On Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk, Maryland, Dunkirk Baptist Church gathers as a Christ-centered congregation with one clear purpose: discipling believers to learn, live, and give the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That motto shapes the church's five priorities and the rhythm of the week, where learning the Bible on Sunday mornings, living it in Wednesday night community, and giving it through local service and global missions are not separate programs but one continuous way of being the church together.
Wednesdays Together: Dinner, Prayer, and Bible Study
The midweek gathering is at the center of life at Dunkirk Baptist. The doors open at 6:00 PM and families arrive carrying their own dinners to share a meal together. From 6:30 to 7:00 PM the group prays for the nation and the community, and at 7:00 PM the room divides into adult Bible study classes and the youth group. Adults are currently working through A Life Worth Living: Exploring the Meaning of Life by Nicky Gumbel, while middle and high schoolers head to the Connect Center for Youth L.I.F.E., a midweek Bible study with games, activities, and biblical teaching. The evening wraps up at 8:00 PM. The rhythm is designed so that people of every generation are studying the same Scripture in their own setting on the same night.
Sunday Mornings Begin at 9
Sunday School meets at 9:00 AM for every age group and is the primary way the church grows disciples in the knowledge of God's Word. Toddlers through fifth graders gather for Bible lessons and activities. Middle and high school students study the Bible directly and learn to turn to Scripture as their primary source of truth. Adults meet in discussion-based classes that work through the Bible's message and apply it to daily life. The current adult offerings include Biblical Doctrine, Foundations of Faith, Women Explore the Bible, and Bible Studies for Life.
At 10:30 AM the Sunday Worship Service begins in the Sanctuary and runs until about noon. Music is a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary songs, supported by a choir, a praise team, and live instrumentalists, with occasional special music from soloists, children's choirs, senior adult choirs, and men's choruses. Sermons are expositional, helping the congregation understand what the Bible teaches and how it applies, and they are typically preached from the New King James Version. The Hebrews Cafe, run by the Hospitality Team, opens before Sunday School with coffee, refreshments, and treats so that first-time guests can meet people over a warm drink.
Children and Youth: From Awana to L.I.F.E.
Children's Ministry exists to bring children into worship where they belong to the family of God, grow in their relationship with Christ, learn to serve, and then go share Christ in the world. During the 9:00 AM Sunday School hour, toddlers through fifth graders are taught by a group of volunteers who love, live, and give like Jesus. Nursery care is provided for infants and toddlers throughout the morning.
During the 10:30 AM Worship Service, Children's Church meets in the Connect Center for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Lessons are age-appropriate and engaging, and parents pick up their children in the Connect Center after the service. While children are always welcome in the Sanctuary, Children's Church is offered as a more fun and enriching option for school-aged kids. In the spring, UpWard Soccer serves children ages K4 through second grade, with the season running from March through May. Vacation Bible School is held in the summer.
On Sunday evenings at 5:00 PM, the church hosts Awana Clubs, a high-energy program where children learn more about God's Word through activities designed to help them know, love, and serve God.
The Youth Ministry gathers middle and high schoolers for Sunday School at 9:00 AM, then again for Youth L.I.F.E. on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in the Connect Center. High School students also have a twice-monthly hangout on the first and third Tuesdays of the month to dig deeper into God's Word. Throughout the year the youth group builds community through mission trips, fun events, and youth-only outings.
Women, Men, and the Inspirations
The Women's Ministry describes itself as Women of Value, Connected to God, Connected to One Another. The group meets throughout the year for conferences, focused Bible learning, service projects, retreats, and fun events, with a strong emphasis on building authentic relationships and encouraging one another to live the Gospel.
The Men's Ministry gathers men to connect, disciple, challenge, and sharpen one another in their walk with Jesus. The signature gathering is the Men's Prayer Breakfast, held on the third Saturday of each month from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM. The men also meet throughout the year for Bible studies, service projects, and retreats.
