. With the help of the Lord, Christ Missionary Baptist Church is swiftly approaching ownership of two additional properties on South Parkway East, which will assist us in our endeavor of building this new worship center.

As the church continues moving through this new millennium, it continues to take on the courage of the forty-seven founders and believe and understand that it was then and still now the power of "LOVE" and "FAITH" that holds us together. We celebrate what God is doing in the life of Christ Missionary Baptist Church and South Memphis, where people from every walk of life can be equipped for life-changing ministry that will help to transform this world into the Kingdom of God.

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