From Humble Beginnings
 From Humble Beginnings

Our History

In the year 1910, when a group of ministers and ministers’ wives, missionaries and deacons felt the need for a fellowship for believers of like faith and practice, that would strengthen the course in which they were involved, a meeting was scheduled and the Eastern Baptist Association was established. 

Among the churches represented in that founding group were Mt. Olive Tabernacle BC, Mt. Carmel BC, White Rock BC, Grace BC of Germantown, Nazarene BC, Corinthian BC of Germantown, Bethany BC of Chester, First BC of Darby, North Penn BC, Holy Trinity BC, Tasker Street Missionary BC, and the Galilee BC.

Pastors who helped during that period to guide the work of the Association included the following: Rev. Napper H. Hester, Rev. Robert W. Golf, Rev. P.H. Hughes, Rev. W.H. Hopkins, Rev. Fletcher Williams, Rev. John H. Duvelle, Rev. C.W. Gregory, Rev. Morton Winston Graham, Rev. G.L. Davis, and Rev. W.H. Watkins. A women’s auxiliary was later established, followed by a youth division. Sisters Susie Johnson and Elvira Preston were among the lay-women who made their contributions to the cause, and much later a laymen's division was introduced. 

In 1922, a group of churches withdrew from the Eastern Baptist Association and organized the Pennsylvania Baptist Association and the name of the original organization was changed to the Eastern Keystone Baptist Association. The two associations separately made many worthwhile contributions to the cause of missions, evangelism and Christian education until they determined that together more work could be done and the Pennsylvania Eastern Keystone Association (PEKBA) was established.

PEKBA is currently recognized as one of the leading Baptist organizations within the Philadelphia region, established for the expressed purpose of developing effective and efficient ministries within Baptist churches.