Our History

Two more servicemen centers were soon opened—one at Camp Lejuene in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and the other at Mayport Naval Base in Jacksonville, Florida. The Tolstons moved to the North Carolina Center and the Woolstons to the Florida Center. Rev. Charles Robinson, the Woolston’s son-in-law, was appointed the first director of Servicemen for Christ Baptist Mission. Rev. Kent Edwards served as Executive Director from 1973 until 1984, when Dr. H. Philip Kissinger, Chaplain Colonel in the US Army, became General Director. He now serves as “Director Emeritus” and Army Sergeant Major (Retired) Doug Carragher is the Acting Director.

Missionaries Rev. and Mrs. Dave Price were added to the ranks shortly after the Mission began. Brother Price developed an effective follow-up and discipleship program for the new converts. Other ministries followed including a Christian Servicemen’s Center at Fort Meade, Maryland, at Fort Riley, Kansas, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and several others in Hawaii. Overseas military churches sprang into existence as well in England and Germany. Later, more works in the States were started at Fort Eustis and Fort Lee, Virginia, Fort Stewart, Georgia, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Knox, Kentucky. Time and expansion brought trials and hindrances to the Mission, but God’s grace has always sustained this vital ministry that has been responsible for the salvation of thousands of service members.

In 1969, the headquarters were moved to 34 South Sycamore Street in Petersburg, Virginia. “Pop” and “Mom” Woolston moved up from Florida to start a Servicemen’s Center near Petersburg at Fort Lee. The streets were teeming with soldiers from Fort Lee, and the Woolstons led hundreds of them to Christ. Virginia (“Nanny”) Cawood moved from Texas to join the Woolstons at the Petersburg Center. In time the Center in Petersburg became nonproductive, due to a lack of military foot traffic on the streets. During the summer of 1985 the building was sold and the home office moved into Temple Baptist Church in Chester, Virginia, a short distance from Fort Lee. The church was pastored by Dr. Walter Coles, then the Chairman of the Executive Board. The ministry continues at Fort Lee under the direction of John Kreynus. At that time the mission’s name was changed to Armed Forces Baptist Missions, Inc.

An extensive printing ministry was established at the Petersburg location and was operated for many years by Bill and Linda Roberts. After the sale of the Petersburg building, this ministry was housed in Grace Baptist Church in Petersburg. In 1989, Rev. Delbert McGuire came to the States from Germany to take over the printing ministry. Brother Roberts had become very ill and needed to be relieved of this responsibility. Brother McGuire established it as a small business in Colonial Heights, Virginia under the name of “Mac’s Printshop.” In 1991 the printing ministry was discontinued and the equipment sold. All printing is now outsourced with many relationships formed to fulfill our printing needs.

The year 1992 brought some more changes. Dr. Coles resigned the pastorate of Temple Baptist Church and moved to Good News Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia which is where the Executive Board then voted to move the home office. The emphasis is, as it has always been, for our military ministries to work with and through fundamental, independent, local New Testament Baptist churches. Each of the missionaries’ and the staff’s desire is to honor the Word of God by purity, separation, and dedication. The Lord promised in I Samuel 2:30, “them that honor me I will honor.”

God’s grace continues to sustain this vital ministry to those in uniform as we seek to accomplish our mission of worldwide military evangelism. In the 1990’s God allowed us to expand our evangelistic outreach to the military forces in Romania, Russia, and other eastern European nations. Works have also been established in four African nations as well as India and Korea while the Lord continues to open doors into several other nations to labor among both American and foreign troops. Please pray that the Lord of the harvest will raise up laborers to enter these open doors as we minister to those in uniform in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.