Shiloh Baptist Church
Today’s article will be highlighting the history of Shiloh Baptist Church. According to the Trenton Historical Society, Shiloh Baptist Church is the city’s oldest African American Baptist congregation. Founded in 1880, Shiloh would not be incorporated until 1897 according to their website.
Shiloh Baptist has had only three pastors since 1904, the first being the late Reverend Dr. John A. White. Under Rev. Dr. White’s supervision, land on Belvidere and Calhoun Streets was purchased and construction began on a new church building in 1917. In the spring of 1918, the church would open its doors for which the Reverend served 42 years.
Rev. Dr. White would also make history as the first president of Trenton’s NAACP branch and by being appointed to a special commission to study the progress of African Americans 50 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. After his recommendation of Reverend S. Howard Woodson, Jr. was accepted, and Rev. Dr. White would resign.
Rev. Woodson took over and served for 53 years from 1946 to 1999. At the beginning of his tenure, the congregation had about 218 members. Under his tutelage, the number rose to over 1,000. With a rise in membership, a new edifice was completed in 1972. The new edition was estimated at more than 1.2 million dollars, making it one of the largest and most expensive capital-building projects of any black church throughout the State.
In addition to his pastoral duties, Rev. Woodson also served as an elected official. He was elected the first speaker of the NJ State Legislature in the 1970s, served in the administrations of several New Jersey Governors, and was the first Commissioner of the Department of Personnel (the Department of Labor and Workforce Development). Rev. Woodson also trained dozens of seminarians and future pastors, including his predecessor, Darrell L. Armstrong.
Reverend Darrell L. Armstrong took over in January 2000 after being elected with a 95% majority vote. Under Rev. Armstrong’s leadership, church resources and membership continued to expand.
Rev. Armstrong has increased environmental awareness by launching a solar panel project, launched the Urban Campus Initiative which sought to purchase, redevelop and renovate abandoned and blighted properties within a quarter-mile radius of the church. This initiative became Vision 2020, another revitalization endeavor. The project is estimated to raise up to $50 million in urban investments.