HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST BAPTIST CHAPEL

On the last Sunday in January, 1975, six ladies met at the Sam Salmon home in Forest Oaks to discuss the need for a Southern Baptist Church in southeast Guilford County. After many telephone calls by these ladies, a group of interested persons met at the Forest Oaks Clubhouse in February, 1975 to determine if there was enough interest to begin a Southern Baptist Church.

Under the direction of the Piedmont Baptist Asociation Superintendent of Missions, Rev. W. A. Duncan, Jr., the group requested counsel and sponsorship from First Baptist Church, Greensboro. Following several cottage prayer meetings, the first worship service was held on March 2, 1975 by Rev. Duncan in a small, rented farmhouse at the intersection of Highway 421 and Monnett Road.

For several months, First Baptist Church supplied us with guest speakers for the worship services. On April 9, 1975, First Baptist voted to accept us as their mission. Our membership at this time was 26. Rev. Dale Suggs, Assistant Pastor of the mother church, became our first interim pastor in May, 1975. In October, with the support of First Baptist, we purchased the Board property on Liberty Road. Our 43 members held great visions as they thanked God for the large house where services were held and the 30 acres of land which would become the home for our church building.

Rev. Suggs resigned in August, 1976 and in September the Chapel called Rev. Jimmy D. Edwards as part-time pastor. Our congregation grew and early in 1977 we began planning for a new church building. By the fall of 1978, we had outgrown the house and every available space was being utilized. During the summer we held our worship services outdoors, we removed a wall in the house to increase our seating capacity and we enclosed the garage for Sunday School space. When our membership passed the 200 mark in October, 1978, it became imperative that we proceed with our building as soon as possible.

Ground-breaking services were held on November 19, 1978. The Trogdon Construction Company began work on February 1, 1979. On January 27, 1980, during the morning worship service our congregation moved from the house into our new building. On that day, which was exactly five years after the ladies held their first meeting, our membership passed the 250 mark with 279 present.

The building which we are dedicating today represents Phase I of our construction. Phase II, which we hope to begin very soon, will include the finishing of our sanctuary. We are indeed grateful to God for His guidance and blessings from the beginning. We seek His continued presence and leadership as we strive to be a soul-saving station in southeast Guilford County.

Church History Committee

Extracted from Service of Dedication Feburary 10, 1980

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History from Southeast Baptist Church Homecoming May 1, 1988

When the first worship service was held in the small rented farmhouse on March 2, 1975 few folk would have predicted the rapid growth that has marked the history of Southeast Baptist Church.

Earlier, six ladies had met in one of their homes to discuss the need for a Southern Baptist Church to minister to the southeast section of Guilford County. Lib Brooks, Rena Ellis, Corrine Gregory, Claire Gunter, Shelba Hatley and Dot Salmon prayed, conducted a telephone survey and invited interested persons to meet and consider beginning a church. Greensboro's First Baptist Church agreed to sponsor the new work and the endeavor was given sanction by the Piedmont Baptist Association.

Not long after, forty-three members of the chapel purchased the beautiful thirty-acre Board property upon which the present church is located. Included with the land was a large residence that proved to be ideal for housing the growing chapel. The enthusiastic congregation outgrew the house and held ground breaking services on November 19, 1978. The first unit was completed early in January of 1980 and phenomenal growth made it imperative to complete the sanctuary. It was dedicated on April 12, 1981.

Throughout these periods of growth the church maintained a solid program of Bible study. From the first, numbers of young people were attracted as well as young adults. This mix permitted flexible and creative experiences in Sunday School and worship services. Also, the church matured in its commitment to missions, supporting the Southern Baptist program of Associational, Home and Foreign missions.

Contributing to the expansion and Spiritual development of the congregation were several  pastors. Rev. Jimmy Edwards, now a vice-president for the Sunday School Board in Nashville, served on a part-time basis and, was ideally suited to lead the young congregation. He combined serious Christianity with a joy that continues in the church to this day. The honor of being the first full-time pastor belongs to Dr. Roger Gilbert who began his ministry on April 1, 1980. He presided over the organization of the church which occurred May 2, 1982. Dr. Gilbert' s ministry was marked by the completion of the
sanctuary, the stabilizing of the church program and the development of a very caring and loving spirit among the members.

When Dr. Gilbert accepted another pastorate, the church prayerfully sought God's will and, after several months under interim leadership called Dr. Bruce Anthony; he has served as pastor since June 1, 1984, The church has continued growing, adopting a constitution, adding staff, beginning a new building, sponsoring, mission projects in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and Wallasey, England. Thirty members have completed the Masterlife Discipling process.

God has also blessed the church with other staff persons. Since the organization of the church, Bob Thomas, David Holland, Cathy Wray, and Sarah Anthony have served in the areas of youth and music, Presently Rev. Henry Newton serves as Minister of Education and Youth, the first full-time Associate Pastor; Gale Smith continues to serve as Minister of Music. The secretarial staff is comprised of Jackie Baxley who began her tenure in 1980 and Millie Paschal who started in 1986.

