Our History

Part I: 1952-1997

Since 1952, Community Baptist Church has had only two men fill the pulpit as pastor.

R.G. ‘Jerry’ Osborne was born in 1928 in Buena Park. During a Wednesday night service on April 17, 1946, in a little country church in Corona, California, Jerry was led to Christ by Reverend Art Walters.

In 1950, a young Christian girl by the name of Wanda Ester and a friend started a children’s Bible class in a home in Norwalk. On Sundays, Jerry would pack these Norwalk kids and parents into his 1937 Ford to attend services at the Bible Church of Buena Park. During his last year of college, Jerry Osborne and Wanda Ester were married. Many years later, Jerry wrote, ‘It is therefore understandable how that after my training, my heart was drawn to Norwalk. Other fields were considered, but always God drew my heart back to Norwalk’.

Two dear widows (Mable McDowell and Maude Huling) loaned Jerry and Wanda $1,500 to purchase and move an old school house onto a parcel of land amongst the cabbage patches of southeast Norwalk. Jerry and Wanda named their fledgling flock Community Bible Church and on that first Sunday, June 29, 1952, Jerry and Wanda opened the doors of a church that have remained open ever since. That original building is still located on the church property just outside the east doors of the current sanctuary.

Additional property was purchased, and several new building were constructed, including a new sanctuary and fellowship hall. The church went through a name change and became Baptist Community Bible Church in the 1970s. In November 1997, Pastor Osborne was unexpectedly called home to be with the Lord.

Part II: 1998-Present

In 1977, when he was a high school student working at a fast food restaurant, some faithful young people from BCBC witnessed to young Tom Burns. One night, in the parking lot of the restaurant, Tom came face to face with his need for salvation, and asked Jesus to save him. Shortly thereafter, Tom was baptized and began to serve the Lord at BCBC.

Pam Dotson was another teenager attending BCBC. She was saved and baptized that same year through the efforts of her Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Wanda Osborne. In 1979, both enrolled in Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College (PCBBC), and continued to be involved in the work of their home church. Pam assisted in the church pre-school, and Tom joined the staff as an assistant to Pastor Osborne. Tom headed up such ministries as the church radio ministry and rest home ministry. Tom and Pam were married in 1986 by Pastor Osborne at BCBC.

In late 1990, Tom accepted the pastorate of a church in the small suburban community of Vista in north San Diego county. In 1998, God called Pastor Tom and Pam back to Norwalk to take the pastorate of BCBC after the death of Pastor Osborne.

In 2002, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the church, BCBC got a name change. BCBC became Community Baptist Church. The church continues to live by Pastor Osborne’s motto: ‘There’s no business like soul business.’

A Photographic History