Beulah Baptist Church in Kents Store, Virginia was organized in 1860 and has served God and the community ever since.
Beulah’s first commitment has remained in seeking Godly leadership and Bible-preaching pastors. Dr. Charles R. Dickinson, the first of such leaders, was called in October 1860 and served until his death in August 1880. Beulah’s current pastor, Jason Taylor, began his ministry in October 2006. Pastor Jason and his wife Sandi have two sons, Garrett and Jackson.
In the community, Beulah strives to be the salt and the light, offering direction and hope in accordance with God’s word. Practically, this ranges from offering free Vacation Bible School to organizing seasonal festivals and events. Throughout the year, multiple Bible studies and Sunday school classes provide in-depth exploration of the Word, and Beulah participates in various Christian conferences.
Outside the Beulah campus, Beulah members participate in many local and international mission opportunities. Locally, members collect food for our local food pantries, donating school supplies for our teachers, providing an annual breakfast/lunch for our teachers and our local Sheriff’s office, participates in Carpenters for Christ work trips to serve other churches, provides items for the Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox campaign, and for Christmas backpacks, and contributes to the local pregnancy center.
Although Beulah’s first mission is in Kents Store, many members have gone out across the country and the world to serve and witness. Beulah was blessed to ordain two of its members in the Gospel Ministry; Charles H. Snead, Jr. was ordained in March 1980, and John Maus in July 1991. In 1993, Beulah had the joy of commissioning and sending forth Pastor David Crane for foreign mission service to Kenya to provide medical services and share the Gospel.
During Pastor Jason’s tenure, he has traveled to Bangladesh, led a group of Beulah members to Buenos Aires, and Puerto Rico, and in partnership with other churches, leads summer mission trips to Barcelona to witness to North African Muslims.
Beulah members have also shared the love of Jesus Christ through mission opportunities through the SBC of Virginia (SBCV), and the International Mission Board (IMB). Members have traveled to Alaska, Brazil, and South Africa. Beulah’s youth are active as well, as they participate in Mfuge camps for a week every summer to provide help with home improvement projects for the needy and elderly in underserved areas in the eastern United States.
The ability of Beulah Baptist Church to persevere for 165 years is only by God’s grace. Our forefathers faced many obstacles, such as the Spanish Flu outbreak in the early 1900s. More recently, from early 2020 into 2021, over 200 million people worldwide became sick and over 4 million died as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Strict Government mandates were imposed and all public gatherings, including schools and church services, were canceled for months. Mask mandates were enforced when out in public and social distancing became the new way of life. In March 2020, Beulah canceled all services but was allowed to resume church services again in May 2020 with strict social distancing measures in place. By the end of 2020, a vaccine was introduced and other public activities and gatherings were allowed to resume. While many of Beulah’s members became ill, it was by God’s grace that all recovered, however, the COVID-19 virus continues to be a serious health threat worldwide.
Beulah Baptist Church has experienced much joy, service, and growth throughout the years. Many hours have been spent studying God’s Word together and worshipping in the close bond of Christian love. And it is with total faith and joy that Beulah church continues its mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.