Maranatha Baptist Church, with Pastor Leonard Routh, was founded in 1966. The first church building was the old skating rink on Courthouse Road in Princeton, until 1969. Property was then purchased on Highland Ave. to serve as a church building. Rev. Terry McKinzie from Germantown, Ohio, was the next pastor until the end of 1972.
Pastor, Wallace Smith, answered the call to Maranatha in June, 1973. In 1979, property was purchased on the Oakvale Road for a future site for the church. Construction at the new site began in January of 1980.
In 1980, the church was relocated to our present location on Oakvale Road. God has enabled us to purchase over nine acres of land, to build comfortable and adequate facilities to house our various ministries, and to provide for future expansion.
**info here about new building addition and Pastor Mills start date**
Our Bible of choice is the 1611 King James version. We, without apology, stand upon it as the inspired, infallible, preserved Word of God. Our doctrinal emphasis is: “the book, the blood, and the blessed hope”. Christ is to be central in all of our teaching and preaching.
We believe in holy, separate living. We, at Maranatha Baptist Church, are missionary minded and we support a large number of missionaries serving in many places of the world.
Maranatha has ministries for all ages. Joy Fellowship ministers to seniors, providing times of fellowship, outings, and gathering around the Word of God. Our Master Clubs youth ministry works with youth from age 3 through 6th grade and our Wednesday night Teen Group for 7th through 12th grade. The Master Clubs ministry is held from September through May and provides spiritual instruction, as well as times of fun, fellowship, and service. Additional youth programs are available to meet the needs of our children. A new Next Step class available is for young adults aging from 18-24.
In 1980, Maranatha, under the leading of the Holy Spirit of God, opened a Christian school. This school was not opened to compete with public education, but was started to give parents an option in providing an education for their children that is based on Godly principles and taught from a Christian perspective. God has blessed this endeavor and many lives have been changed because the Lord Jesus Christ has been honored and given the glory that is due Him.
Today, Mercer Christian Academy is sponsored by both Maranatha Baptist Church and Johnston Chapel Baptist Church. The school offers a quality education from a Christian perspective that dates back to the time when schools were held in the church buildings of the local communities. It is a school where God is not only allowed in, but is a part of the curriculum.