Winterville's Church on Church Street
Winterville Baptist Church stands on Church Street in the heart of Winterville, North Carolina, just outside Greenville. The congregation describes itself as a family that proclaims the love and grace of God as found in Scripture, and it has built a reputation in Pitt County for combining expository preaching with a blended mix of traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs. With a passion for making disciples and a deep concern for its neighbors, Winterville Baptist has become both a teaching church and a center of recovery, missions, and hands-on service.
The pastor, Randall Woodard, is joined by a staff that includes a youth director, a music coordinator and pianist, and a long-serving administrative team. The church's leadership also includes an active board of deacons who serve as a ministering body rather than a governing board, walking alongside the pastor and caring for the needs of the church family. Together they form a community that takes seriously the call to be the presence of Christ in Winterville and around the world.
What to Expect on Your First Visit
Visitors to Winterville Baptist are made to feel welcome from the moment they arrive. The church's stated aim is to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, with music and worship built around timeless biblical themes. Greeting teams welcome newcomers at the door, and the music ministry intentionally blends beloved hymns with modern worship songs so that longtime believers and first-time guests alike can engage with the service in a way that feels familiar and meaningful.
From the pulpit the focus is on expository preaching, where the message is built around the point of the text being addressed. The high priority placed on the preaching and teaching of God's Word shapes both the Sunday morning worship gathering and the small group ministries that meet earlier in the morning. The church's philosophy is that no matter a family's shape, makeup, or background, all are welcome. Visitors can participate as much or as little as they wish, sitting back to observe or joining in the singing, praying, and fellowship that mark the gathering.
Families will find care for infants and children during the worship service, with children's ministry that runs alongside adult programming every Sunday. The church's leaders encourage newcomers to come as they are. In the words of the congregation itself, the doors are open to those who believe as well as those who are still seeking, because at Winterville Baptist there is a place for everyone.
Sunday at WBC: Small Groups, Worship, and Singspiration
Sunday is the anchor of the week at Winterville Baptist. Sunday School, what the church calls small groups, meets at 9:00 a.m. for every age group. These gatherings are designed for biblical study, fellowship, and prayer, and they give the church body an opportunity to grow together in age-appropriate settings before the larger worship gathering begins.
At 10:15 a.m. the congregation gathers for Sunday morning worship in the sanctuary. The service includes congregational singing led by the praise team and the music coordinator, followed by expository preaching. Services are also livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who are traveling, homebound, or simply prefer to participate online. The service generally runs through 11:30 a.m.
Some Sunday evenings bring a Singspiration service at 6:30 p.m. These evenings are a favorite of the church, with a focus on congregational singing led by the music team. Musicians and singers from the church family are invited to take part, and the music coordinator, Kathy Worthington, coordinates the music for these gatherings. Singspiration services give the congregation an opportunity to slow down, sing beloved songs together, and renew their focus on Christ.
Wednesdays and the Rest of the Week
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. are dedicated to Bible study. Wednesday Bible study is also livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook, and the church's online platforms, and Wednesday evening services are paused during the summer months.
Immediately after the Wednesday Bible study ends, the praise team gathers for practice at 7:30 p.m. The music team is central to the church's identity, blending traditional hymns rooted in the stories of the faith with contemporary worship songs that bring biblical themes into modern language. The music coordinator brings a deep appreciation for both styles, having studied piano formally for years and sung with the Greenville Choral Society and the East Carolina University Chorale.
Beyond Sunday and Wednesday, the church's calendar fills with additional rhythms. Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. bring the L.I.F.E. addiction recovery ministry to the fellowship hall. On the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m., the Baptist Men gather in the fellowship hall for a breakfast, devotional, and prayer, then fan out into the community for service projects. On the fourth Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m., the Glad-Abouts senior adult fellowship meets for a meal and program. Praise team practice and deacon meetings, along with occasional leadership gatherings, fill out the calendar.
Core Beliefs: Bible, Trinity, and Salvation by Grace
Winterville Baptist's doctrine is rooted in classic evangelical Baptist convictions. The church believes the Bible, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, to be the complete Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God as originally written, and the final authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
The church confesses one God, Creator of all, holy, sovereign, and eternal, existing in three equal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The church believes in the absolute and essential deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His eternal existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, in His work of creation, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His substitutionary death, in His bodily resurrection, in His triumphant ascension, in His mediatorial ministry, and in His personal return.
The Holy Spirit is confessed as fully divine and personal. The Spirit convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He regenerates, indwells, seals, sanctifies, illuminates, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. He baptizes believers at conversion into the body of Christ and bestows spiritual gifts sovereignly as He wills.
