A Hundred Years on Bethania Rural Hall Road
For a century, Woodland Baptist Church has stood on Bethania Rural Hall Road on the north side of Winston-Salem, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the city and the surrounding communities of Forsyth County. The large building that visitors notice when they drive by does not define the experience inside, Pastor Tim Gammons is quick to point out. "At Woodland you're not only welcome, you're wanted." The church is known across the region for its unwavering commitment to the King James Bible, a thriving four-year Bible college, and the warm, grace-filled culture that has carried the congregation through a hundred years of ministry. Tim Gammons has shepherded the church since July 1, 1997, building on a heritage that reaches back to the early twentieth century.
Making, Marking, and Maturing Disciples
The church describes its purpose in three words drawn from the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20: Make, Mark, and Mature. Woodland Baptist exists first to make disciples by spreading the gospel at home and around the world. Second, believers are marked through believer's baptism, an outward expression of the inward decision to follow Christ, in keeping with Acts 2:41. Third, disciples are matured through ongoing Bible teaching, summed up in 2 Peter 3:18: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Sunday classes and the Wednesday Bible study are the primary contexts where this growth happens. New believers are pointed to a three-step process: believe in Jesus, follow Him in baptism, and connect with a local body of believers.
Worship in Two Languages
Woodland's weekly calendar opens with Sunday School at 9:00 a.m., followed by Morning Worship at 10:00 a.m. Evening Worship gathers at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday Worship meets at 7:00 p.m. A Spanish-language ministry, Servicio En Español, runs alongside the English schedule with services on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and again on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. All English services are interpreted for the hearing impaired. Services are livestreamed on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m., Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. A sermon archive, hosted on YouTube and a Spotify podcast, lets the congregation and newcomers revisit messages at any time.
What a First-Time Guest Finds
"Visiting a church can be intimidating," the church acknowledges, "but when it comes to Woodland, you can relax." Greeters welcome newcomers with information about classes and nurseries and help them find their way. The dress is whatever a guest feels comfortable wearing; the goal is worship, not entertainment. The music ministry, under the direction of Choir Director Thyra Williams, supports congregational worship through the choir. The preaching is described as practical, with Pastor Gammons teaching through series that apply God's wisdom to real-life situations. "We speak plain English," the church says, teaching what the Bible actually says and why it matters. The gospel of grace is the center of everything at Woodland Baptist, and the family is warm and welcoming.
A Place for Every Life Stage
Sunday School at 9:00 a.m., overseen by Director Travis Rominger, is the front door of connection. The children's wing offers classes for every age from 3-year-olds through sixth grade, broken into rooms by grade and gender. Two nurseries (Little Foxes for infants through walking, and Kidzone for walking through 2 years) are provided for every service, with mothers' rooms available. Lil' Peoples Church serves 3- to 5-year-olds during Sunday services. The youth ministry, led by Youth Pastor Jonathan Brewster, gathers teens ages 13 to 18 at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday, with Teen Night on the first and third Wednesdays in Room 123. The teens also keep a weekly visitation schedule and gather for monthly activities. Wednesday evening brings Master Clubs for children ages 3 through sixth grade, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Adults find a deep bench of options. The Crossroads college-and-career class, taught by Assistant Pastor Mark Leone, is for young adults finding their way from youth into adulthood. Couples can choose from His Design, Christian Home, Saved by Grace, or Heaven's Child. Women's classes include Royal Servants and Heavenbound; men meet in Watchmen and Ambassadors. A discipleship class in Room 114 welcomes new believers and members, and an Auditorium Class serves all ages and life stages. The Silent Class, taught by Claudia Crawford, meets in the office area for the deaf. Senior Saints gather the second Tuesday of each month for day trips with church-provided transportation.
Training the Next Generation of Preachers
Woodland Baptist Bible College was founded in 2009 by Pastor Gammons, who holds that a "call to preach is a call to prepare." The college meets on Monday and Tuesday evenings during the fall and spring semesters, with classes taught from the King James Bible. In 2021, Dr. Roger Baker was named president, and the program has grown under his guidance. Four tracks are offered: a Bachelor of Pastoral Theology for men with a recognized call to preach, a Bachelor of Theology, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies, and a Bible Certificate. Students progress through the Book of Genesis, the Synoptic Gospels, Hermeneutics, the Pastoral Epistles, Baptist History, Homiletics, the Book of Revelation, Biblical Counseling, and more. Eight semesters of Christian service are required for the bachelor tracks, along with four online courses through Macedonia Institute for World Evangelism.
A Faith Anchored in the Word
Woodland Baptist's Statement of Faith holds that the King James Version is the church's official and only translation. The church teaches the verbal and plenary inspiration of Scripture, the inerrancy of the sixty-six books, and the total depravity of man. The church is dispensational, believes in one triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and holds to salvation by grace through personal faith in Jesus Christ. The church teaches the eternal security of the believer, the autonomy of the local church, believer's baptism, and the Lord's Supper as the two ordinances for this age. Sign gifts such as speaking in tongues are viewed as temporary, the church expects the dead in Christ to be raptured before a seven-year tribulation, and God is held to have created the universe in six literal 24-hour periods. Marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman, and only men are eligible for licensure and ordination.
Tuning In Across the Region
For listeners who cannot make it to Bethania Rural Hall Road, Woodland Baptist's services are heard on the radio. WPAQ 740 AM carries the Sunday 10:00 a.m. service into the Mount Airy area, and WPIP 880 AM broadcasts weekday mornings at 9:30 a.m. across the Winston-Salem area. Three FM translators extend the reach further: 88.1 FM serves the Madison area, 89.5 FM the Mayodan area, and 89.7 FM the Pilot Mountain area. A YouTube channel and a Spotify podcast carry archived sermons for ongoing listening, and online giving is available through Clover Give.