In 1974, Brother Gary Prisk was sent, along with his wife Cheryl, by the Bible Baptist Church in Sacramento, California to plant a church on Whidbey Island. Bible Baptist Church began as a mission work on August 18, 1974, meeting in a rented recreation hall in the town of Coupeville (6 miles from its present location). Sixteen people attended the first Sunday morning meeting.
The Church was formally organized as an independent Baptist church in March of 1975, with 21 charter members and Brother Gary S. Prisk as its pastor.
By August 1978, property had been secured along State Highway 20, three miles south of Oak Harbor, and a building was dedicated on the Church’s fourth anniversary. Attendance was then averaging between 90 and 100.
A second building was commenced early in 1979. At this time the concern of the congregation for the education of their children prompted the establishment of an educational ministry that would provide for the life training of children from pre-school through high school.
As attendance approached the 200 mark and new ministries were requiring added facilities, a third building project was begun in 1987 and completed in 1991. In 1993, and again in 1997, mobile office facilities were added to house the Church’s literature ministries. In 1999, a project to widen the auditorium was completed.
All building construction has been accomplished through special offerings from the members and chiefly by the labors of the men of the congregation — a method God has richly blessed.
In August 1994, Bible Baptist Church celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a two week Revival and Homecoming tent meeting. Pastor and Mrs. Prisk were honored for their faithfulness to God with a trip to England.
The 25th Anniversary of the Church was celebrated in 1999 with a week of special meetings.
The 30th Anniversary was celebrated with a tent revival and homecoming meeting in July 2004.
On March 12, 2006, Brother Jeremiah Sargent was ordained and became the “senior” pastor of the Church. After over 31 years of faithful ministry in that capacity, Pastor Prisk entered into a brief ministry of helps to other churches and pastors in the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern Canada region before his unexpected homegoing.
On April 12, 2009, Pastor Jeremiah Sargent concluded an eight year ministry to the Church — moving on to Lubbock, Texas where he had accepted a call to be “senior” pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church there. At the same time, Pastor Robert Sargent moved seamlessly to the “senior” pastor role.
On May 6, 2012, the Church ordained Tim Geist to the office of pastor, to serve with senior pastor Robert Sargent.
The 40th Anniversary of the Church was celebrated with a week of preaching as well as other events throughout the year in 2014.
By the grace of God, Bible Baptist Church remains “Committed to the Next Generation” until Jesus comes.
