OUR HISTORY

The New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists, Inc. was officially organized at Union Baptist Church, Trenton, New Jersey in 1977 with Rev. Earl Tolbert, Pastor.

In 1977 Rev. J. Isaiah Goodman, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Englewood became the first person to serve as president of the New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists, Incorporated.

Many distinguished persons have taken the role of leader and president of the New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists, Inc. since its inception including, Rev. Edgar Thomas, Rev. Alfred E. Brown, Jr., Rev. W. Emanuel Barret, Rev. Dr. Marcus Williams, Rev. Dr. Albert P. Rowe, Rev. Temple Richie, Rev. Dr. Deborah P. Wolfe, Rev. Gerald Lamont Thomas, and Rev. Dr. Gregory Wallace.

The New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists was preceded by the New Jersey Baptist Fellowship.

The New Jersey Baptist Fellowship was composed of Progressive Baptist Pastors who met periodically. Rev. Edward Smith, First Baptist Church, Princeton, who was instrumental in holding the group together, served as president.

The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Incorporated (PNBC) is the parent body of the New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists. The PNBC was officially organized November 14-15, 1961 in Zion Baptist Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. Progressive started as a movement that reflected the religious, social, and political climate of its time.

Its mission was to transform the traditional African American Baptist Convention, as well as society.

The formation of the convention was wrapped up in the Civil Rights movement and was begun by some of the same persons who were deeply involved in the freedom movement for African Americans in the United States.

The PNBC movement supported Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s struggle for freedom for African Americans. It was the PNBC that provided a denominational home for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many of the Baptist leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. They all became important forces in the life and work of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.

The ideologies of freedom, justice, dignity and racial uplift, were paramount in the formative years of the New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists and today the New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists continues to be true to its original calling and purpose which is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

More specifically to plan, develop, conduct, promote and engage in the work of, Christian Education, Christian Fellowship within the Constituency of the Convention, Christian Social Concerns, Evangelism, Missions-Home and Foreign, Training of the laity relative to Christian work for men and women, training in Christian Stewardship and promoting Human Dignity.

The Progressive National Baptist Convention is the best among all Baptists in its identification with and support of civil rights.

It is not by accident but by choice the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Benjamin Hooks, the Rev. William Gray III, and the Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy all served as members of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.

Because of the great work begun by its predecessors, today’s New Jersey Convention of Progressive Baptists leaders and members vow that they are willing to stand for what is right and fight for what they believe and to do so by working to get her to achieve their stated goals in this 21st century.