History of The Keeping It Real Christian Fellowship
Immediately the Childs Memorial family started praying and seeking God’s face for His direction in finding another pastor. After a little more than one and one half years the Lord answered our prayers, and sent to us the Reverend Dale L. Crawley Sr. (6th) of the Christ Baptist Church of Burlington, NJ. on September 12, 1999. Also, at his side, came his lovely and gifted wife, Deborah Crawley (now Reverend Deborah Crawley, ordained in September, 2012) and their two children, Dale Jr. and Dominique.
From the first day at Childs Memorial, Pastor Crawley had a God-given vision for the church. His desire is to do the Lord’s will and bring glory to His Name. Pastor Crawley is an explosive preacher and exciting bible teacher, bringing new life and light to our Tuesday evening “Hour of Power” Bible Fellowship. By preaching and teaching God’s Word stressing practical life application Pastor Crawley makes the Word of God palatable that even the young can understand.
In promotion of our Christian mandate Pastor Crawley introduced the church’s new logo which emphasizes “Reaching, Teaching and Discipling”. Under the leadership of Pastor Crawley, the church’s membership has increased more than 300% to a membership presently of more than 600. On June 1, 2002 the church took a major step in our journey to new blessings by ratifying and adopting a new Church Constitution and By-Laws, which set in place the church’s new organizational and operational structure.
Also under Pastor Crawley’s leadership the church has gone through many structural additions, renovations and ministry revitalizations from building restoration and refurbishment to the additions of computer networks, multi-media equipment etc. making CMBC ready for New Millennium Ministry. Always passionate about the Lord’s business Pastor Crawley leads the church in pursuit of the “Vision & Plan” of God.
We praise the Lord for blessing and sending us such a man of God. And we give endless thanks … for a rich past, and a glorious and fulfilling future as the Lord takes us on “The Journey to New Blessings!”
CMBC continued to grow and transform in the early decades of the 2000’s, by expanding ministry services within, as well as outside to the surrounding community. Under Pastor Crawley’s leadership Kingdom and Community Connections Inc. (a non-profit 501C3) was started; offering an umbrella of services and programs such as: the Bread of Life Feeding Program, Church & Community Counseling Services, Teen Mentoring Programs and more.
CMBC continued in its transformation under Pastor Crawley’s visionary leadership by adopting a Kingdom Agenda philosophy of church ministry which led the church in a more non-traditional practice of ministry. By embracing Servant Leadership as a model for ministry practice and positions, ordained female deacons and ministers, expanding to multiple worship services, less traditional worship service structures, adding Holy Communion “for all” worship services, and the use of technology in worship and more. Recognizing the imperative to be biblical while relevant in our purpose and mission, the church also adopted the motto: “A Church with a message you can understand, and people you can relate to.” All of these things and more, caused the church to grow and adjust in pace with the surrounding community and culture which was also at the same time transforming enormously.
In consistent movement with all that He had been doing in and with CMBC up to this point in its’ forming and ministry journey, the Holy Spirit in the early pre-dawn hours of October 28, 2019 spoke to Pastor Crawley regarding yet another river crossing in the church’s destiny. To now change the name of the church, to reflect to the outside world the internal change of a people that He has made within our church. So after meeting personally with 90 key members of CMBC to share the vision and message of the Holy Spirit given for the church, on Sunday November 24, 2019 at a called and combined worship service, with praise, respect and honor for the founding history and heritage of Childs Memorial Baptist Church … the name of the church was obediently and officially changed to “Keeping It Real Christian Fellowship.”
Though the Church name has now changed (with all Federal / State Filings etc.) … KIRCF’s By-Laws, History, Belief in Baptist polity, Faith and Mission remain strong and the same. To God Be the Glory!
“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”
Joshua 1:3