Church History Overview
NEW LIFE BAPTIST CHURCH
New Life Baptist Church (NLBC) was established in 1975 when there were only 584 Black people in all of Thurston County. We are the oldest and largest predominately Black congregation in Southwest Washington. Our current Senior Pastor is Bishop Lorenzo N. Peterson. He is the 6th Pastor in the history of New Life and celebrated his 1st Anniversary in February of 2020. New Life is affiliated with the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the General Baptist Convention of the Northwest.
The Church began in Olympia with its first service held in the Friendship Hall of the Olympia YWCA and has existed in Lacey at its current location for 21 years, having held worship services in several locations in the area as this current facility was being constructed. A number of vital ministries and programs serve our women, men, youth, and community. Many events took place in those earlier days that brought prosperity and allowed for the growth and continuation of New Life to what it is today. A great number of people have made significant and valuable contributions and become etched into the rich history of this church.
Our vision for the future is that New Life Baptist Church is a recognized religious institution that is spreading the gospel, while building and developing a God First-Centered Church. We strive to create an environment of excellence that is conducive to love, accountability, transparency, knowing our God, and doing exploits that make a lasting impact upon our community, region, and nation. We make declarations daily that "God is Able" and adhere to our core values that guide us.
We have always been a multiracial church and will certainly continue to be in the future as we increase our visibility in the community. Projected population forecasts for the year 2025, when New Life will celebrate its 50th Anniversary, is for Thurston County to be home to more than 15,000 Blacks and many more bi-racial and multi-racial people seeking the kind of rich cultural religious experiences provided by churches such as ours. A more complete history of the Church can be found here.
We welcome All who seek to worship and fellowship with us at the New Life Baptist Church.
The Church began in Olympia with its first service held in the Friendship Hall of the Olympia YWCA and has existed in Lacey at its current location for 21 years, having held worship services in several locations in the area as this current facility was being constructed. A number of vital ministries and programs serve our women, men, youth, and community. Many events took place in those earlier days that brought prosperity and allowed for the growth and continuation of New Life to what it is today. A great number of people have made significant and valuable contributions and become etched into the rich history of this church.
Our vision for the future is that New Life Baptist Church is a recognized religious institution that is spreading the gospel, while building and developing a God First-Centered Church. We strive to create an environment of excellence that is conducive to love, accountability, transparency, knowing our God, and doing exploits that make a lasting impact upon our community, region, and nation. We make declarations daily that "God is Able" and adhere to our core values that guide us.
We have always been a multiracial church and will certainly continue to be in the future as we increase our visibility in the community. Projected population forecasts for the year 2025, when New Life will celebrate its 50th Anniversary, is for Thurston County to be home to more than 15,000 Blacks and many more bi-racial and multi-racial people seeking the kind of rich cultural religious experiences provided by churches such as ours. A more complete history of the Church can be found here.
We welcome All who seek to worship and fellowship with us at the New Life Baptist Church.
Be a part of our story...
Join us every Sunday as we gather to worship together at 10 am.