About Our Church

On February 25, 1942, Rev. Fountain Penick and twenty-eight others formed
Peoples Institutional Baptist Church. Worship was originally held in an apartment
house and cottage on 21st Ave. The present edifice was purchase in 1946.
Renovation and addition to the structure were undertaken in 1962 and completed
in July, 1963. Rev. Penick retired from active pastorate in July, 1965. Following
retirement, he and his wife Mrs. Vivienne Penick moved to the Judson Park
Retirement Residence in Zenith WA. He passed on March 17, 1970.

Pastor Edgar W. Bratton of Sioux City Iowa was extended the call to become the
next Pastor on January 26, 1966 and assumed leadership on April 1, 1966. He led
the congregation in liquidating all indebtedness, making major improvements, such
as purchasing two pieces of property on which an education unit including seven
classrooms, kitchen, church office, four bathrooms, and a parking lot were added.
He served for 32 years until he retired on April 4, 1998. He and his wife, Mrs.
Trecena Bratton moved to Clovis, CA to be close to family. Rev. Bratton died
September 26, 1998.

On July 12, 1999, the congregation extended the call to Rev. Amos Landry Jr.
from Beaumont, TX to become the third pastor in the church’s fifty-seven year
history. During his pastorate, he developed, organized, enhanced and reinstated
numerous programs. Among them was Deacons’ training classes, new membership
orientation classes, noon day Bible study, church leadership classes, youth
ministry, youth mime group, and the Street Fair Community Event. Pastor Landry
retired in 2010 and he and his wife Mrs. Diann Landry relocated to Dallas, TX.
Rev. Landry died July 23, 2012.

Our current Pastor, Rev. George I Davenport Jr. was extended the call to serve as
the fourth Pastor of Peoples Institutional Baptist Church, on November 9, 2011. On
January 9, 2012. he was installed as the church's new pastor. A man of vision, he
has led us through this pandemic with virtual services since March 2020,
incorporating all aspects of our pre-pandemic program including, Morning
Worship, Sunday School, Weekly Prayer, Weekly Bible Study, Workshops,
Ministry Anniversaries, New Years Eve Watch Night service and Holiday
Observances. We are grateful that God sent us Rev. Davenport and his wife Mrs.
Beverly Davenport, to carry on the legacy we have established in the past seventy-
eight years.