History
About Us
OUR HISTORY
Connors Temple Baptist Church was founded on March 14, 1927, with the Rev. Noah Cornelius Connor as the organizing and founding pastor. The church started with 83 members. Mrs. Mary Mack gave 10 reasons why the church should be named Connors Temple and the membership agreed unanimously. Rev. Connor led the congregation from 1927 until his death in 1949, for a total of 22 years.
On March 28, 1950, the Rev. Willie Williams Whitehead was called as the second pastor of Connors Temple. During his pastorate the church continued to grow and the current edifice was constructed and fully furnished. Rev. Whitehead made the decision to build a new church to be placed next to the original building. On November. 30, 1969, the church’s officials and the entire congregation walked into the new, fully equipped church building in which we worship today. Rev. Whitehead served the congregation from 1950 until 1973, for a total of 23 years.
Connors Temple’s third pastor, Rev. Bennie Robert Mitchell, Jr., was called on January 8, 1974. He took the helm, continued the church’s growth, and expanded its outreach, mission and vision beyond the sanctuary into the community. Rev. Mitchell, the visionary, advanced the congregation in many ways. Under Rev. Mitchell’s leadership Connors Temple acquired additional land and buildings surrounding the church. The Con-Ed Family Resource and Development Center was opened in 2006. Rev. Mitchell was noted as an activist for social justice and the disenfranchised, and a champion for the poor man’s cause in the Savannah community. The MLK Jr. Observance Day Association was founded at Connors Temple in 1979. Rev. Mitchell served the church from 1974 until his death February 1, 2011 — a total of 37 years.
Rev. Terrance L. Burrell, Sr., was installed as the fourth pastor of Connors Temple on February 17, 2013. Pastor Burrell secured financial relief for the church. At the January 2015 family meeting, the membership approved a loan restructure to save the church $60,000 a year. Pastor Burrell’s vision included: quarterly evangelism activities; a tithing church; a $6 million building for worship services, classrooms, a wellness center; youth attendance at the National Congress of Christian Education, and an electronic board for church announcements. Pastor Burrell resigned in 2018.
Pastor Thomas J. Sills was called to pastor the church in March 2020.
Rev. Noah C. Connor
The Founder
Rev. Willie W. Whitehead
The Builder
Rev. Bennie R. Mitchell
The Activist
Rev. Terrance L. Burrell
The Good Shepherd
Bishop Thomas J. Sills
The Innovator