Abington Baptist Church was formed by the merger of Tioga Baptist Church of Philadelphia and Jenkintown Baptist Church of Jenkintown, PA on May 26, 1961. In the summer of 1959, Temple University informed Tioga Baptist Church of their plans to construct a medical research center and offered to buy the church property. After consulting the greater Philadelphia Council of Churches (PCC), Tioga was advised to relocate in Abington Township, “a fast growing area that was under-churched.”
At about the same time, Jenkintown Baptist had realized that its possibilities for growth were limited severely in a borough that could not expand geographically and was over-churched. They too were advised by the PCC to locate in Abington. The Tioga people were approached, and soon both churches concluded that a consolidation would be the wisest course. This action was taken by Tioga on April 20, 1960, and by Jenkintown on May 5, 1960. Their first official service as Abington Baptist Church was held at Jenkintown, June 11, 1961.
On November 20, 1960, a groundbreaking ceremony took place on the newly purchased property at 1501 Huntingdon Road, and work on the new church was soon started. Articles of consolidation were approved by the court on May 26, 1961. The cornerstone was laid on Sunday, June 17, 1962. On March 24, 1963, the congregation saw its dream realized with the building ready for occupancy and their dedicatory service of the new space.
Since its founding, nearly 55 years ago, the congregation of Abington Baptist has met regularly for worship and to address the missional and ministerial needs of the community and beyond. In 1978 the Legacy Funds were organized for the support of local and foreign missions, capital improvements, and youth work. To this day, the congregation supports dozens of local, national, and international missions, missionaries, and organizations. We are always endeavoring to follow God’s call to serve others and have recently engaged in new outreach programs and partnerships.
At this time, our facilities are utilized not only by our congregation, but also the congregation of the Pennsylvania Kachin Baptist Church. Additionally, we are home to the Happy R’ We Preschool, the Abington Community Children’s Choir (AC3), Girl Scouts/ Brownie Troop, and we provide space for the Montgomery County Services Coordinator for Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, and the Christian Coalition for Outreach ministry at Penn State Abington.
The congregation of Abington Baptist has been served by a diverse and faithful group of Pastors over the course of many decades, and is, itself a faithful diverse group. Our numbers of actively engaged members may have dwindled over the years, but our faithful commitment to God’s word and work has not faltered. We go forward as disciples of Christ, with God’s grace and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as we faithfully endeavor to discern our future ministries and missions.
What We Believe
As Baptists, we believe that: Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, in Believer's (adult) Baptism, in the freedom to have personal and direct relationship with God.
As a Congregation we:
• Strive to walk in the way of Christ and follow His example
• Seek to live together in Christian love, sharing one another's joys and burdens
• Share the Gospel with others in our family, community, and our world.
• Endeavor to live as disciples of Christ