The Senior's Ministry, called the Inspirations, exists to flourish and bear fruit as seniors learn, live, and give the Gospel. The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 AM for fellowship and lunch, and it also organizes luncheons, day trips, community outreach, Bible studies, and fun events for older adults.
The Hospitality Ministry is the warm welcome behind all of it. The team runs the Hebrews Cafe before Sunday School, organizes potlucks on fifth Sundays, hosts a February "Soup"er Bowl, prepares the Easter Sunrise Breakfast, and coordinates the Christmas Dinner. The goal is simple: make every guest and member feel special and a sense of belonging.
What Baptists Believe at Dunkirk
Dunkirk Baptist Church holds to the historic distinctives of the Baptist tradition. The Bible is the divinely inspired, truthful, and ultimate standard for faith and conduct. God exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, lived, died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Everyone has sinned and is in need of salvation, which is only available through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Salvation is given by God's grace through faith and not by human actions.
The church practices two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, which commemorate salvation but do not convey it. The congregation affirms the autonomy of the local church, the priesthood of every believer, individual soul liberty, the security of the believer, and the two biblical offices of pastor and deacon. The Bible is treated as the final authority in all matters of belief and practice, and the church and state are understood as two separate authorities ordained by God.
The Gospel is presented in five movements: God loves you and has a plan for your life; sin separates you from God; Jesus offers forgiveness from sin; we must turn from sin and turn to Jesus; and we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior by grace through faith.
Sent Out: Safe Nights, Shoeboxes, and Short-Term Missions
Being a disciple at Dunkirk Baptist means being sent. The Missions Development Team mobilizes members for service locally and around the world through partnerships, offerings, and short-term trips. Locally, the church shares the love of Jesus with homeless neighbors through Safe Nights, offering warm meals and shelter during the cold winter months. The congregation also plants churches alongside ministries like Graffiti Church in East Baltimore.
Each year the church participates in the Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, State Missions, Mission Dignity, and Disaster Relief offerings, and the congregation fills shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, which are distributed to children in need around the world. Yearly shoe and coat drives extend that giving outward, and short-term mission scholarships help members who want to go. The church also supports missionaries serving in Uganda and Ukraine through Christians in Alliance and World Venture.
The Pastoral Team
Pastor Ben Holland has served as senior pastor since March 2017. He was born in Roy, Utah to an Air Force family and grew up in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. He earned a BBA and MBA at Campbell University and worked in the insurance field before entering full-time ministry in 2000. He studied at Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin), and he served as senior pastor in Tulare, California for ten years before coming to Dunkirk. His passion is helping people understand God's Word, put it into action, and lead others to be fruitful followers of Christ. He and his wife Lindsay have four children.
Chris Garrett joined the church in June 2018 as youth pastor and added the role of worship pastor in September 2021. A southern Maryland native who has lived in the area since 1983, he earned a BS at Columbia International University with a major in Bible and a minor in Music, and he is pursuing an MDiv at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary online. He and his wife were high school sweethearts and have a son, Samuel.
Ed Wilcher has served as Associate Pastor of Discipleship since February 2022. He holds a double major in Religion and Christian Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College, was licensed to preach in 2002, and was ordained for Pastoral and Gospel Ministry at Dunkirk Baptist Church in September 2021. Beyond his pastoral role, he serves as a Detective Sergeant in the Montgomery County Department of Police and is the adoptive parent of seven children.
Visiting Dunkirk Baptist
The church building sits at 11275 Southern Maryland Boulevard in Dunkirk, Maryland. Sunday School begins at 9:00 AM, followed by the Worship Service at 10:30 AM. Wednesday evenings begin at 6:00 PM. The atmosphere is "come as you are": some people dress up, others come casually, and any modest attire is appropriate. Sunday services are livestreamed, and archived sermons are available for those who have missed a week. There is nursery and Pre-K care during Sunday School and the Worship Service, and Children's Church for K through fifth grade during the service. First-time visitors are warmly invited to attend Sunday School, the Worship Service, or both, and the Hebrews Cafe is a good place to start.