The church is on the threshold of her most productive days. On this Homecoming Day of 1988 the walls of the new educational wing are going up; The 587 members continue to form a lighthouse of love to lost world. The church is committed to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and His mandate to go into all the world and make disciples. It is a church that believes the Bile and carries out those beliefs in a spirit of love and compassion for hurting folk. Indebted to those charter members who sacrificially invested in her beginnings, Southeast Baptist Church is a testimony to the grace of God,

Extracted from Southeast Baptist Church Homecoming May 1, 1988 - Celebrating the 6th Aniversity of the constituting of the church

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It all started as the result of prayer. A group of area women felt the need for a Southern Baptist witness; their perceptions were accurate as many neighbors and friends expressed a similar interest. They decided to hold cottage prayer meetings. As excitement grew, so did the numbers and on March 2, 1975 the first worship service was held in a rented home on Monnett Road.

The small "house church" received information that the Board property, upon which the present church is located, was available. In a dramatic act of faith, forty-three members of the chapel purchased thirty acres of rolling farmland which included a large home ideal for housing the growing church family. Under the inspired leadership of Dr. Jimmy Edwards, bivocational pastor, the church doubled in size, quickly finding its "church house" too small. By late 1978 the first unit of the
existing facilities was underway.

Dr. Roger Gilbert was called as the chapel's first full-time pastor. During his tenure of service from 1980 to 1983 he led the chapel to complete the sanctuary and assisted in its organization as a Southern Baptist church. The present pastor, Dr. Bruce Anthony, began his ministry on June 1, 1984.

The membership of the church has just crossed the 600 mark and continues to show steady growth with a present Sunday School enrollment of 652. On August 14, 1989 the church dedicated a new educational building and remodeled much of its existing plant to accommodate the many new families who have joined the church. More than $170,000 has been contributed toward the church debt in a Challenge to Build effort that is now entering its third and final year. Known for its love for missions, the Southeast church family contributes nearly 20% of its total income to mission causes. In addition, the church has
been represented through partnership missions in Togo, Africa; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Wallasey, England; Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. The church has also licensed three young men into the gospel ministry: Cecil Pickler, Rick Jefferds, and Thomas Hackelman. Several young people have voiced their willingness to serve the Lord in full-time missions.

God has blessed the church with some outstanding ministers in the area of education, youth and music. Former part-time staff members have included Michael Ganoe, Bob Thomas, and David Holland, youth; Dewey Jones, Jim Wrenn, Bobbie Cordell, Cathy Wray, Sarah Anthony , and Gale Smith, music. Rev. Henry Newton, the first full-time Associate Pastor for Education and Youth, began his ministry October 1, 1986. Continuity in the church office has been provided by secretaries Millie Paschal (1986) and Jackie Barley (1980) .

Pastoral care has been provided throughout the years by exceptional laypersons who have continued the ministries of the church without interruption. Many men have served as deacons who have been led capably by dedicated chairmen: Ed Heim, Bud Willis, John Edwards, Bud Parsons, and Jim Palmer.

A long-range plan for the church was approved in 1988, outlining a vision that incorporated continued growth on its present site and expanded involvement in missions. The ultimate goal for this congregation has not changed since those early days in the "house church." Under God's leadership and to the Glory of God, we aspire to be a soul-winning station, a lighthouse to this entire conmmunity. May our hearts always be grateful for the past and open to God's future.

Extracted from Southeast Baptist Church Homecoming May 7, 1989 History

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A Brief History
Of Southeast Baptist Church
May 5, 1996

When a small group of Christians felt the need for a new church in the southeast sector of Guilford County, they began to pray. On March 2, 1975 their petitions resulted in the first worship service that was to lead to the founding of Southeast Baptist Church just seven years later. In faith, forty-three members of the chapel, then under the sponsorship of First Baptist Church, purchased its present property from the Board family. Jimmy Edwards served as a bi-vocational pastor; under his leadership the church found it necessary to build the first unit of the existing facility. Dr. Roger Gilbert was the first full-time pastor. On May 2, 1982, Southeast Baptist Church was organized in its
completed sanctuary with 370 charter members. Dr. Bruce Anthony was pastor from June, 1986 through August, 1995, leading the church to a membership of 617 at that time, the construction of an educational building, and the calling of additional staff members. In the absence of a pastor, David Lindeman, Associate Pastor of Education and Music, is currently assuming the leadership of the church. David Sowers is Minister of Youth and we are without a Church Secretary at this time. Southeast Baptist Church has participated in partnership missions in Africa, Brazil, England, Rumania, the Ukraine and several states. The church continues to be a lighthouse to this community and to the world at large.

Former Members now serving in the ministry:

Rick Jefferds, David Holland, Steve Sparks and Henry Newton

Former Staff Members:

Youth Ministers: Michael Canoe, Bob Thomas, David Holland,
Thomas Hackelman, Tray Coble

Ministers of Music: Dewey Jones, Jim Wrenn, Bobbie Cordell,
Cathy Wray, Sarah Anthony, and Gale Smith

Associate Pastor: Rev. Henry Newton, David Lindeman

Deacon Chairpersons:

Ed Helm, Bud Willis, John Edwards, Bud Parsons, Jim Palmer, Frank Starr, Bill Settle, Bill Inge and Don Hooker