Almost one hundred years after the beginning of The First Baptist Church of Vergennes, Reverend Ernest L. Gault began to pray for God to help him start a church in Vergennes. With the help of some local people who were traveling to First Baptist Church in Shelburne Pastor Gault held the first service of Vergennes Baptist Church. This service was held on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1969, in the Bixby Memorial Library on Main Street in Vergennes.

With four years of hard work and God’s blessing, on February 2, 1973, the Vergennes Baptist Church was officially organized. The signing of this organizational charter meant you were a member of this fledgling church, and those who signed did so with joy and commitment.

In time, the church needed their own space and rented the schoolhouse in Panton. Much time and effort was invested and the little building served the church well until more space was needed, There was even a steeple and bell put up to give that "country-church" feeling to the building. The bell is now a part of our present facility.

The next move for Vergennes Baptist Church was to the Chapel building at the now Job Corps Facility. The church had a very successful bus ministry at that time and still today there are families in the church who were touched by that ministry.

Word was out that the Community Building in Ferrisburgh on Route 7 was vacant and had already been used successfully to get a church started. The opportunity was taken and the building was procured for Vergennes Baptist Church. A problem with the name of the church was obvious, so the church changed its name to "The Ferrisburgh-Vergennes Baptist Church." While using this historic building for worship, two other events of significance occurred. In December of 1977, Pastor Ernest L. Gault resigned and recommended Roger Gaboriault, who was a member of the church and had been trained by Pastor Gault, as the new pastor. Also, the church changed its name again, this time to Victory Baptist Church. What a great name for a church that was rejoicing in past victories and looking forward for many more to come.

Victory Baptist Church soon tired of investing its tithes and offerings into other people’s property and decided to find a facility that they could afford. This was found at the top of Woodman Hill on Route 7. They purchased the old antique shop that had been used for everything from a restaurant to a blacksmith’s shop. It was now going to become the home of Victory Baptist Church. With limited funds but a lot of hard work, the transformation was made and many souls came to know Christ in that building. During the use of that building, some other changes came to the church: a Christian school was started and in October of 1984, Pastor Gaboriault resigned as pastor and soon another pastor came to Victory Baptist Church. His name was Pastor Norman H. Frink. Pastor Frink stayed with the church for six months and on July 7, 1985, he resigned. At that time, he recommended that the church hear a young pastor man from Londonderry, New Hampshire, as a candidate for pastor. By July 17, 1985, Pastor Rettig was voted in as the new pastor. During this time the Christian school was closed and Pastor Rettig impressed on the congregation the futility of trying to maintain a building that was coming apart as fast as it was being repaired. The property was put up for sale in hopes of making a profit large enough to buy land and build a new church. Pastor Rettig resigned in the spring of 1988.

The church sought God’s will for the summer of 1988, and in August of that summer, Pastor Tim Taylor who pastoring in Kansas, was called to be the pastor of the church. Soon after his arrival, it was apparent that the building could not be sold for enough profit to build again. The building was taken off the market and the Lord revealed to the church a new plan. Pastor Taylor traveled around the country to sister Baptist Bible Fellowship churches and raised enough money and a work force for a special event. On August 3rd and 4th of 1990, there would be a "church raising" with approximately 100 men from as far away as South Carolina. With the old building partially torn down and part of it totally rebuilt, along with a 36’ x 86’ addition, Victory Baptist Church would have a beautiful facility they could call their own. With the church raising, which got the frame up, and the hard work of the members of the church, by Easter of 1991, the church was able to occupy the beautiful new sanctuary. It was not long and the church family gave a special offering and filled the sanctuary with comfortable new pews.

God was not finished yet!! In the fall of 1995, the fellowship hall of the new church building was enlarged by 1/3 to make seating room for at least 150 at fellowships and banquets. Once again, God’s people worked and He provided. What blessings He has showered upon us. In 1998, God was still working in the midst of Victory Baptist Church. The church was full on Sunday mornings, and had gone to two worship services and plans were being made for yet another building project-a new sanctuary to seat 300-350 people. God provided us a beautiful new sanctuary and a refinishing of the fellowship hall. The fellowship hall now has a full kitchen and is used for Sunday school classes and activities. Truly God is blessing Victory Baptist Church in a great and mighty way.

As Victory Baptist Church reflects on many years of God’s guidance, we can also reflect on many answered prayers. Who knows but maybe some of those prayers being answered were prayed back in 1868 when some folks prayed there would be a strong Bible-preaching Baptist church in Vergennes, Vermont. Let us pray that we never let this church become a part of ancient history, but always a part of current events!