About Us
"There has got to be a church where folks that have just been released from jail can find acceptance and be given the opportunity to grow in their new-found faith in Jesus Christ." These were the words of Pastor Lewis Holmes, who had for eight years served as the chaplain in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center with The Good News Jail and Prison Ministry.
Sad as it may seem, time and time again, former inmates would report that they did not feel comfortable in most of the churches that they visited with their families, and so it was the vision of Pastor Holmes that there be a place provided for these families to gather for worship.
Dr. Gene Danmiller, a psychiatrist that Pastor Holmes worked with in the Detention Center, made his office in Oakton available for worship. And so, on July 1, 1983, the first worship service of Oakton Baptist Church was held in Dr. Danmiller's office. There were three families in attendance that Sunday morning.
As attendance grew, a larger meeting place was needed, and so Oakton Elementary School became the next meeting place. The year was 1984. The church was constituted, and on October 29, 1984, was accepted into The Mount Vernon Baptist Association of the Southern Baptist Convention.
God blessed the efforts of this small group of believers as additional folks joined the group and enlarged the camp. One of the members, George Macon, donated a two acre tract of land on Hunter Mill Road for the building of a church; however, after review of the plans for a church building and at one of the meetings by the County Board of Supervisors, it was disclosed that there was a "grandfather" clause in the deed to Mr. Macon from the previous owner (Mr. and Mrs. Rice) which stipulated that the property would be used strictly for residential development.
And so the church voted to offer the property for sale and in fact it was sold on February 10, 1986, to Realty Diversified Services at a cost of $33,000.00, with final payment being made on September 4, 1992.
The church continued to meet in the elementary school in Oakton, and at a prayer meeting those in attendance prayed and asked the Lord to provide a church building, an awesome and unusual request. Praise His Name, God responded favorably to that request.
Trustees of Chantilly Baptist Temple, an independent Baptist Church, were being forced to sell their property because membership had dropped and they were unable to meet their financial obligations. When Pastor Holmes learned of the availability of this property, he presented a motion to the membership of Oakton Baptist Church that an offer to purchase be made. Fifty thousand dollars was the offered price and, to the surprise of some, it was accepted. A loan was procured through The George Mason Bank for the entire $50,000 and on Easter Sunday, 1985, the congregation of Oakton Baptist Church met for the first time in their new location -- 14001 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Chantilly, Virginia 20151. The settlement was not made on the property, however, until the following month (June, 1985). The loan was satisfied and we celebrated the "burning of the note" on April 30, 1989, leaving the church debt free.
The church has stood as a "lighthouse" to passersby on Route 50 in Chantilly for many years. It has survived the mammoth road construction in the widening of Route 50 in front of the property, as well as a tornado that touched down on the property in June, 1991.
Our prayer is that we will continue to shine for Jesus and be that beacon of light that is so desperately needed in this darkened world. With God's help, He will have a witness on this corner for many years to come.