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Wake Forest Baptist Church

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Wake Forest Baptist Church was located on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The church was established in 1956, when Wake Forest College relocated from Wake Forest, North Carolina, to Winston-Salem, continuing a 125-year-old tradition of having a Baptist church in the center of campus.[1]

Wake Forest Baptist Church "believes in and dedicates itself to preserving and practicing historic Baptist principles, freedoms, and traditions," though its membership has become increasingly ecumenical.

On August 8, 2022, interim pastor Rayce Lamb said in a letter that the church will soon dissolve because members are getting older and due to the university's "new rental policy".[2] The church officially dissolved following a celebration of life service on November 5, 2022.[3]

History

Wake Forest Baptist Church began in 1835 on the Wake Forest Institute campus in Wake Forest, North Carolina. That church continues in Wake Forest. The Winston-Salem congregation began in 1956 when what was called Wake Forest College moved from Wake Forest.[2] Many students attended services in the large Wait Chapel.[4]

Since the beginning, the church has had a special connection with the university. The church is located in Wingate Hall, which is also home to the Department of Religion and the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University. Despite the fact that it functions as its own independent congregation, electing its ministers, raising its budget, conducting its business, and operating its programs, the church shares its physical location with these two academic departments. The congregation once held their services in Wait Chapel, which is the auditorium for the university.

When the church was founded, most of the student body, faculty and administration was Baptist. Over the years the percentage of Baptists on campus has decreased significantly, and the church has looked increasingly to the community for its membership.

Wake Forest Baptist Church has pioneered local ministry. With the North Carolina Baptist Hospital the church founded the local Meals on Wheels ministry[5] and it helped to establish the Association for the Betterment of Children (Imprints) Imprints. More recently, its members were responsible for the establishment of C.H.A.N.G.E. organization that now includes more than 40 congregations and neighborhood associations.

The church, an inclusive Christian community, accepts into membership any person who professes faith in Jesus Christ and comes on profession of that faith, by transfer of letter, or by statement. They have an open membership policy that honors the baptism of all who have professed faith in Jesus Christ, and baptize by immersion those who first make this profession in their midst.

Although Wake Forest University ended ties with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in 1986, the church continued its relationship with the university.[4]

The ministers and members of Wake Forest Baptist Church have been unafraid to deal with difficult and controversial issues. In 1994 Wake Forest Baptist Church was presented the Whitney M. Young Award for "bridging the gaps in race relations" by the Winston-Salem Urban League. A year later the United Way of Forsyth County, NC presented a special award to Wake Forest Baptist Church and its partner, First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue, for building "a better community through a variety of joint undertakings."[1]

In 2006 Wake Forest Baptist Church won the PFLAG of Winston-Salem Faith Community Kaleidoscope Award. In 2007 the Individual Kaleidoscope Award was presented to Pastor, Dr. Susan Parker.[6] According to a November 17, 2007 article in the Winston-Salem Journal, the church is a major supporter of Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County and is helping build homes in the city.[7]

From 2011 to 2013 Parker and Rev. Angela Yarber, both lesbian, served as co-pastors.[4]

Rev. Lia Scholl, pastor from 2014 to 2021, participated in Poor People's Campaign protests in Raleigh, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. and was arrested.[4]

In 2021, the university told the church that by 2023, it would have to pay $2,500 a month for use of Davis Chapel, which seats 90, after being allowed to use university facilities for worship rent-free, though it did pay for office space. On August 7, 2022, with average attendance down from "hundreds" to about 30 according to interim pastor Rev. Rayce Lamb, members voted to dissolve the congregation. [4] On November 5, 2022, the church held a celebration of life service, following which it officially dissolved. During this service, the church announced legacy gifts to the Wake Forest University School of Divinity and the Winston-Salem Foundation, intended to provide an ongoing legacy in the Winston-Salem community.[8]

Affiliation

Due to its position on LGBTQIA equality in the church,[9] and the church's decision in 2000 to perform a union for a lesbian couple,[4] the church was removed from membership in the Pilot Mountain Baptist Association[citation needed] and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. The church voluntarily left the Southern Baptist Convention.[4] The church has found a home in the Alliance of Baptists, Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Leadership

Dr. Warren T. Carr, a former civil rights proponent, served as pastor of the church from 1964 to 1985.[10] Dr. Carr was frequently an adversary of Southern Baptist Convention officials.[11][12]

Richard Groves became the church's pastor after serving as a pastor in Texas and Massachusetts. Dr. Groves is a graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Baylor University. He has also taught at Tufts University and Baylor University and worked for the Harvard University United Ministries. He retired October 31, 2008 after serving the church for 23 years.

In January 2011, Dr. Angela Yarber joined the pastoral ministry team at WFBC. She holds a doctorate in Art and Religion from the Graduate Theological Union at the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in divinity from McAfee School of Theology. Dr. Yarber also serves Wake Forest University as a campus minister.[13][14]

Since 2004, Dr. Susan Parker has served as the pastor of the church's pastoral ministries.[13] In the late 1990s, it was her union ceremony that sparked controversy. The controversy served as the subject of the documentary A Union in Wait. Drs. Groves and Parker have both signed the petition of the North Carolina Coalition for Marriage Equality.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Wake Forest Baptist Church History
  2. ^ a b Deem, John (August 8, 2022). "Wake Forest Baptist Church on university campus 'votes to dissolve' after 66 years". Winston-Salem Journal.
  3. ^ "Celebration of Life". Wake Forest Baptist Church. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Deem, John (August 12, 2022). "'It galls me': Wake Forest Baptist's demise sparks anger toward university". Winston-Salem Journal.
  5. ^ "Ministries". Wake Forest Baptist Church. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  6. ^ PFLAG Winston-Salem Bestows Awards
  7. ^ Habitat Goes Green and Faith Group Helps
  8. ^ "Unbroken Circles Worship Service". Wake Forest Baptist Church. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  9. ^ Baptist Church Opens Doors to Same Sex Unions
  10. ^ Archives, Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and (2012-03-02). "Warren Tyree Carr papers". wakespace.lib.wfu.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  11. ^ Pastor Remembered as Civil Rights Pioneer
  12. ^ "Dr. Warren Tyree Carr Obituary (2007) Winston-Salem Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  13. ^ a b Wake Forest Baptist Church Staff
  14. ^ WFU Campus Ministry

External links

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