By Charles Moseley
“For the invisible things of him from the ‘creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead: so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
December 24, 1989 marked a “new creation” for the first congregants of New Creation Baptist Church of Christ, as they gathered in prayer at the home of Deacon Norbert C. Williams and wife Juanita.
Deacon Robert Holmes recalled some of the underlying motivation and behind the scene developments which proceeded the formation of the church.
“New Creation Baptist Church of Christ was founded 30 years ago when 25 members became fed up with the constant bickering and turmoil in their current place of worship. The founding members had one purpose in mind, “create a place of worship where the Holy Bible is the by-laws and constitution instead of man made by laws and constitution. A place of worship filled with joy, love and the genuine concern for all members regardless to whom the member was related or how long the person had been a member,” stated Deacon Holmes.
Fast forward 30 years and the church continues operating on the same precepts on which it was founded, according to founding member Deacon Robert Holmes.
“New Creation Baptist Church of Christ was born from an idea that stemmed from a conversation between Deacon Turman “Champ” Grooms and Mother Emily Judson. After discussing the idea with Reverend Otis L. Sample, Jr. and a few others, a meeting was held at the home of Deacon Robert Holmes to discuss organizational techniques and possibilities for a place of worship. A few days later, a second meeting was held at Reverend Sample’s home. The meetings provided evidence that interest in the idea was growing and a larger meeting place was needed to accommodate those interested in this new birth. Deacon Norbert C. Williams graciously agreed to host the meeting at Crystal Lake Middle School Auditorium.”
“The name, New Creation Baptist Church of Christ, is the result of merging visions given to Deacon Grooms and Reverend Sample together,” added Deacon Holmes.
Other historic moments at the church include December 20, 1989 New Creation Baptist Church of Christ officially organized at Bethel A.M.E. Multiple Purpose Building, headed by the late Reverend N. E. Grubs, President of Florida East Coast Ministers & Deacons Union, Northern Division; naming of officers: Otis L. Sample-Pastor, Bettye Judson-Church Clerk, and Turman Grooms, Sr., Robert Holmes & Norbert C. Williams -Deacons.
Reverend Sample continued to lead the church until his passing on August 11, 2001. For the next nine years Reverend Michael Scott undertook the reigns at New Creation beginning in May of 2002.
According to Deacon Holmes the church experienced some “peaks and valleys” with Reverend Curry having to deal with replacing “a legend” in the late Reverend Sample.
Pastor Curry completed the training of Anthony DeShazer for the Deacon’s Ministry, and he also selected and trained Alfred Johnson for the Deacon’s Ministry before the close of his tenure on the Fifth Sunday in May, 2011.
June 1, 2011 marked a new era with the naming of Columbus, Ohio native Reverend Raymond Curry as the third pastor to undertake the helm at New Creation. Under his leadership the church has seen considerable growth, not withstanding some challenges it has faced during modernization.
Reverend Curry’s pastoring career before taking up the mantle at New Creation included Greater Bethany Missionary Baptist Church in Ft. Lauderdale which merged with New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Ft. Lauderdale. These subsequently merged with New Creation in Deerfield Beach.
In December, 2014, the City of Deerfield Beach cited the church for inadequate parking, electrical panels that needed upgrading, and bathrooms that required upgrading to meet ADA requirements. Once the necessary funds were appropriated and plans were approved by the City of Deerfield Beach, it paved the way for the demolition of the old edifice located at 4011 North Dixie Highway, making room for additional parking and improvements to its landscaping.
Reverend Curry recently agreed to share his thoughts regarding the plans and role of the church in the community as well as his vision for the church moving forward.
Q.) Westside Gazette- What is currently scheduled regarding upgrading the church facility?
Reverend Curry- “My “Vision for the Church” is to create a Multi-cultural center of worship. But, before we can get there New Creation must become a “Community Church”. There are many families in our community that we have not reached. The scriptures teach us that we are to go out in to the by-ways and compel them to come. Therefore, we as a Church, must reach for this community foremost. There is an apartment complex and more than a few thousand homes in our area. The plan is to reach them all for the kingdom of God.”
“This is my personal thought: “New Creation can only be as great as its community”. As we maneuver our way through this process of refashioning the church, it affords us an opportunity to step back and review the things that caused us to flourish and the opportunities that did not work out so well. The vision remains the same in foundation. We do realize that neighborhoods shift, and we must make that shift along with them, and having our Church Mantra, “Keep Jesus Christ Central”, always before us.”
Q.) Westside Gazette- What is in store for improvements at the church facility?
Rev. Curry– “After being here for 8 years, the vision that I have for this church is starting to happen. I know that 8 years is a long time for vision to happen, but there has been some travail along the way. There were changes that took time and money. We had time but little money. The facility needed up dating. The updating of the complex is needed because we need to modernize. I think, overall, the building is fine. When people walk into a place of worship, they want to feel welcome. I believe that the changes that are coming will go a long way in causing those who come to worship with us feel the warmth that this church possesses.”
“It starts with the parking. This is the launching point. This is where so much begins. When you first pull up to any place you have what is called curb appeal. It is a strange thing to say, but we need “curb appeal”. New Creation is a place where we have so much going for us. We are working toward a place where we look beautiful on the outside as well as we do on the inside. I also think that God’s house ought to look inviting. God’s house ought to look the best possible. So, we are working toward a “beautification” of the entire worship center. We are likewise updating air-conditioning, restroom facilities and the education wing.”
Q.) Westside Gazette- What do you feel is the role of the church in the community?
Rev. Curry-“For the 8 years that I have been here, we have started several projects to reach out into our community. The needs of the community are constantly changing. We want to be a church that can meet some of those changing tides. People are broken in more ways than one. Brokenness can be healed. This church’s desire is to aide this community in the healing of those wounds. Our goal is to meet those changing needs by healing of the soul first and foremost. Many families have lost that connection that they’re forefathers had with God. Therefore, New Creation is seeking to give that foundation that so many families need. The missing entity in the life of many is that relationship of deep meaning and impact that give them a course of action or a formula for life. In our history the church has always played a role in the community decision making process. The hope of our church is to once again play an important part in community affairs.”
Q.) Westside Gazette-Moving forward, what can we expect to see happening with New Creation?
Rev. Curry-“Moving forward, there is much that New Creation can do. Many Churches offer “VPK”. We hope that in our near future we can offer programs to those who are coming out of hopeless situations of little education get a GED and a push toward college. We hope to connect with a school in our area to begin an “After School Program” that will give support to children that need help with cognitive thinking. We want to encourage our children to be bold in their thinking. We offer in our “Children’s Church”, bible-based learning, but we also want to encourage them to be greater. Les Brown worked in a barber shop where I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. Les Brown once said, “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears”. At New Creation, we want to help our community overcome our fears and live our dreams.’’
“This is new to us. I have discovered that this church likes “The new”. Starting fresh or starting something new often leads to feelings of fear and self-doubt. I do not want to see our children or our community fear new beginnings. Starting something new brings new opportunities that can be empowering. We do not have to dread beginnings. Part of what makes starting something new is intimidating. This new start for us is surrounded by uncertainty. But we have faith that God is working on our behalf. Our goal is to create an atmosphere of life and opportunity for this community.”
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