Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church History
Covenant Fellowship began in 2019 as “The Family.” We are a true family of God who loves to worship and be together. We invite all believers to experience God in our worship, Bible studies, and fellowship.
We invite you to worship with us every Sunday at 9:00 AM, either in person at the Auxiliary Location of First Baptist Church, Centralia (4412 Centralia Road, Chester, Virginia 23831) or online via Zoom (Meeting ID 669 637 5477, Password: 1234). Join us and experience our community firsthand!
CFBC History
“Nobody Told Me the Road Would Be Easy…”
In the future, your children will ask you, ‘What do these rocks mean?’ 7 Tell them the Lord stopped the water from flowing in the Jordan. When the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord crossed the river, the water stopped. These rocks will help the Israelites remember this forever.”
Joshua 4:6b-7
Our Beginnings
(August/2019 – February/2020)
“The Family” in Worship (September/2019)
(Shalom Baptist Fellowship Church – Southside of Richmond)
On Sunday, August 17, 2019, Dr. William H. Whitaker, II, preached at the morning worship service of the Shalom Baptist Fellowship Church. Among the congregation that day were “family members” of Dr. Whitaker who requested to meet with him after the morning’s worship service. With the permission of Shalom’s Pastor, Dr. Whitaker met in the Shalom Baptist Fellowship Hall with 17 persons who desired to begin regularly worshiping together on Sunday mornings under the name of “The Family”. The Family’s first worship service was held on Sunday, August 25, 2019, with Dr. Whitaker as their Pastor.
Pastor Whitaker’s first sermon to The Family was “The Pilgrimage of Faith” from Hebrews 11:8. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.”
The Family remained the name of our congregation until Sunday, October 6, 2020, when, under the coordination of the Hill Family (Greg, Pam, Izetta, and A. J.), The Family chose the new name of the Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church.
Our first logo was found on the internet by Pastor Whitaker and was used on our church bulletins until Co-Pastor Maria designed our new church logo.
Since its first day of ministry on Sunday, August 25, 2019, the Covenant Family has grown continuously, both numerically and spiritually. Within its first six months of ministry, Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church grew from 17 to more than 100 members. Some of the ministry highlights for the Covenant Family during our initial months of service were.
- The consecration of the Reverend Maria Whitaker as the Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church Assistant Pastor.
- The consecration of four CFBC members into the Ministry of Elders (Elder Jacob Reed, Deaconess Regina Knight-Mason, Deacon Ricardo Henderson, and Elder Nichole Russell), which, under the leadership of the CFBC Pastors, serves as the governing body and legal representatives of Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church.
- The licensing of Rev. Jessica Mason into the Gospel Ministry and the subsequent appointment of Rev. Jessica as the CFBC Minister of Youth and Young Adults.
- The consecration of three ministers as Ministers of Word & Sacrament (Rev. Jessica Mason, Rev. Ordell Thompson, and Minister Shakeil Boyd).
- Recognition as a ministry within the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and the Shiloh Baptist Association.
Covenant’s First Bible Study Series
“The Healing of Church Hurt”
Dr. Nathaniel West - Facilitator
Out of the gloomy past, till now we stand at last…
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.”
Lift Every Voice and Sing
James Weldon Johson
One significant milestone in our family's life was overcoming congregational hurt. As our Covenant family continued to grow numerically, Pastor Whitaker discerned the need for a Bible study series on “Church Hurt”. The Healing of Church Hurt series was facilitated by Dr. Nathaniel West and held in a rented multipurpose room at the Baptist General Convention of Virginia.
The Growth of Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church
Within the first 6 months of ministry, God gave birth to 18 ministries within the Covenant family:
- Sunday 8 am Worship Service
- Fresh Wind Wednesday Adult & Young Adult Bible Study
- “Chozen” Young Adult Ministry
- The Ministry of the Elders (CFBC Governance)
- The Covenant Prayer Daily Morning Conference Call (Now the Daybreak Morning Worship Ministry)
- Diaconate Ministry (Deacons and Deaconesses)
- Ministers of the Word & Sacrament (Associated Ministers)
- Arts & Drama Ministry
- Bi-Monthly Fellowships
- Covenant Praise Dance Ministry
- United Voices Choir (Music Ministry)
- The Covenant Band, consisting of a Psalmist/Keyboardist (Dr. Janet Copeland), a Psalmist/Keyboardist (Minister Sid Thompson), and a Drummer (Brother Joshua Henderson).
