“Our Story of Faith: The History of Wake Forest Baptist Church 1835-2015” by the Rev. Dr. Timothy Shaun Price has been published and is now available for pre-order sales at the church’s website, www.wakeforestbaptistchurch.org.
The church began with a prayer meeting of Wake Forest College students seeking revival and has grown through 180 years to one of the most prominent Baptist congregations in North Carolina. When it finally built a church on the college campus that was completed in 1914 it was acclaimed as one of the finest church buildings in the state and the South and still can awe any visitor.
Wake Forest Baptist was the mother church for Olive Branch Baptist Church, the oldest Black church in Wake Forest.
It has had noted congregants and pastors, including Dr. William Poteat, the champion of science and evolution during the early 1900s. Most if not all of the college professors were members for years as well as a large number of town residents.
After the college moved to Winston-Salem in 1956 the church lost many members but, through outreach, is now one of the largest congregations in Wake Forest.
The church today reflects the town’s explosion of growth in the 21st century and continues its journey of faith, providing rich worship opportunities and assistance to people in need.
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