THE BEGINNING

In July and August of 1920, informal worship services were held at the Ocean View Community House on Sunday afternoons with various local pastors leading such meetings. Ocean View Community Church had its formal beginning when nine neighbors met on June 26, 1921 to form the Ocean View Christian Association. The building lots west of Appleton Avenue were designated as the Ocean View section of Leonardo and were predominantly occupied by summer vacation bungalows. The first worship service took place on Sunday, July 3rd, 1921 at the Community House located on the northeast corner of Monmouth and Ridge Avenue. The rental fee was fifty dollars for the 10-week session (July and August).

Ocean view community church

On August 30, 1925, the name was changed to Ocean View Community Church. On July 10, 1927 three lots, each 25 feet by 148.5 feet on the southwest corner of Burlington Avenue and Appleton Avenue, were purchased for $2,000. A small building was erected on this site and was known as the "Ocean View Community Church Kitchen." The church was incorporated on August 11, 1927 in Monmouth County in the State of New Jersey. Due to a fire in 1929, the Community House was not available, so the former Community Fire House on the southwest corner of Highland Avenue and Appleton Avenue was rented for seven Sundays at five dollars per Sunday. The Community House became available again for the final three weeks of the season.

BUILDING AT 25 APPLETON AVE

On April 27, 1930, the congregation decided to have a building for worship erected on their property. It was dedicated on July 20, 1930. Emmanuel Baptist Church of Atlantic Highlands also used the building for year around services for twenty-two years ending in June 1951. They installed two kerosene heaters and built a brick chimney, but continued to use the outhouse which was replaced with indoor plumbing in 1956.

During the summer of 1953, three students from Bob Jones University held regular Sunday services that were continued after they returned to school. In June of 1969 the "Kitchen" was removed and excavation began for a 40 foot by 55 foot addition on the south end of the building. The church men, women, and young people constructed the building and had it ready for services Easter Sunday 1970 with breakfast served downstairs. An addition on the north end at the original entry was added to the north side a year later and included a baptistery. The interior layout of the auditorium was reversed, with the pulpit at the north end and entrance through the south addition.