OUR BEGINNINGS

Our beginnings trace back to 1881 when a small mission Sunday School was formed on the corner of Crawford Avenue and Telfair Street. Starting with 11 members, Crawford Avenue grew steadily. In 1970, the church reached a peak membership of nearly 3,000 members, making it one of the largest churches in Augusta. Through periods of difficulty and periods of rapid growth, CABC has always sought to make an impact for the gospel and has planted three new churches over the course of their history.

OUR MERGER

Over the course of the last four decades, CABC experienced slow decline. By the fall of 2014, CABC averaged 25-30 people in attendance. As numbers dwindled, facilities that were once brimming with people now sat mostly unused. During that season, Crawford Avenue began exploring options to sustain the once thriving congregation. 

In the summer of 2014, a church known as Berea Baptist Church in Evans, GA began to look for a new gathering space. Berea was growing exponentially, and their meeting space was pushed to its limits. With no property and only a leased space to worship, Berea began exploring options for larger facilities. 

Each church experienced challenges with seemingly few solutions, but it was all by God's design.

After a season of initial discussions and getting to know one another, both churches voted in favor of merging together on August 30, 2015. As outlined in the merger document, Berea Baptist Church relinquished her name and became Crawford Avenue Baptist Church. In turn, Crawford Avenue relinquished her constitution, confession, and culture to the larger congregation that was once known as Berea.

OUR MISSION

As a unified church, Crawford Avenue’s mission is to glorify God by making disciples who enjoy, live, and proclaim the Gospel. Since the merger, this mission has compelled us to take several steps. We’ve renovated our gathering space, nursery, offices, and bathrooms, completing “phase-one” of facility renovations and bringing these areas up to date. We’ve hired new staff members and started several new ministries within the church and the larger community. And what excites us the most is that we’ve seen lives changed as people have come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!

We look forward to many more years of worshipping together and seeking to make an impact in our neighborhood, city, and world. There's work to be done, and by God's grace, we hope to make an impact for the kingdom as we navigate the challenges ahead of us. We’d love for you to be a part of this exciting season in the life of our church!