Third Baptist Church

Although Third Baptist Church had been the functional name since 1855, the name was changed in 1908 to reflect its emergence as the third communion of Baptists founded in the city and its desire to be an inclusive church without racial designations. Also, the church was the first Black Baptist congregation established west of the Rocky Mountains. B... etween 1852-1856, there was no pastor. Supply ministers, mostly white, conducted services in the homes of members. This arrangement changed in 1856 with the arrival of the first African-American Pastor, Rev. Charles Satchell of Cincinnati: a graduate of Oberlin College and a leader of the Abolitionist Movement (A total of 17 African-Americans have pastored Third Baptist). Although Rev. Satchell pastored the church for only several years, he brought to San Francisco a history of social-political activism and the church began a period of decided growth. To enhance its visibility and viability as a church, Satchell conducted a public baptism at the foot of Stockton Street in the Bay for a few new members. He was able to strike a balance between social activism and personal piety. Following Rev. Satchell's pastorate, there was a period of frequent changes in leadership and also years when there was no pastor. Based upon sporadically kept records, there was a succession of ministers serving the Third Baptist congregation for the first eighty. Nonetheless, amidst the frequent changes of leadership, Third Baptist maintained the singular Black Baptist presence in San Francisco until the early 1940's.Read More