Church History

The Scarsdale Community Baptist Church began in 1928 when a group of people met to discuss their conviction that Scarsdale needed a new church. Many in the group were Baptists, and many others represented other Christian denominations. Their common vision was to create a church in which all would be welcome without regard to previous religious affiliation or practice. 

The first meeting place was the town theatre. The Scarsdale Community Baptist Church building is a replica of an English “village church,” and was completed in time for worship at Christmas, 1931. The sanctuary was built to replicate the dimensions of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem, its interior beams were hewn from Cedars of Lebanon, and it is full of early Christian symbolism. An educational wing was added and dedicated in 1950.

The building is used for the church’s programs of worship, outreach, fellowship and education, is also used by a wide range of community groups, and is the home of the Scarsdale Community Baptist Church Nursery School. The church therefore functions as a “village church,” but also draws members and participants from around the metropolitan New York City area.