- Sacred Space (Facilities Care) Ministry
- Sound Ministry
- Web & Media Ministry
- Youth Ministry/Children’s Church
- Men’s Ministry
- Women’s Ministry
The Pandemic Quarantine Years
(March/2020 – May/2023)
After six (6) months of ministry, Covenant had to transition from in-person to an all-virtual worship platform quickly. Due to the quarantine, Pastor Whitaker and Reverend Maria converted their kitchen into a makeshift recording studio and virtual pulpit for Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church. All Covenant ministries were home-based and “broadcast” to the family and cousins of Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church.
Post COVID Coming Out of Quarantine
“In Search Of a Place for Worship”
Rented library rooms for Bible studies and park pavilions for worship. The Covenant family has been resilient in its dedication to the Lord. The Young Adults met in restaurants; recording studios were rented for Praise Team rehearsals; Praise Dance rehearsals were held in the private homes of members; and other ministries reserved spaces in restaurants and public places
“Nobody told me that the road would be easy…”
God has allowed us to endure and overcome more trials in six (6) years of ministry than some congregations have faced in their entire lifetime. For those who want to know who we are, Covenant Fellowship is a family with an unwavering desire and determination to worship and praise the Lord together, no matter the odds we face.
Rooted in Faith. United by Love. Kept by God.
We are Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church!
About Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church
Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church History (Our Story)
On Sunday, August 17, 2019, Dr. William H. Whitaker, II preached for the morning worship service of the Shalom Baptist Fellowship Church. In the congregation that day were “family members” of Dr. Whitaker who requested to meet with him following the morning’s worship service. With the permission of the Shalom’s Pastor, Dr. Whitaker met in the Shalom Baptist Fellowship Hall with 17 persons who desired to begin regularly worshiping together on Sunday mornings under the name of “The Family”. The Family’s first worship service was held on Sunday, August 25, 2019 with Dr. Whitaker as their Pastor.
Pastor Whitaker’s first sermon to The Family was “The Pilgrimage of Faith” from Hebrews 11:8. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.”
The Family remained the name of our congregation until Sunday, October 6, 2020 when, under the coordination of the Hill Family (Greg, Pam, Izetta, and A. J.), The Family chose the new name of the Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church.
Our first logo was a logo found on the internet by Pastor Whitaker and was used on our church bulletins until our new church logo was designed by Assistant Pastor Maria.
Since its first day of ministry on Sunday, August 25, 2019, the Covenant Family has continuously grown both numerically and spiritually. Within its first six months of ministry, Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church grew from 17 to more than 100 members. Some of the ministry highlights for the Covenant Family during our initial months of service were.
- The consecration of the Reverend Maria Whitaker as the Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church Assistant Pastor.
- The consecration of four CFBC members into the Ministry of Elders (Elder Jacob Reed, Deaconess Regina Knight-Mason, Deacon Ricardo Henderson, and Elder Nichole Russell) which under the leadership of the CFBC Pastors serves as the governing body and legal representatives of Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church.
- The licensing of Rev. Jessica Mason into the Gospel Ministry and the subsequent appointment of Rev. Jessica as the CFBC Minister of Youth and Young Adults.
- The consecration of three ministers as Ministers of Word & Sacrament (Rev. Jessica Mason, Rev. Ordell Thompson, and Minister Shakeil Boyd).
- Recognition as a ministry within the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and the Shiloh Baptist Association.
18 ministries were created by the Lord during the first seven months of the Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church ministry:
We praise God for our journey that has brought us together under the Baptist Covenant and in the Christian Fellowship of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To God be the glory! Great things He has done!!!