ABOUTUS
A LIVING HISTORY
“A Church with a Mission and Vision”
God revealed the vision for Second Baptist Church of Martinez,
California in 1962 to Sis. Lutherine Winston-Trammel. The founding
members — Rev. Handley, Sis. Trammel and her children, Sis. Perry
Matthew, the late Rev. John Morrison, Sis. Bollenton, and Sis.
McCullough — began worshipping in homes, embodying a faith
that was intimate, determined, and full of the Holy Ghost.
As the Spirit moved, the church grew. From 1963 to 1964,
new families joined, including the Bryants, Boyds, Johnsons,
and others. After early leadership by Rev. Jenkins, the church
called Rev. Walter L. Polk as pastor. Worship services transitioned
to basements and union halls before the congregation raised
enough to purchase and renovate a storage building at 2710
Pacheco Blvd. Local churches lent support, and the ministry
was nurtured by Pastor Polk and his wife, Starr Alberta Polk.
In 1990, Rev. Keith B. Williams answered the call to pastor
Second Baptist. Under his leadership and a shared vision of
prayer and perseverance, the congregation purchased the current
church home at 1020 Las Juntas Street in downtown
Martinez in 1998.
In 2011, Rev. Williams returned to his home church in Los Angeles.
Rev. Delores McCrary served faithfully as Lead Minister during
the transition, and in 2014, the church elected Rev. Ray
Montgomery as pastor. He brought a renewed focus on the Trinity,
the preached Word, discipleship, and equipping the saints.
A New Chapter: Growth and Global
Impact Under Bishop Julius X. Van Hook
In November 2024, as Rev. Montgomery transitioned to Florida to
care for his aging parents, the congregation prayerfully and
unanimously elected Bishop Julius X. Van Hook as Senior Pastor,
alongside First Lady Rev. Alexandria Van Hook. Under their dynamic
leadership, Second Baptist Church has entered a powerful season
of exponential growth, renewed relevance, and impactful outreach.
We are a Spirit-filled, civic-minded, and justice-oriented
congregation, boldly proclaiming the Gospel and embodying
God’s love in action. Our worship is vibrant, our preaching is
prophetic, and our teaching is both theologically grounded and
culturally relevant.
The Right Reverend Julius Xavier Van Hook is a visionary faith leader, author, speaker, and licensed funeral director whose career spans pastoral ministry, social entrepreneurship, clinical chaplaincy, and international outreach. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Second Baptist Church of Martinez, Director of Spiritual Care and Interfaith Juvenile Chaplain for the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and Executive Director of ICHANGE (Interfaith Chaplaincy Affirming a New Generation of Excellence).
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A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Reverend Van Hook earned his Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management with a minor in Biblical Studies from Patten University, and his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Concordia University. He also holds a Doctorate in Theology from Bell Grove Theological Seminary and has completed three units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through the Shaw Chaplaincy Institute at San Francisco Theological Seminary and Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Walnut Creek.
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Reverend Van Hook was ordained in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) under the leadership of Bishop W.W. Hamilton, and consecrated as a Bishop in the Kingdom Dynasty Fellowship of Churches International. A global and urban missional leader, he has ministered in Ethiopia, Nigeria, China, and Australia, sharing a message of hope, dignity, and transformation.
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He serves as a Fellow of Green The Church, advancing environmental and social justice through faith-rooted organizing, and is a Board Member of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC), working to reform systems for at-promise and system-involved youth. He also serves on the Philos Black Alumni Advisory Board, cultivating Black Christian leaders for positive global engagement and Black-Jewish relations.
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Reverend Van Hook is the author of “Do It With Dignity: A 30-Day Guide to Let Go of What Holds You Back,” a widely celebrated spiritual self-help book that led to speaking engagements across Africa, China, and Australia.
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His life’s mission is to be a Savoir-Faire Global Innovator and People Motivator—serving people with excellence, compassion, and cultural awareness. He is married to Rev. Alexandria Van Hook, and together they are committed to holistic ministry, social transformation, and building thriving communities rooted in love and justice.
Rev. Alexandria Van Hook is a compassionate and visionary faith leader, educator, and advocate for justice, who serves as the First Lady of Second Baptist Church of Martinez. She brings to the role a heart for spiritual formation, social change, and community upliftment, partnering in ministry with her husband, Pastor Julius Van Hook.
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As the Executive Program Manager of ICHANGE—Interfaith Chaplaincy Affirming a New Generation of Excellence—she provides spiritual counseling and designs innovative, healing-centered reentry and mentorship programs for justice-involved youth and young adults across Contra Costa County. Her leadership has shaped new standards for trauma-informed care and spiritual resilience in juvenile justice spaces.
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A proud graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California, Rev. Van Hook holds a B.A. in Justice, Community, and Leadership. She is currently completing her Master of Divinity at the Berkeley School of Theology, concentrating in Spirituality and Resilience. Her academic and ministerial formation have been deeply rooted in womanist theology, liberation ethics, and restorative justice. She was licensed and ordained into the Gospel Ministry by the Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr. at the Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, CA.
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Rev. Van Hook is a Green the Church Fellow and has been honored as a Boisen Scholar by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. Her ministry is both local and global, having served in interfaith and ecumenical contexts, and as a missions ambassador to South Africa. She has also led voter education, mentored youth in underserved communities, and provided pastoral care and educational programming in schools, churches, and detention centers.
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Above all, she is a preacher of hope, a cultivator of dignity, and a servant committed to shaping pathways of liberation and healing.
Second Baptist Church Organizational Chart (2024–2025)
Bishop Julius X. Van Hook, Senior Pastor & Moderator
First Lady & Associate Pastor Rev. Alexandria Van Hook
Pastoral & Ministerial Leadership
Associate Ministers:
Rev. Delores McCrary
Rev. Benjamin Jennings
Minister Ronald Redmond
(Recovery Ministry)
Minister Lynette Marie Hill
Deacons and Deaconess Board
Deacon David Harris, Chairman & Assistant Moderator
Deacon Bobby Boyd
Deacon Clarine Merritt, Church Administrator
Deaconess Jackie Redmond
Missionary Lisa Conner-Boyd
Mothers Board
Mother Denise Van Hook
(Church Mother)
Mother Esther Miller
(Church Mother Emerita)
Mother Bette Ferguson
Rev. Delores McCrary
Trustees & Administration
Board of Trustees:
Deacon Clarine Merritt
Sister Cheryl Harrison
Sister Teresa Green
Rev. Delores McCrary
Church Clerk: Vacant
Facilities Manager:
Deacon Bobby Boyd
Worship, Media & Arts
Minister Damonte Ferguson – Musician
Sister Jacque Archie –
Usher Ministry
Benjamin White McCrary –
Media Ministry
Auxiliaries
Men of Faith & Action (MOFA) – Deacon Bobby Boyd
Sisters Who Care (SWC) –
Missionary Lisa Conner-Boyd
Sista 2 Sista Support Group – Deaconess Jackie Redmond
Convalescent Ministry –
Sister Cindy Parks
Recovery Ministry –
Minister Ronald Redmond
Ministry Departments
Christian Education –
Rev. Delores McCrary
Children, Youth & Young Adults – Vacant
Discipleship & Assimilation –
Vacant
Missions & Evangelism –
Missionary Lisa Conner-Boyd