Our History
From its founding in 1927, Ardmore Baptist Church has sought to be a light of hope in Christ to the Winston-Salem community.
1927
Tabernacle Baptist Church was founded with 36 members who saw need for a Baptist church in new and growing Ardmore area.
1931
Helped fund the organizing of a Baptist church in the Smith Grove community.
1938
Renamed Ardmore Baptist Church in recognition of its place as a community church.
1940
During World War II, the organ was played over the church chimes each evening to lift the spirits of those at Baptist Hospital and in the neighborhood.
1948
Sunday school lessons were taught over radio due to a ban on public gatherings during the polio epidemic. The church started its first kindergarten.
1951
Our membership surpassed 1,000 for the first time.
1960
A play school (pre-cursor to the preschool) was founded for four year olds.
1961
A new Fellowship and Administration Building was built, and renovations were made to the Educational Building.
1962
Ardmore members began participating in the Meals on Wheels program.
1963
The first of several missionary houses was purchased to house foreign missionaries on furlough.
1970
Due to renovations in Brown Auditorium, worship services were held at the Thruway movie theater on the bottom floor of the shopping center.
1979
In the fall, Ardmore adopted a refugee family from Vietnam, providing a home as well as language and job training. A Vietnamese congregation would later begin holding regular worship services at Ardmore in 1989.
1981
Ardmore changed its constitution to allow women to serve as deacons. Our first woman deacon was elected in 1982. The 1980’s and 1990’s also saw an expansion of our mission and outreach activities through lay mission groups, medical, dental, and Bible teaching trips, college and singles outreach, and the NC Baptist Hospital outreach.
1995
Ardmore contributed money, volunteer labor, and moral support to help establish St. Andrew’s Baptist Church. This was an African-American church that would later merge with Zion Hill Baptist Church to form Grace United Community Church.
2000
Ardmore bought and opened the J.L. Wilson Guest House to give families with family members undergoing long-term care at the hospitals a free place to stay. Continuing our missions emphasis, Ardmore started its first Operation InAsMuch day of community service to schools and community agencies.
2002
In November, the Winston-Salem Chinese Christian Church began holding worship services at Ardmore, which still continue today. Groundbreaking for the current education and sanctuary buildings on Miller Street began this year, and both were completed in 2003.
2002
A group of ladies met to form the Handicrafters ministry using their talents for sewing, knitting, and crocheting to provide handcrafted health and comfort items through local groups and agencies.
2011
Partnered with Ashley Elementary School and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC to provide backpacks of food every weekend for 125 children in need. Ministry has grown to include tutoring, summer reading programs, teacher and staff support, and mentoring.
2012
Ardmore introduced the Shared Ministry Model of Leadership that moved away from committee assignments and toward a model that encourages members to find and serve in their ministry calling.
2015
Began the formation of Pivot Ministry, providing women with the skills and support for stable employment and enhanced life opportunities through mentoring, classes, and Bible study.
2016
Helped World Relief resettle two refugee families in Winston-Salem by providing friendship, cultural support, and assistance in settling into their new community, jobs, and schools.
2017
2017
Ardmore Baptist Church entered into an intentionally missional relationship with the elementary school in our own neighborhood, Moore Elementary School. We provide encouraged for the teachers and staff, we pray for the school, and members of Ardmore Baptist Church serve as Classroom Reading Buddies.
2019
2020
During the year 2020, Ardmore Baptist Church has to make adjustments given the challenges faced the world over by the Covid-19 pandemic. Worship services were livestreamed onto YouTube and Facebook. The Pastoral Staff also sought ways to provide spiritual formation resources via Zoom Bible Studies and socially-distanced gatherings.
2022
2023
Since the 1980s, Ardmore Baptist Church has ordained both men and women to Gospel ministry. In 2023, the Southern Baptist Convention doubled-down on their notion that only men could serve in pastoral ministry. Recognizing our divergent views, Ardmore Baptist Church disaffiliated from the Southern Baptist Convention via a congregational vote. We became solely aligned with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
