1968—In the Beginning
As the saying goes, "from a tiny acorn a mighty Oak will grow." This philosophy has proved to be true from the inception of the Palma Ceia Baptist Church under the visionary and spiritual leadership of its Founder and Pastor, the Reverend Charles Franklin Bennett. It was his planting, developing and nourishing the seed of faith, perseverance and divine hope in God that led to starting the church. In early 1968, with God as their guide, the Pastor, his devoted wife Mary Louise, and their young daughter Connie, began knocking on doors letting people know about a risen savior and their desire to start a church. There were seven committed Christian women who answered that call.

Acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, on the second Sunday in September 1968, Reverend Charles F. Bennett organized our church at the Evangelical Covenant Church at 1021 West Tennyson Road. In attendance that day were the nine Charter Members: Sister Darlene Bell, Sister Mary Louise Bennett, Sister Jessie Bobo, Sister Mary Jenifer, Sister Vera Johnson, Sister Ozzie Madison, Sister Bernice Randle, and Sister Doris Williams. Sister Darlene Bell, who now resides in Philadelphia, suggested the name Palma Ceia, because the church was located in Palma Ceia Village. Also, in attendance on this historic day were the Reverend Newton Carey, Pastor of the True Vine Baptist Church, Oakland, California, who officiated at the charter and installation ceremonies of the church officers.

Our first auxiliary was the choir, consisting of a few children and two or three adults. Next, our Sunday School and Missionary Society was formed. In April 1969, Palma Ceia moved from the Covenant Church to the Old Village Church building on Mission Boulevard, where we worshipped for one and one-half years. Our congregation grew to about 85 members and the Lord blessed us with our first regular pianist, Sister Sandra Hill Inglehart, and the choir grew in members.

Palma Ceia next moved to the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Patrick Avenue. After worshipping there for a short time, in April 1970, we moved to the Pioneer Chapel on Birch Street in Hayward. Here the Lord increased our congregation to over 300 members with two choirs.

Our choir was quickly developing and in 1972 the Lord sent us Sister Cleona Brooks, who was our Minister of Music until her homegoing in 1989. During those 16 years she organized the Adult Choir, Voices of Praise, Gospel Sounds of Ebony, the Sunshine Choir and the Male Chorus.

The Music Department has continued to grow and develop under the talented and competent leadership of the current Minister of Music—Brother Silvester Henderson. Under his leadership the choirs and the male choruses have continued to grow and they have been very successful in their efforts. We have been richly blessed by having a very gifted, versatile, and accomplished musical staff. The Palma Ceia Baptist Church Choirs have been greatly rewarded and are considered to be some of the best singing groups in the state of California.

March 1973 to March 1998
We had the same spirit spoken of in Nehemiah 4:6. "So built we the wall and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work." During this five-year period, we made giant steps. We purchased the property where our first sanctuary was built, now known as the Charles F. Bennett Hall. The construction of the building started in March 1973. Six months later, we held our first worship service in the new sanctuary on the third Sunday in September 1973. God has truly blessed our efforts and dedication, and our membership grew to over 1,500 members.

Due to the growth of the membership, Palma Ceia had two worship services, at 8:00 and 11:00 a.m., to accommodate our expanding church family. Pastor Bennett had a desire for the entire church family to worship together at one worship service, and God saw our need to bring the church family together and blessed us with a larger building. We had our first worship service in our new and present sanctuary in January 1987. Today our church family, which consists of over 1,000 members, worship together at our main worship service at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday morning. We've worked hard and faithfully and God has truly blessed Palma Ceia Baptist Church.

1998--The Present and Our Future
After 30 long, faithful and spirit-filled years of dedicated service to the Palma Ceia Church family, Pastor Bennett retired on March 13, 1998 and was appointed Pastor Emeritus of Palma Ceia Baptist Church. In April 2000, Reverend Ronald Coleman was elected to the position of Interim Pastor.

On July 1, 2001, Reverend Paul A. W. McKery was elected the second Pastor in the history of Palma Ceia Baptist Church. Rev. McKery and family, natives of Oakland, CA., came to Palma Ceia Baptist Church from New Bethel Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK. Rev. Paul A. W. and Mrs. Sandra McKery are the proud parents of two daughters, Tanisha and Tyana. He was called to preach in December of 1980 and was licensed on February 15, 1981. Rev. McKery comes with a strong belief in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, the incarnation of the Son of God, atonement by His Redeeming Blood, salvation by Grace, Intercessory Prayer, and sanctification by the Holy Spirit.

Our continuing creed: Philippians 3:13-14: "Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Today, in 2004, as we press toward the mark, Palma Ceia remains firm in its stand on the Rock—Christ Jesus.