Our Story

Concord Baptist Church stands on the shoulders of some wonderful men and women who have contributed to dynamic history of this great church. Many have been called home to be with the Lord, others have moved on and many faithful have remained. We are forever grateful to those the Lord has sent our way for the cause of Christ as Concord continues to shine as a beacon of hope in this community.

Concord Baptist Church was birthed from the Trinity A.M.E. Church. As an extension of this great church, Concord officially opened its doors to Christian Service and Worship at the Campbellton Road YMCA in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 1978. The Church’s Charter was received under the leadership of Rev. Noel L. Erskine as Concord Community Church.

Concord came into being with 23 members who expressed the hope that the church would provide a context for Christian commit and development. The membership early on adopted the following statement of purpose.

“The purpose of Concord Community Church shall be to build a community in which we, who are called together by Jesus Christ, practice love for each other and live out this love in the world.  Providing for Biblical and Spiritual growth, service, stewardship, outreach, and systematic and regular study of the Holy Scriptures.”

In October 1979, the Church purchased a 2-1/2-acre lot at the corner of Boulder Park and Brownlee Roads for the building of a new church home. Shortly after purchasing the land, MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) expressed an interest in acquiring the church’s lot. The City of Atlanta refused to grant a zoning permit for over two years. Through the prayers of faithful believers in the Word of God and many meetings at City Hall, our lot was zoned and an agreement was reached between Concord and MARTA — permitting Concord to locate its parking lot on a section of the land the church would purchase and to share an outer portion with MARTA in years to come. We moved into our new church in November 1985.  In December 1987, Rev. Erskine resigned for personal reasons. Throughout 1987, Concord had several Interim Pastors occupy the pulpit.  

Through much prayer and meditation, on September 14, 1992, Rev. Leroy G. Doe was voted to become Concord’s spiritual leader.  He came to us full of zest and enthusiasm and he served faithfully for 28 years.

Reflecting on Pastor Doe’s years as our Under Shepherd, there were and still are many beneficial and fruitful accomplishments for Concord Baptist Church.  Numerous improvements on the church edifice were made and many of the improvements to the structure of the church are still evident today.

Under Pastor Doe’s leadership, we truly sought to be an active force for God in proclaiming His Good News and reclaiming lost souls. In July of 2021, the Lord in His divine sovereignty called Pastor Doe home to Glory. 

We entered a new chapter in our church history under the Pastoral leadership of Pastor John G. Byrdsell.  On February 18, 2021, Pastor Byrdsell was called to serve as Pastor of Concord Missionary Baptist Church. The first sermon he preached as Pastor was entitled “A Freedom that Last.” He was later installed as the Pastor of Concord Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday, October 24, 2021.  

As you can see, ours is a glorious history of faith in action. Concord Missionary Baptist Church is more than a building. It is rich in history and tradition, that those who enter our doors will gain knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and know that they have been in the presence of God and will exit to serve by sharing the good news: JESUS IS ALIVE.

                                                                                                     Amen.