History

In January of 1988, 1st Baptist Church Tehachapi made a decision to establish a mission work in Golden Hills. Twenty three families expressed interest in being a part of this new mission work. Pastor James Trammel resigned from 1st Baptist to lead this new work. The church’s first services were held at the Golden Hills Golf Course on the 7th of February of 1988. The restaurant was barely capable of handling 103 men, women, and children in the mission’s first service; the children thought it was cool to sit at the restaurant bar while the pastor preached.

By May of 1988, the church had completed its Constitution and Bylaws and was accepted as a Southern Baptist Church in Kern County’s association of Southern Baptist Churches. The church continued to grow, and services moved from the golf course to Mountain Bible Church, holding services late Sunday afternoons.  Then it was on to the blue dance studio on Highway 202 for almost a year.

In 1990 the church leased facilities in the mini-mall on Brian Way. It was on Brian Way that our Sunday School program began, along with Caraway Street (led by Dennis and Peggy Vamosy). In the summer of 1990, Andy Walker accepted the call to serve as pastor at COBC. In 1991 the church undertook a “Together We Build” program with the support and help of the North American Mission Board. The church congregation pledged $334,000 dollars for which the North American Mission Board loaned us 85% to start construction on the Schout Road facilities.

The church remained on Brian Way for a few years while construction continued.  It was amazing to see the men of COBC swinging hammers every weekend, and the women and children cleaning up the construction site. During the week, there were usually 10-15 men working on the construction site and on weekends that number would swell to fifty men led by Dave Austin and Bud Dees.

In the fall of 1992 the church relocated to Schout Road, its present location. At this point, the church had grown to about 150 regular attendees, it wasn’t long before there were discussions about going to two services, and within three years we were holding two services in a sanctuary built to hold 287 people. A decision to build a second sanctuary that would seat about 700 was made and the second sanctuary was built, believing that it would be a very long time before we had to consider going to two services again, we were at 41% occupancy for a single service at this time. 

We began holding two services in the present sanctuary in 2004 and the church continues to grow. So, in the twenty years we have labored as a church, we started with 103 men women and children to over 800 regular attendees, God has blessed us with a growing ministry and we continue to stand in awe of His plans.