On humanity, the church teaches that Adam was divinely created in the image of God, that by his sin of disobedience he fell from that state, and that all his posterity inherited spiritual depravity and are guilty before God and condemned to physical and spiritual death. Salvation, the church teaches, is by the sovereign grace of God. Christ voluntarily suffered a propitiatory death. Justification is by faith alone in the all-sufficient sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom God has effectually called are divinely preserved and ultimately perfected in the image of the Lord.
Mission and Vision
The mission statement of Winterville Baptist flows from these convictions: reconciling people to God and one another by being the presence of Christ in the community and the world. The church's method is to make disciples of Jesus among all willing persons, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do all that Jesus said. The church's focus is on becoming a congregation where members expect one another to become like Jesus through inner life transformation, and where teaching and guiding one another to live like Jesus is the central task.
The congregation has summarized its vision with three core values: worship, discipleship, and outreach. From these values flow three commitments, edify, testify, and glorify. The vision statement captures it in a single line: we worship God, disciple believers, and reach the world, so that Jesus may be exalted above all. Every act of worship, every step of discipleship, and every moment of outreach at Winterville Baptist reflects the heart of that mission.
Preaching, Teaching, and the Pastor's Pen
The preaching ministry at Winterville Baptist centers on expository teaching through books of the Bible. Recent sermon series have included a study through the book of Revelation, with messages such as The Revelation of Jesus Christ, When John Saw Jesus, and The Revelation of Jesus Christ Study 3 - When Good Isn't Enough walking verse by verse through Revelation 1 and 2. The church has also worked through the Old Testament prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi in a series called Jesus in the Old Testament, and through 1 Peter in messages including This Is War, When The World Wants an Answer, Suffering, Salvation, and the Victorious Christ, and The Life Everyone is Searching For.
Sermon recordings are made available online so that members and friends can revisit teaching, share it with others, or catch up on messages they missed. A sermon archive extends back through 2025 and 2026, allowing regular attenders and online listeners to follow along with the church's journey through Scripture over time.
In addition to the pulpit, the pastor and others on the team write regularly in the Pastor's Pen, a teaching journal that walks through the Bible in extended written form. Recent entries have included reflections on the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the Sermon on the Mount's teaching on judgment, the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor, the repentance and restoration taught in Acts 3, and the theology of the kinsman redeemer drawn from the book of Ruth and 2 Corinthians 5. These writings apply careful study of the original languages and the historical context of Scripture to the everyday life of the believer, and they are made freely available to anyone who wishes to read them.
Music That Blends Old and New
The music ministry is led by Kathy Worthington, who serves as the music coordinator and pianist. She grew up at Winterville Baptist, came to faith in Christ there in the early 1990s, and has been active in the music ministry ever since. Her formal training includes more than eight years of piano study, and she has sung with the Greenville Choral Society and the East Carolina University Chorale, both of which have shaped her deep appreciation for different musical genres.
The church's musical approach is intentionally blended. Traditional hymns are treasured for the stories they tell through their lyrics, and contemporary worship songs are valued for the real-life application they bring from a modern perspective. Both styles are sung in the same service, often moving from a classic hymn into a more recent chorus and back again, so that the congregation can worship across generations and musical tastes. The praise team gathers for practice on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and the music ministry also hosts the popular Singspiration services on selected Sunday evenings.
Children and Youth at WBC
Winterville Baptist takes the spiritual formation of the next generation seriously. Children's ministry is currently being built up and re-energized, with small group Sunday School classes for all ages meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays. The church also hosts family-focused events throughout the year such as movie nights and a fall festival, and the staff is committed to ministering to every member of a visiting family.
The Youth Ministry is led by Emily Perry, who joined the staff with a clear sense of calling. She came to faith at age eight in a Southern Baptist church, where Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, choir directors, and pastors nurtured her early walk with the Lord. She has served on international mission trips to Mexico and Ecuador, and she carries a deep passion for introducing children and youth to Jesus at an early age. Her life verse is Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
The youth are active in the church and in the community, meeting on a regular basis and serving in missions. The church's goal is to raise up champions for Christ who are equipped to know why they believe what they believe and how to live out their faith in the midst of a broken world. The youth regularly join the rest of the congregation for Sunday morning worship and contribute to the church's overall life and service.
L.I.F.E. Ministries: Monday Night Recovery
One of the most distinctive ministries at Winterville Baptist is L.I.F.E. Ministries, a Christ-centered addiction recovery program that meets every Monday night at 6:30 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. L.I.F.E., which stands for Living In Freedom Everyday, is open to men and women, and a free meal is served at the start of each gathering. The group works through a curriculum written to help participants renew their minds with what God says about them and their addictions, and each meeting concludes around 8:30 p.m.
