Old Cambridge Baptist Church

Address: 1151 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge MA 02138

Years Active: 1844–Present

Tradition: American Baptist 

The Old Cambridge Baptist Church (OCBC) was "established in 1844 as an offshoot of the First Baptist Church Cambridge" (Email Exchange with Rev. Sarah Lusche on 10/16/25). Throughout its history, OCBC has been committed to social justice and progressive Christianity.

OCBC has had a longstanding commitment to social justice and progressive Christianity. This commitment to social justice is built on the belief that we must act in response to “God’s call to hold fast to love and justice for the earth.” Alongside a commitment to the idea of God’s love as transformative and radical instead of rigid adherence to doctrine, OCBC also subscribes to the idea of “Christ as Liberator, not only from personal sin, but also from structural sin that inflicts suffering in history and society, such as white supremacy, heterosexism, ableism, colonialism, capitalism, and environmental destruction.”

This commitment to social justice has been demonstrated through historical inclusion of "runaway and emancipated slaces; soldiers who fought and died in the Civil War as well as World Wars I and II; peace activists; civil rights leaders, and others who worked on behalf of the homeless, minorities, refugees, political asylum seekers and the earth." The website adds that: "In the 1970s, OCBC contributed $50,000 to establish the Black Community Fund and served as a sanctuary for protestors against the war in Vietnam." OCBC later opted to convert to being a sanctuary church, which means committing to serving as emergency housing for undocumented immigrants who may be at risk of deportation. OCBC professes a continuing commitment to “racial equity, which demands the fair allocation of opportunities and resources in employment, housing, education, health care, and other areas” (Lusche Email Exchange). 

OCBC’s commitment to social justice extends into how it has grown into a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people. OCBC "declared itself to be officially welcoming of gay and lesbian people" in 1983, with this affirmation now extending to bisexual and transgender people as well (Lusche Email Exchange). The church also housed the Boston chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis. OCBC "was a founding member of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and the first church to join the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry." The church has also had a significant number of openly queer pastors since 1975. OCBC has participated in the Boston Pride for the People Parade and hosts a Pride Worship service on the first Sunday of June. 

Members of OCBC come from a diverse range of theological beliefs, which includes the church leaving space for "questioning seekers." Church services are also open to people of non-Christian faiths; as OCBC notes on its website: "We often welcome members of other faiths to worship for us in ways that fit for them."

Language used in worship at OCBC "intentionally uses multiple genders in reference to God, and often in metaphors beyond gender and human imagery, to affirm our belief that all human beings are made in the image of God, and that God is likewise infinitely beyond anthropomorphic descriptions." 

Sources and Further Information: 

https://www.oldcambridgebaptist.org/ 

https://www.oldcambridgebaptist.org/about

https://www.oldcambridgebaptist.org/what-we-believe

https://www.oldcambridgebaptist.org/our-history

https://www.oldcambridgebaptist.org/events

https://cwhp.cambridgema.gov/bios.html?ln=DaughtersofBilitis&mN=&fN= 

https://www.nyac.com/servingasasanctuarychurch 

Relevant Pages: 

Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry

Entry written by Peter Goswami in June 2026.