History

Knowlhurst Baptist Church has a history that is rich with highs and lows; a history of prosperity and poverty; a history that reveals the inadequacies of mankind and the superlative grace of God to equip humble men and women to reach their community and region for Christ.

Rev. Carmi Van Dusen moved to Stony Creek, NY, in 1843. Seeing the need for a Gospel witness with Baptist distinctives, he formed the Baptist Society of Stony Creek. A core group of 20 people helped establish what was later called the Stony Creek Baptist Church. In 1848, Brother Van Dusen purchased a farm in the hamlet of Knowlhurst. On that property, he began to build the original structure at the location where the present building now stands. The relocation from Stony Creek proper to Knowlhurst, five miles north, led to the renaming of the church to Knowlhurst Baptist Church. For many years the church held regular Sunday school and Sunday worship services. Mid-week prayer meetings were and have remained a regular part of KBC's ministry.