Our History
A group of sixty-eight Christians, many from Lynchburg’s First Baptist Church, met in the spring of 1955 in the chapel of Virginia Baptist Hospital. Their concern was to establish a new church in the city’s western suburbs and to minister to people in that growing area. Other meetings took place at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and Garland Rhodes School. This early group organized as a duly constituted church on September 25, 1955 and chose the name Peakland Baptist Church.
The opening paragraph of our early purpose statement affirms: “We propose to live and spread the Good News of God in Christ, both at home and abroad. As a true Christian Church we witness through worship, nurture, and mutual concern. Before the community we seek to demonstrate the mercy and justice of God toward all; as Christ’s disciples we endeavor to carry forth his commission by implementing world missions.”
Concerning membership, Peakland Baptist Church has always practiced baptism by immersion as the appropriate obedience of new believers. However, we also recognize the validity of religious experience in other Christian churches; thus, professed Christians seeking membership may present letters of transfer. This practice is one way we express our conviction that “baptism is an ordinance and has not merit in itself in saving grace.”
Affiliated from our beginning with the Southern Baptist Convention, Peakland Baptist became dually aligned with the American Baptist Convention in the early 1960’s. We have always been regular contributors to the work of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. In more recent years we have diversified our affiliations, become aligned with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists.
A vital principle of Peakland congregation since our beginning has been an emphasis on the priesthood of the believer and lay “ownership” of the life and ministries of the congregation. This principle was stated in the early principles of the congregation, “Every member is expected to support the work of the church. The work of the church shall never be delegated to a paid personnel, but rather each and every member shall feel the full responsibility for the church in all its departments.”
In addition to strong emphasis on the laity, Peakland has been served by two outstanding Ministers: Arthur Brown and Nathan Brooks. Arthur Brown was Peakland’s first minister, serving for ten years. His ministry not only provided a dynamic decade of growth for Peakland but also provided a vital role of leadership in the city’s turbulent life of the sixties.
Nathan Brooks was called as Peakland’s second Minister in 1966 and served ably for thirty-three years. He distinguished himself as a valued community leader in the city of Lynchburg. One of his many skills was pastoral care and competence as a Christian counselor. He was one of the founders of the Pastoral Counseling Center of Central Virginia and continued his role of leadership with this agency following his retirement.
After two years of transition, guided by strong lay leaders and the able leadership of Interim Pastor Homer Carter, our congregation called Dr. B. Steven McNeely to become our third Minister in the spring of 2001. He began his service with us in June, and we are eager to build on the best of the past and embrace God’s plans for our future.
03/04/2005
www.peaklandbaptistchurch.org