Church History

Restoration Church (Phoebus Baptist Church) began life in 1889 as a tiny group of believers met for Sunday School in an old building on Mellen Street in Phoebus. After nearly five years they had raised enough money and erected an auditorium at 17 North Mallory Street. Phoebus Baptist was then constituted as a church in 1893 with a membership of 25, and a pastor named W. L. Britt, a soldier from Fort Monroe.

In 1936 Phoebus Baptist was instrumental in organizing Buckroe Baptist Church and furnished 23 people to become charter members of that new congregation.

The year 1947 found the church outgrowing its facilities so the membership made the decision to purchase four lots at the corner of Hope and Cummings Streets. They moved into the new sanctuary in 1949.

In the early 1960s, the congregation sent 35 members to start a mission work in the Fox Hill community, which became Fox Hill Road Baptist Church.

As the need for larger facilities became apparent, the decision was made to relocate the church to its present site at 508 Fox Hill Road. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 27, 1984 and the first service was held in the new building less than a year later. In May of 2004 the name was changed to Restoration Church-Phoebus Baptist in response to a sense of God's leading to the body through Isaiah 43:18-19.

Today we are known in the community simply as Restoration Church and God continues to use us in a wonderful way to reach people of all ages as we love Jesus, love people and see lives transformed.