Christian Life Church was founded in 1961 by Reverend J. Luther Carroll and his devoted wife, Dorothy. Our odyssey of faith began when Reverend Carroll committed to the truth of the Gospel and determined to live for Christ. Under daunting and frightening circumstances, he felt a call from God to move from Philadelphia to Baltimore with Dorothy and their two small children.

With their own finances, they started the church as a mission on Harford Road in northeast Baltimore in a rented facility. Then, all at once, the revival that he and Dorothy so yearned for came suddenly and in such an unexpected way that the entire mission on Harford Road was filled to capacity. In anticipation of crowds larger than could be housed in the mission, the congregation relocated to Garrison Boulevard with the purchase of an old theater and named it Life Evangelical Church. Reverend Carroll enjoyed working with his hands; thus, he and the congregation remodeled the theater with the facade of a church.

Reverend Carroll and Dorothy were gifted missionaries. They possessed a missionary mindset that enabled them to have a cross-cultural approach that included the ability to make contact and reach out to different cultures. They planted the seed of missions into the hearts and minds of the congregation.

As time progressed, spiritually starved souls from different areas of the city crowded into the theater each night in unbelievable numbers. People would weep, laugh, and shout with the power of the Holy Spirit. Lives that had been disorderly became upright, men who had been violent became meek, drunkards quit their drinking, and gamblers stopped their gambling.

With growth and progress came the desire to relocate. In 1980, the church purchased the B’nai Jacob synagogue and relocated to 6605 Liberty Road. At that time the Church reincorporated into Christian Life Church. Under Reverend Carroll’s long progressive pastorate, the congregation increased, and the former synagogue underwent a number of changes that included building additions on the rear of the building, expanding the sanctuary, remodeling the learning center, and building a prayer tower.

Between 1980 and 1994, over 280 churches and 100 missions were established in Guatemala, and the church supported other countries in missions, including Ethiopia, India, and Jamaica.

In November 1998, Reverend Carroll became seriously ill. Bishop Asbury R. Sellers was appointed as Interim Pastor, and then Reverend B. Lloyd Womack took on the role as Interim Senior Pastor.

In January 2002, Dr. Hugh Bair received the torch of leadership and became the Senior Pastor of Christian Life Church. In February 2002, Dr. Bair; his wife, Fay; and their two children, Ashley and Joshua, relocated from Springfield, Massachusetts.

Our ministry is marked by powerful preaching and an aggressive and expansive program of Biblical teaching and discipleship development, as well as one of the finest music ministries. Christian Life Church’s diverse programs include ministries for children and youth, men, women, and singles, as well as ministries designed for seasoned senior saints. No one is left out; everybody is somebody.

Christian Life is not a perfect church; however, it is a praying church. Come and be a part of our family and be blessed!