Port Richey's First African American Church

     Union was founded in 1915, 50 years after the end of the Civil War. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, slavery did not end until the end of the war in 1865.  Therefore, the Founders of this church were just barely free.

     A further look at the period between 1915 and 1936 tells us that UMBC was formed from the two African American churches in the Port Richey community: Paradise Baptist Church and the other being Pleasant Hill Baptist. During the 20’s Paradise Baptist Church was in a new subdivision for African Americans called “Booker T. Washington. Apparently, this community flourished during the roaring 20’s until the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Economic reasons caused many of the people in “Booker T. Washington” to move away, leaving the church pretty much depleted of its membership. As a result, the two churches united and moved to its current location on Pine Hill Road forming the United Missionary Baptist Church.

     The original structure was located three lots to the east of our current structure. This structure was built by Sister Burch’s father and members of the church, “block by block.” They started in 1949 and completed it two years later in 1951. This church building was built by faith without a mortgage or loan. 

     The name was officially changed from “United” to “Union” in 1955. After 1972, many Pastors came and went. The rapid turnover is a testimony of the struggles the church has overcome. From the onset, the church did not have a resident Pastor. Originally, services were held twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. This practice continued until the late 1980s. The church stabilized in 1998, when the Lord sent Pastor Ronald Smart to Union who retired in 2014.   In January 2015, Union welcomed a new shepherd, Pastor Sherwayne Phillip.  

• Our mission is to love God and love people. This mission guides all that we pray for and do. We receive this commission from the great commandment found in Luke 10:27 to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love others as we love ourselves. We gather as a body of Christ to receive strength for this mission and then go out into our neighborhoods, community, and world to share the love of Christ.
• The vision of Union Missionary Baptist Church is to create a community of authentic believers and to witness a city transformed by the life changing reality of the Gospel, as people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.