Our Story

Oakland Heights Baptist Church’s journey began in 1957 in the heart of Longview, Texas. Tasked with the mission of reaching a north Longview population, First Baptist Church of Longview planted a mission at the corner of Eden Drive and Judson Road which we now know as OHBC.

For years, Oakland Heights grew through times of celebration and challenge. These formative decades were marked by new facilities, spiritual growth and the development of a strong leadership base.

The latter part of the twentieth century saw some of the greatest days in OHBC’s history. Attendance and baptisms were at an all-time high which sparked growth across Judson Road with the acquisition of property and the construction of a new Family Life Center. The mission was clear and the people were focused. We caught the “glow.”

However, the last 20 years have seen a gradual decline in the life of this once vibrant church. Facilities have aged and the membership has aged as well. This shift becomes overwhelmingly clear in discovering the OHBC family has only seen 26 souls baptized since 2014, with a low of three in 2015. Although OHBC’s heart for foreign and local missions has remained strong, recent years have resulted in the loss of a clear mission and a vibrant vision.

Today, Oakland Heights Baptist Church seeks to follow God’s leadership in writing the next chapter of its story. God has sparked a desire in this church to lead people to Christ, to guide them to God’s incredible grace and to faithfully serve our community. OHBC is trusting that God will answer its prayer to become a growing, healthy, multi-generational body of believers that will share Christ’s redemptive purpose with the world.