Getting to Know Sherrills Ford Road Baptist Church
Sherrills Ford Road Baptist Church is a cooperating member of the Rowan Baptist Association, The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Southern Baptist Convention. It ascribes to the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000. It is conservative in its doctrine and preaches Jesus Christ crucified, buried, resurrected, ascended, coming again and as the only source of salvation and eternal life.
The current church site has a storied history that has made the little white sanctuary a landmark in the community. On March 16, 1886, the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina purchased two acres of land on which the first building to house St. Jude Church was erected in 1887. The Diocese subsequently purchased an additional 1.40 acres giving the church a total of 3.40 acres of property on the site.
St. Judes ceased to minister to the community in 1923 and the building was used by the Jehovah's Witnesses for a time and legend has it that the Sanctuary was also used to store hay and various other uses as well.
In 1964 it was sold and then purchased by Calvary Baptist Church in 1965. The sanctuary was restored and used for worship. In 1966 the Sunday School rooms were added to the church along with the vestibule. A stained glass window depicting Jesus holding a lamb was added to the front of the new vestibule at that time and is clearly visible to this day.
A parsonage was built in 1969.
A bell tower was built in 1970 and rang its sweet notes calling the people to worship up until the year 2000. Now it is rung on special occasions and at baptisms.
An educational building housing the Church office, additional Sunday School rooms and a separate arbor for activities was built next to the Sanctuary in 1973.
Calvary Baptist Church called Rev. Harold Hughes as pastor and in 1978 the church was renamed Sherrills Ford Road Baptist Church. Rev. Hughes, who was moderator of the Rowan Baptist Association at the time, led the church to seek membership in the Association. Sherrills Ford Road Baptist Church was accepted as the thirty seventh member church of the Association.
A baptistery was added to the sanctuary in 1986 along with new vinyl siding and a new heating and cooling system. In 1987 and later, further renovations were made to the building by adding new carpeting and pews.
In 2000, a new Fellowship Hall was built in the space formerly occupied by the Arbor. Due to growth in attendance, the new Fellowship Hall was converted into an interim Worship Center and Sanctuary was converted into fellowship space.
Rev. Harold Hughes, who so diligently and faithfully led the church through the transition to Southern Baptist affiliation and subsequent programs, went to worship at the Throne in Heaven in November of 2012. His footprints are large, his work preceded him and will be rewarded in that great day!
SFRBC history 2013