The Temple of Glory Community Church was originally named Bay Street Baptist Church upon its inception back in May of 1938. The first pastor was Reverend McKinley Garvin, who pioneered the young congregation for over five (5) years. However, because of Rev. Garvin’s sudden and untimely death, the church found itself without a shepherd. One of the sons of the ministry, Rev. Lisbon B. Free, served on an interim basis for a year, and in 1944, was called by the church to officially serve as the pastor.

During this time, the church voted to change the name to Garvin Temple in memory of their fallen leader, Rev. McKinley Garvin. It was also a time of change as far as location was concerned. The greatest change was finding a new home on the corner of Barnard and Duffy Streets in 1960. The church would remain there for the next thirty-seven (37) years.

Rev. Free served Garvin Temple long and well for a period of forty-plus (40) years. But with failing health, he decided to retire in 1984. Later that same year, the church met her third pastor, Matthew M. Odum, of the First Metropolitan Baptist Church. At the age of 27, he became the successor to Rev. Free, and has remained as the headship of this ministry for over 34 years.

In July 1997, Garvin Temple Baptist Church moved to its present location on Stiles Avenue. Upon this transition, the church agreed to a name change and became Greater Garvin’s Temple Baptist Church. Since that time, several entities have been added to this growing ministry, namely: the former Odum Learning Academy; The Garvin-Free Multiplex Center (The Eden Room); The Forum (formerly The Family Life Center); and presently, the Administration Building.

It was in 1999, that God spoke into the spirit of Pastor Odum and commanded him to change the church’s name. On January 1, 2000 at approximately 12:10 a.m., Greater Garvin’s Temple Baptist Church was officially re-named, The Temple of Glory Community Church.

We are a “WORD CHURCH” where God’s Holy Writ is delivered!