Under Pastor Ted Traylor, Pensacola’s Olive Baptist Church Expands Local Outreach and Global Missions

Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Ted Traylor, Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola has experienced a historic period of growth and spiritual outreach, marked by a record 365 baptisms in a single year and an expanding footprint across Escambia County and foreign mission fields.

A Historic Surge in Baptisms

In 2025, Olive Baptist Church recorded 365 baptisms—averaging one for every day of the year. According to reporting from the Florida Baptist Convention, the baptisms spanned every age group, ranging from young children to a 93-year-old believer.

Church leadership attributes much of this surge to the creation of a dedicated “Next Steps” ministry led by Josh Dickens, minister of next steps. The initiative ensures every guest and decision-maker is personally contacted to assist them in moving from initial faith decisions to baptism, discipleship groups, and active ministry involvement. Olive also established a dedicated Next Steps Room, available before, during, and after services at its campuses.

“The Lord has done remarkable things,” Traylor said regarding the congregation’s outreach efforts.

Local Impact Across Escambia County

Rooted in its biblical mandate to serve locally, Olive Baptist Church maintains a high-profile presence across Pensacola and the broader Northwest Florida region. Operating two primary campuses—one in Pensacola and another in Warrington—the church serves an average weekly attendance of approximately 3,000 worshipers.

Local outreach is anchored by Ministry Village at Olive Inc., an independent non-profit ministry established by the church to meet practical, physical, and spiritual needs within the community. Beyond benevolence work, Olive reaches college students at the nearby University of West Florida through its Crossroads ministry, which hosts weekly Tuesday evening gatherings featuring evangelism and altar calls.

The church also utilizes small-group Connection Groups guided by a “Reach + Teach + Care” strategy, alongside specialized support ministries such as “Elise’s Hope,” which offers spiritual and emotional care for women battling cancer.

Reaching the World: Global Missions and Bible Translation

Olive’s commitment extends well beyond Northwest Florida through formal partnerships with the North American Mission Board, the SEND Network, the International Mission Board, and Bible Mission Global.

In April 2025, Olive hosted “Commissioned … Called to Go, Pray and Give,” a three-day missions conference that drew more than 1,300 attendees. The event brought together 22 international mission partners and 12 local organization leaders representing work across 18 countries. During the conference, church members contributed $391,000 toward global missions, directly funding efforts to translate Scripture into the heart languages of unreached people groups.

Sacrificial giving was demonstrated across all generations during the effort. A Vacation Bible School offering gathered over $6,400 from children to support Bible translation. After the church’s deacons matched the children’s contribution, the broader congregation rallied to raise a total of $64,000 within three weeks.

“We seek to help people get to the cross … proclaim the Word of God and leave the results to Him,” Traylor affirmed during the gathering.

Mentoring the Next Generation of Ministry Leaders

Traylor, who has served as senior pastor for more than 35 years, has prioritized equipping the next generation of church leaders. Twice a month, Traylor gathers with a cohort of roughly eleven young men from the church who feel called to pastoral or church ministry.

The bi-monthly mentoring sessions include direct instruction, personal exchange, prayer, and hands-on observation of pastoral duties. Tim Hunter, a participant in the mentorship group, described the experience as “extremely formative,” noting its emphasis on humility, transparency, and personal discipleship.

A Legacy Built Over More Than a Century

Olive Baptist Church was established in 1894 when twelve believers from Canoe Baptist Church in Alabama began meeting in local homes and schoolhouses in Escambia County. Over the decades, under the guidance of former pastors such as Jeff Rousseau and Jerry Passmore—who led the congregation from 1972 to 1989—Olive expanded its facilities and developed a tradition of church planting and evangelism.

Today, building on that historic foundation, Olive Baptist Church continues to prioritize local service, global missions, and personal discipleship under Traylor’s leadership.

Sources

• Olive Baptist Church sees historic year of baptisms – Florida Baptist Convention
• Missions
• Commissioned … Called to Go, Pray and Give – Florida Baptist Convention
• Mentoring the called: Pensacola pastor equips next generation church leaders – Florida Baptist Convention
• Olive’s Story
• Olive Baptist Church | Your Church Home in Pensacola, FL
• CONNECTION GROUP Leader Guide i
• Celebrating a legacy of evangelism – Florida Baptist Convention

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.