A Message From Pastor

On Sunday, May 29th, 2005, Memorial Day Weekend, an historic event took place at the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona. Our church ordained the first female Assistant Pastor, the Rev. Patricia L. Haggler. It has not been an easy road for us. The journey has been precarious to say the least. But, finally it culminated in a glorious event that bestowed upon her all the accolades and honor that she so rightfully deserved.

Rev. Haggler does not follow in the footsteps of anyone. This historic event allowed her to be a pioneer, charting her own path. The uniqueness of this situation speaks for itself. We did have an Assistant Pastor for over 20 years, the Rev. Dr. Laura B. Sinclair, but she came to us ordained. She did a marvelous job, and was subsequently called to pastor her own church, Parkchester Baptist Church, in the Bronx, NY.

Rev. Haggler is home grown. She has come up through the ranks of Antioch and has served in numerous capacities throughout the church. She was licensed to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ here at Antioch, and now, she has been ordained here. This was a monumental occasion for us!

Rev. Haggler is a PK (preacher's kid), who comes from a long tradition of preachers, so her skills were being honed even before she knew she would be called into this precarious vocation. But, little did she know. Indeed the words of that famous boxer, Joe Louis, come into play, "They can run but they can't hide!" Those words were directed towards Louis' opponents in the boxing ring. Yet, these words can equally apply to those who have tried to avoid the call to the ministry. "They can run, but they can't hide!" Just like Joe Louis' opponents could not avoid his devastating punches in the boxing ring, those who are destined to this Christian calling cannot avoid the knockout of the Holy Spirit. At some point, they are going to get cornered and the full effects are going to take place. It's going to be a knockout.

Rev. Haggler brings many gifts to this position; she comes from a legal background, having worked with lawyers for many years, including the DA's office. She has a double Master's degree from Union Theological Seminary, and is currently writing her dissertation for her PhD at New York University. She is a dynamic preacher and teacher. And, we are delighted to have her on board as our new Assistant Pastor.

The Lord has truly blessed the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona with a number of dynamic, educated, trained, and Holy Ghost-filled ministers and preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We truly miss the Rev. Dr. Laura B. Sinclair, but indeed the Lord has provided a home- grown, raised, and nurtured 'ram in the bush', and we are blessed to have her. There is a new Assistant Pastor in town, one that made history at the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona, she goes by the name of Rev. Patricia L. Haggler.

His Love and Peace,

Dr. Marvin J. Bentley, Pastor