Our Story
Affiliations
Winter Park Baptist Church is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina.
History
Winter Park Baptist Church was established in 1913 in the Winter Park Gardens area of Wilmington, NC, which at the time was merely a suburb of the community’s port-based center. As the city grew, First Baptist Church of Wilmington saw need to begin a Sunday school class in this budding community, and in 1912, an assistant pastor of FBC Wilmington began hosting worship services in conjunction with the Sunday school. Not long thereafter, Winter Park Baptist Church was established on June 15, 1913 with the help of FBC Wilmington and Reverend Milton O. Alexander and an initial membership of 37. Winter Park Baptist Church, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship affiliated church, still sits on its original site on Wrightsville Avenue, now the heart of the city.
For the next several decades, the area of Winter Park Gardens saw exceptional growth as Wilmington grew. The area had a trolley that connected the city to Wrightsville Beach, and the city began to sprawl from the downtown area. Families began to move to the area, and Winter Park Baptist grew, as did the neighborhood. Many families joined the church for worship and fellowship opportunities. In the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s; Winter Park grew in numbers, as well as facilities. The present sanctuary, an education center, and a new children’s wing were constructed. Programs for children, youth, and adults abounded; and a preschool was opened as an outreach of the church to families of the community. Many families who participated in the life of Winter Park during those decades are still a part of the church today. In 2013, Winter Park celebrated 100 years of worship and ministry, continuing to draw its membership from all over New Hanover County and the surrounding areas.
Today, Winter Park is a caring, loving congregation where missions and ministries are a part of the daily activities of our church. Our worship time is a celebration of our love for Christ and one another. The doors of Winter Park are open to all who believe in Jesus Christ and wish to worship in His name. The work of Winter Park in the community and in the world is carried out by an involved congregation and a devoted and talented staff. We, as a church, adopted a mission statement in 2016: Together…learning to follow Jesus, joining God’s work in the world. As a church, we strive to do these things in the name of Jesus, obeying His command to go and tell the Good News. We are continually striving to carryout this mission statement as we work together to follow Jesus and continue God’s work in the world.
For the next several decades, the area of Winter Park Gardens saw exceptional growth as Wilmington grew. The area had a trolley that connected the city to Wrightsville Beach, and the city began to sprawl from the downtown area. Families began to move to the area, and Winter Park Baptist grew, as did the neighborhood. Many families joined the church for worship and fellowship opportunities. In the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s; Winter Park grew in numbers, as well as facilities. The present sanctuary, an education center, and a new children’s wing were constructed. Programs for children, youth, and adults abounded; and a preschool was opened as an outreach of the church to families of the community. Many families who participated in the life of Winter Park during those decades are still a part of the church today. In 2013, Winter Park celebrated 100 years of worship and ministry, continuing to draw its membership from all over New Hanover County and the surrounding areas.
Today, Winter Park is a caring, loving congregation where missions and ministries are a part of the daily activities of our church. Our worship time is a celebration of our love for Christ and one another. The doors of Winter Park are open to all who believe in Jesus Christ and wish to worship in His name. The work of Winter Park in the community and in the world is carried out by an involved congregation and a devoted and talented staff. We, as a church, adopted a mission statement in 2016: Together…learning to follow Jesus, joining God’s work in the world. As a church, we strive to do these things in the name of Jesus, obeying His command to go and tell the Good News. We are continually striving to carryout this mission statement as we work together to follow Jesus and continue God’s work in the world.
Partners
We strategically partner with organizations locally, nationally, and globally that reflect the values and mission of Winter Park Baptist Church. We believe that these organizations possess a depth of knowledge, wisdom, and practical implementation that we could not replicate on our own, thus they are critical for seeing God's will done on earth as it is in Heaven. We encourage all those at Winter Park to connect deeply with one of these organizations and to learn from their experiences as you seek to put God's love in action.
To learn more about the partnerships listed below, please visit their website and/or social channels.
Christian Women's Job Corp
Cru at UNCW
Faith Ministries Mexico
Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear
Forget Me Knots Memory Support
Foster Pantry
Help Hub
Hope Changes Everything
Hope Recuperative Care
Interfaith Refugee Ministry
Kshema Foundation
Paws for People
Praying Pelican Missions
Vigilant Hope
Winter Park Elementary School
To learn more about the partnerships listed below, please visit their website and/or social channels.
Christian Women's Job Corp
Cru at UNCW
Faith Ministries Mexico
Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear
Forget Me Knots Memory Support
Foster Pantry
Help Hub
Hope Changes Everything
Hope Recuperative Care
Interfaith Refugee Ministry
Kshema Foundation
Paws for People
Praying Pelican Missions
Vigilant Hope
Winter Park Elementary School
Meet the Team
Pastoral
Operations
Preschool
Music
Melody Bryan
Organist
Wanda Gordy
Pianist
Beth Key
Pianist
Brad Kornegay
Open Door Music Assistant/Interim Youth Minister
Email
Bob Pearson
Audio Engineer
Organist
Wanda Gordy
Pianist
Beth Key
Pianist
Brad Kornegay
Open Door Music Assistant/Interim Youth Minister
Bob Pearson
Audio Engineer
Field Personnel
Laura Bullock
Wilmington, NC
Cokie & Jay Westfall
Bangalore, India
Wilmington, NC
Cokie & Jay Westfall
Bangalore, India