The ministry began in March of 2017 with the intent of sharing the good news of deliverance with others. Its leadership team is made up of men and women who have been set free from addictions through the power of God and who know firsthand where participants are and what their struggles feel like. The meetings are held in the highest confidence, and the L.I.F.E. meal team and security team are always looking for additional volunteers to help carry the load of this weekly ministry.
Those interested in learning more can contact the church office, and additional resources are available through the ministry's broader network. The L.I.F.E. program is one of the clearest expressions of the church's mission to be the presence of Christ in the community and to care for neighbors in the name of Christ, and it stands as a reminder that the church building stays open through the week for those who need it most.
Baptist Men and the Glad-Abouts
Men's ministry at Winterville Baptist is built around the Baptist Men, a brotherhood that meets for a fellowship breakfast on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 a.m. in the church fellowship hall. After a time of sharing, devotional reflection, and prayer, the men head out into the community to do hands-on mission and ministry projects. The men are particularly known for their wheelchair ramp ministry, building ramps for neighbors in need in the Winterville area.
The church's senior adult ministry is called the Glad-Abouts. This fellowship group meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. for a meal and a program, and the group also takes part in special fellowship events, retreats, and trips throughout the year. The Glad-Abouts give senior adults a place to stay connected, build friendships, and continue growing in their faith alongside their peers.
Missionaries: Brazil and West Africa
Winterville Baptist has a heart for the nations, and the church supports missionary families who carry the gospel far beyond Winterville. Two of these families are introduced in depth through the church's missionaries page.
Casey and Autumn Croy are missionaries to Brazil, working with Training Leaders International at the School of Christian Pastors in Natal. Casey is part of a team that trains pastors, with a local interpreter helping bridge the English and Portuguese teaching. The Croys are currently raising support and have shared their journey through the church, including their growing family. The congregation is invited to pray for wisdom, language growth, and continued gospel advance in northern Brazil.
Dr. Denise Thagard and Roy Thagard serve among an unreached people group in West Africa. Denise, a veterinarian, uses her gifts in hospitality to welcome neighbors and friends into their home, while Roy builds relationships with African men and shares about Jesus in small group meetings throughout the week. Together they host large gatherings for Christmas and Easter, reach out in the heart language of the people, and engage in outreach training aimed at the unreached. They have two young children, Abby and Josh, and their ministry, called The Animal Bridge, uses Denise's veterinary background as a bridge to share God's love. The family has experienced both the joys of ministry and the trials of life in a challenging part of the world, and the church continues to pray for their health, language growth, and the work God is doing through them.
The church also partners with Baptists on Mission and the broader North Carolina Baptist network for disaster relief, church planting, and other mission efforts. Members are encouraged to pray for and support missionaries through these networks as well.
Hurricane Helene Rebuild
In the wake of Hurricane Helene's destruction across western North Carolina, Winterville Baptist has joined with Baptists on Mission in long-term recovery work. The church maintains a connection to the Helene Rebuild effort, and the ministry points to ongoing opportunities to volunteer with rebuild teams, donate to relief work, and pray for families and communities across the mountains. The need for volunteers is expected to continue for years to come as more homes are brought back and more families are welcomed home. The church also responds to local needs through a food pantry in the fellowship hall, where members regularly drop off canned goods and other non-perishables to feed neighbors right here in Winterville.
The Scholarship Program
Winterville Baptist has a long-standing scholarship program that honors three members of the church family whose lives shaped the congregation. The Winterville Baptist Church Scholarship Program is a need-based program designed to support educational expenses for students currently active in the worship, Bible study, and ministries of the church. Awardees may receive the Adelle F. Wall-Brenda W. Waters Scholarship or the F. K. Tyson, Jr. Scholarship.
Eligibility requires at least one year of active participation in the life of Winterville Baptist with plans to continue, current enrollment in an educational program leading to an associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degree, a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrated merit or financial need. Applications are accepted each year with a December 1 deadline, and deserving students may apply and receive funding annually for a maximum of four awards. The application form is available from the church office.
Giving Online and By Mail
Winterville Baptist offers two ways to support the ministry financially. Gifts can be made online through the church's giving page, and gifts can also be mailed directly to the church at 2593 Church Street, PO Box 1669, Winterville, NC 28590. The church points to 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 as the theological heartbeat of Christian giving: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Visiting Winterville Baptist Church
Winterville Baptist Church is located at 2593 Church Street in Winterville, North Carolina, with a mailing address of PO Box 1669, Winterville, NC 28590. The phone number is 252-756-5955. The church's regular service schedule is straightforward: Sunday School for all ages at 9:00 a.m., Sunday morning worship at 10:15 a.m., Wednesday Bible study at 6:30 p.m., and the L.I.F.E. addiction recovery group on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. Services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those who cannot attend in person, and the church is glad to welcome both longtime believers and those who are still seeking, with the simple promise that there is a place for everyone at Winterville Baptist.