A Pioneer Congregation in Crestdale
On a stretch of Crestdale Road in Matthews, North Carolina, the same fellowship of believers that first gathered under a brush arbor on December 27, 1879, still meets to worship. Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, known locally as MMMBC, has stood in this community for more than 145 years, growing from a half-acre purchased for $15 into a ministry that touches families across the Charlotte region and, through its livestream, as far as Kuwait. The church is pastored today by Rev. Dr. Larry W. Whitley, who has led the congregation since 1997 and is widely respected both inside and outside the church for his decades of public service.
From Brush Arbor to a New Sanctuary
Mount Moriah began in 1879 under the leadership of Rev. Henry Boyd, who gathered the first worshipers beneath a humble brush arbor. The following year, a church representative named N. Clay bought a half-acre of land from J.S. and Mrs. Gribble for $15, and the first building was erected. That early structure carried the congregation through the world wars, the Korean War, and the Great Depression. By 1911, Sunday School was drawing 24 pupils and bringing in collections of seven to twenty-four cents each Sunday, held at 1:00 in the afternoon.
Rev. Mackey shepherded the church from 1937 to 1944, working alongside Sunday School Superintendent E.J. Kirkpatrick. The congregation was organized around four active groups: the Sunday School, the Usher Board, the Missionary Society, and the Choirs. In May 1945, a 26-year-old preacher named Rev. J.C. Robinson accepted the call. He would lead Mount Moriah for nearly half a century. Under his pastorate, the church moved from the old building into what is now the Fellowship Hall in 1952. Worship was held on the first and third Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. and every Sunday evening at 6:45 p.m.
The 1960s and early 1970s brought growth, and a History Committee was formed to record the life of the church. By around 1973, the rolls showed 145 youth and 160 adults, and by the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, membership had climbed to roughly 300. Rev. Robinson retired in 1994 at the age of 75, after 49 years of service, and was named Pastor Emeritus.
Pastor Larry W. Whitley and a New Chapter
On June 18, 1997, Rev. Larry W. Whitley was elected pastor by the Executive Board and the church body, preaching his first sermon titled "An In The Valley Experience." A native of Zebulon, North Carolina, and the seventh of eight children born to Andrew and Annie Mae Whitley, Pastor Whitley graduated from James E. Shepherd High School in 1970 and went on to earn a B.S. in Art Education from North Carolina A&T State University in 1974. He completed basic and administrative officers training for the North Carolina Highway Patrol and later received two degrees from Bethlehem Bible College of Roanoke, Virginia, along with honorary Doctor of Divinity and Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.
Pastor Whitley served the N.C. Highway Patrol for 30 years, retiring on April 30, 2003 as one of only three Black Captains in the state, having managed a ten-county Troop "E" region from Salisbury. He has served more than 27 years as pastor of Mount Moriah, six years as Moderator of the Mecklenburg General Baptist Association (now the United Missionary Baptist Association), and in November 2015 was elected to the Matthews Board of Commissioners, becoming the first African American to serve on that board in its 136-year history. He and his wife, Rev. Chris Latham Whitley, have two daughters, Kashonda and Kristy, a son-in-law, and a growing brood of grandchildren.
Sunday Morning at Mount Moriah
Sunday School begins at 8:30 a.m., taught through the Christian Education Ministry. The Adult Bible Study is designed for members ages 40 and up and is described by the church as a time to "jointly learn the word of God so that we can be teachers and doers of His Word." A separate Young Adult Bible Study serves ages 18 to 40, with a focus on self-discovery and growing closer to God, co-hosted by Min. Deas and Rachel Bivens. A special Young Adult message is featured on the second Sunday of each month during the worship service.
Worship begins at 9:45 a.m. The service is livestreamed, and recordings of past services are available through the church's media archive. The church also partners with neighboring congregations in community work; in October 2016, Pastor Whitley and Pastor Wilson of Matthews United Methodist organized a community forum with town leaders, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Department, the NC Highway Patrol, and the wider Matthews community to strengthen police and community relations.
Bible Study and the Christian Education Ministry
Midweek formation happens at noon on Wednesdays, when Minister Lonnie Stinson leads Adult Bible Study on the church's Facebook group, "Mt Moriah Adult Bible Study." Anyone interested in joining the virtual study can request membership in the group. Together with the Sunday School hour, this weekly study makes up the core of the Christian Education Ministry, a teaching tradition the church has carried forward since the days of E.J. Kirkpatrick and the four-organization structure of the mid-twentieth century.
The Child Development Center
Tucked onto the church's campus is the Mount Moriah Child Development Center (CDC), a five-star daycare serving the historic Crestdale community and surrounding neighborhoods. The CDC exists, in the church's words, to provide "a first class, faith based children's education learning and training center." Programming has historically included preschool, after-school care, and a Summer Enrichment Camp, and the center's board goals emphasize innovative practices that prepare children for kindergarten, close achievement gaps, partner with parents on a foundation of God's Word, and provide nutritious meals in a healthy environment.
Director Kristy Spruill leads the center, bringing an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from CPCC and a Bachelor's in Teaching from Catawba College, along with experience in toddler, pre-K, and after-school classrooms, five years as an assistant director at The Sunshine House, and supervisory work in Cabarrus County. Her philosophy is simple and intentional: teach the children about God, show them how to treat others, and give them the building blocks they need to be great students in the future.
Giving That Funds Every Corner of the Mission
Online giving supports tithes and offerings for the General Fund, the Missions fund, a Scholarship Fund that supports youth education and activities, the Building Fund, and direct giving to the Child Development Center. A "Choose Sub Fund" option allows donors to direct gifts to special campaigns like Baby Jesus, Old Fashioned Day, Church Anniversary and Homecoming, Passover, the SEED Offering in A, B, or C tiers, and the 12 Tribes. The church frames giving with the words of Luke 6:38 and 2 Corinthians 9:7, calling every believer to be "a cheerful giver."
Mission, Vision, and What Lies Ahead
Mount Moriah's mission is to Love Christ, Love People, Make Disciples, and Keep the Faith, leading people to Christ and being a Voice of Hope to the World. Its vision is to glorify God, teach the Word, reach people for Christ, and live by faith, prayer, and love for others. Between 1997 and 2009, the church purchased additional land from John Kirkpatrick and the Stitt Sisters, setting the stage for a multi-phase building project. The first service in the new sanctuary was held on June 26, 2010, and the Child Development Center soon followed.
A revised master plan, approved by the Town of Matthews, has condensed the original five-phase vision into three. Phase One, the new sanctuary and Child Development Center, is complete. Phase Two calls for a 50-unit Senior Living Facility, and Phase Three envisions 18 units of affordable housing, extending the same commitment to the Crestdale community that the brush-arbor founders began in 1879.