Rev. Joseph Murray Harden was a Black Baptist mission agent who was transferred from Liberia (then an American Colony) in 1854 as a Baptist mission agent of the Southern Baptist mission.
He worked tirelessly in spiritual and educational fields and was instrumental in the founding of American Baptist Church (later known as the First Baptist Church).
Joseph Harden died in 1865 and Joseph Street was named after him. His offspring later became associated with Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The Lagos Island East Local Government granted a request to properly name Joseph Street as Joseph Harden Street.
The Native Baptist Church (now known as Ebenezer Baptist Church) was thus formed on Sunday 12th March, 1888 by 63 of the congregation out of 83 of the American Baptist Church.
This came into existence, the first indigenous African Church in Nigeria.
The first Divine Service of the Church was held at the courtyard of Revd. Stone at Wesley Street.
The church moved to the present location in 1893 with the laying of the foundation stone on Friday February 25th 1893.
