A Church on Beatties Ford Road
Reeder Memorial Baptist Church sits at 3725 Beatties Ford Road on the west side of Charlotte, North Carolina, in a corridor of the city long associated with its African American congregations, civic institutions, and small storefront ministries. The church shares its grounds with Reeder Memorial Missions Place, an outreach complex at 3713 Beatties Ford Road that operates the congregation's food pantry and community gardens. Together, the two buildings anchor Reeder's identity as a body whose worship and community service flow out of the same parking lot.
The church identifies itself as Baptist and intentionally maintains relationships with three wider bodies: the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the United Missionary Baptist Association (UMBA), and American Baptist Churches, USA (through its ABC of the South region). Its stated mission is to be a loving and forgiving Christian fellowship called to witness, to preach the Gospel, and to teach all people as Christ has taught; providing a foundation for spiritual growth and personal development through communication, mission, Christian outreach, and service opportunities for the expansion of God's Kingdom on earth.
A Congregation Born from a Prayer Circle
Reeder Memorial began in January 1983 when a small group of former members of Gethsemane Baptist Church started gathering for Sunday School and prayer service in one another's homes. They named the new fellowship Reeder Memorial in honor of the late Dr. J. A. Reeder, who had served as pastor of Gethsemane for 33 years and had baptized many of the founding members.
On May 11, 1983, the State of North Carolina granted the group's charter and the legal name Reeder Memorial Baptist Church, Inc. of Charlotte. The congregation purchased 3.25 acres of land next to what was then Metrolina Funeral Home in September 1984, while Rev. R. W. Dalton served as Interim Pastor. The following summer, members asked Dr. C. Don Steger to preach; he accepted the call and became Reeder's first official pastor on November 25, 1984.
Groundbreaking for the sanctuary took place on February 23, 1986, and the completed building was dedicated on March 1, 1987. The structure included an educational wing, a fellowship hall, and furnishings. Dr. Steger shepherded Reeder through almost three decades of growth until his retirement in December 2015. After a year under Interim Pastor Dr. Joseph Sanders-Parks, the church called Rev. Thomas R. Farrow, Jr. as its second pastor in December 2016.
Rev. Dr. Thomas R. Farrow, Jr.
Pastor Farrow is described by the church as a dynamic preacher and teacher passionate about connecting church and community. He holds degrees in Business Administration and Mental Health Counseling from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Campbell University, and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Faith and Leadership Formation alongside members of his own congregation.
He serves as Moderator of the United Missionary Baptist Association and has preached the MLK Commemorative Day Service for Shaw University, multiple services at Campbell University, and the General Baptist State Convention of NC's Annual Session. He recently preached at the Historic Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem, New York, and has been recognized by the Fayetteville Observer as one of the area's rising leaders under the age of 40. He sits on the board of the Urban League of Central Carolina and volunteers weekly with the Northstar Reading program in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He and his wife Kembrie, a social worker in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, have three children, and the family is heavily involved in Reeder's youth and outreach ministries.
The Sanctuary Renovation of 2017
In October 2017, Reeder's Worship and Arts Ministry led a major renovation of the sanctuary. The work included new carpet, reupholstered and refinished pews, new pulpit furnishings, a refreshed color scheme, A/V technology to accommodate persons with disabilities, and a redesigned choir loft that merges with the pulpit area to form a quick-conversion stage for preaching, teaching, and performances.
Sunday Worship and Sunday School
Reeder's Sunday morning rhythm pairs Sunday School with corporate worship. Sunday School, led by Superintendent Raul Thomas, follows the long Baptist model in which the Bible is the central curriculum and the class is used for reaching, teaching, and caring for the spiritual needs of participants. Greeters under Cheryl Williamson and a Hospitality team under Angela Gist welcome guests at the door and assist with seating and materials.
The Deacon Board, led by Deacon Peggie Reid, supports worship by assisting with baptisms, serving communion at worship services and during visits to sick and shut-in members, and supporting the Central Children's Home of North Carolina through visits, birthday gifts, and Christmas gifts. Deaconess Shari Rankin leads the Deaconess Ministry, which prepares Holy Communion and Baptism, supports women and children, leads the Rites of Passage Program, visits members, and organizes the church directory.
Music, Arts, and Prayer
Worship at Reeder is anchored by a strong choral program. The choirs include the Hymn Choir, the Ensemble, the Mighty Voices of Reeder (a male chorus), the Mass Choir, and the Children's Choir, all under Rev. Willis Hickerson, who also leads the broader Worship and Arts Ministry. The same team oversees the church's audio, video, and graphics operation for worship services and special events.
A Prayer Ministry brings people together for corporate prayer, praise, worship, and thanksgiving. It is led by Min. Geraldine Porter, Ms. Tommie Richardson, and Deacon Reperzelle Ware. A Prayer Box is also available in the Welcome Center.
Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
Min. Madria Spivey oversees the church's next-generation work, which includes a Youth Ministry for young people to connect with God and develop leadership skills, a Mentorship Ministry that bridges youth and adults to provide spiritual guidance and support for high school and junior high students, and a Young Adult Ministry that engages young adults in the social mission of the Gospel through evangelization, prayer, and leadership development.
For adults, First Lady Kembrie Farrow leads a Women's Ministry that meets to share and learn on topics and concerns of women using literary works and group activities. David and Edna Grace lead a Marriage Ministry that organizes indoor and outdoor couple activities around keeping Christ at the center of marriage. Veronica Rankin, a doctor of nursing practice, leads a Health Ministry that focuses on chronic disease management, healthy lifestyle habits, dietary demonstrations, mental health workshops, and the annual Village HeartBeat program.
Men, Seniors, and Church Care
Rev. Rodney Jackson, Rev. Michael Cureton, and Deacon Greg Rankin lead a Men's Ministry built around prayer breakfasts, small study and sharing groups, outings, and volunteer activities. Rev. Dr. Jeanette J. Foster leads the Senior Ministry, which serves Reeder's older adults and seniors in the surrounding community with spiritual growth opportunities, fellowship, health education, Black History Month programming, a summer picnic, a senior appreciation program, holiday celebrations, workshops, trips, and outreach to sick, shut-in, and disabled members.
Gregory "Dee" Rankin leads the Trustees, who steward the church's assets, manage the property, develop the annual budget, and review expenses and investments.
Missions Place: Food Pantry and Community Gardens
Reeder Memorial Missions Place at 3713 Beatties Ford Road is the church's main community-facing operation. Its purpose is to provide hunger relief in Charlotte and the broader Mecklenburg County area on an emergency and as-needed basis, by appointment.
About 80 percent of the food distributed through the pantry is purchased from or donated through the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina; the remainder comes from partnerships with companies, churches, and other organizations. Clients must live in Mecklenburg County or surrounding areas, be at or below the North Carolina Poverty Scale, be disaster-stricken, or be in an emergency situation, and are seen by appointment after submitting a Request for Food Application.
Pantry hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with an additional Thursday afternoon session from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and a third-Saturday-of-the-month day. Clients can call 704-802-9548 or email foodpantry@reederministries.org to schedule an appointment. Volunteers are essential to the operation and must complete an orientation.
Adjacent to the pantry, the Missions Place Community Gardens and Orchard, established in October 2017, provides fresh fruits and vegetables for pantry clients. The gardens began with eight raised beds, expanded in 2018 with more than 60 berry bushes and several fruit trees, and share their harvest with the pantry's food box distribution. Partners who helped build the gardens include the Sisters of Mercy North Carolina Foundation, The Males Place, and Trees Charlotte. Friendship Missionary Baptist Church also shares produce from its own raised garden with Reeder clients.
Sports, Social Justice, and Community Engagement
Reeder's Sports Ministry uses athletics as a gateway to teach discipline, structure, and teamwork with a Christian focus and offers basketball, cheerleading, softball, soccer, and flag football for youth and adults. Colette Forrest leads a Social Justice Ministry that educates the church and the surrounding community on equality and diversity culturally, politically, and economically. The church's community engagement calendar has included the AARP Tax Aide Program, a World Vision Water Walk, a Mobile Food Pantry, and the Salvation Army Angel Tree.
Prayer and Teaching Through the Week
Beyond Sunday worship, Reeder offers two regular midweek touchpoints. Tuesday Night Teaching (TNT) is a recurring Bible teaching session. The Prayer Ministry holds a Wednesday Night Prayer Call at 9 p.m.; participants dial 202-926-1128 and enter Class ID 850-921. The church also livestreams its Sunday services on YouTube.
Giving, Membership, and Getting Involved
Reeder offers five ways to give: online through its giving platform, by texting an amount to 704-741-4337, by mail to the church office, in person during office hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and by scanning a code in the church. The office can be reached at 704-398-2914 or reederministries@gmail.com.
Anyone interested in joining the congregation is invited to scan a QR code on the Join Us page or fill out an online form; a staff or ministerial team member will follow up. Members have access to a range of practical supports, including a Benevolence Ministry for those experiencing temporary financial shortages, a funeral planning policy and planning sheet, an eBulletin subscription, prayer request submission, and a Lost and Found office reachable Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where the Church Meets the Neighborhood
Reeder Memorial's ministries radiate out from Beatties Ford Road into a part of Charlotte where the church's neighbors include Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library and Simpson and Gillispie United Methodist Church. The congregation's name, borrowed from a beloved former pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church, the building that rose on a three-acre lot in 1987, the sanctuary renovation a generation later, and the Missions Place food pantry and gardens next door all point in the same direction: a Baptist family that wants the name of the church to mean something tangible for the people who live around it.