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Great Hope Baptist Church 2101 Venable Street Richmond, VA 23223 Church: (804) 648-8041 Fax: (804) 644-1842 |
| On Sunday, November 14, 1943, one hundred and seventy-five persons met in the chapel of Mr. J. Everett Price's Funeral Home at 1120 North 25th Street, Richmond, Virginia. This group of God fearing people had been led by the Holy Spirit to separate themselves from the Mount Olivet Baptist Church to seek the Lord's direction in formulating a new worshiping community. God directed them to extend an invitation to the Reverend Freeman Roosevelt Berlack. |
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On January 22, 1944, a church edifice was purchased from the church of the Nazarene congregation for the sum of $7,000.00. By June, 1944, Great Hope Baptist Church had achieved permanent recognition and was formally organized as Great Hope Baptist Church. This recognition was based on sixty-two organizational letters that were received from Mount Olivet Baptist Church. After formal establishment, Great Hope unanimously elected the Reverend Freeman Roosevelt Berlack as pastor for life. | |
| March 1, 1954, marked the epical beginnings of a gleaming era in progress of the Great Hope Baptist Church. A new church home at 21st and Venable Street was purchased. October 31, 1971, a Service of Recognition was given to Rev. Berlack for twenty-eight years of services. On February 27, 1972, Reverend D. J. Winters was installed as the second pastor of Great Hope Baptist Church. In 1982, Pastor Winters accepted a call to Greater Corinth Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. Appreciation and Farewell Dinner was given by the church in honor of Reverend and Mrs. Winters on August 25, 1982. On October 26, 1983 the congregation extend the pastoral call to the Reverend Earl L. Bledsoe. On May 5, 1984, Reverend Earl L. Bledsoe was installed as the third pastor of Great Hope Baptist Church. |
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