ABOUT
Our
Story
History
Sandy Run Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1854 under a large tree across the street from its current site. Under the leadership of the church's first pastor, Rev. Coleious Scott, members worshipped for a long time under a bush shelter during the days of slavery.​In 1864, a log church was built in the same spot; subsequently, it was relocated across the street and replaced with a framed facility, where the church now stands.
Other ministers contributing to the forward march of the church were Rev. George Rhodes, Rev. B.E. Davis, Rev. M.D. Stanford, and Rev. J.E. Kornegay. ​In 1942, Rev. E. W. Wooten became the new pastor and led a plan to construct the church's first brick building. The new building was completed in 1953 at an estimated cost of $68,000. The church grew from having one Sunday per month service to a full-time church with modern facilities and a parsonage.​
On December 16, 1970, after launching a drive to build a housing project for the Jacksonville community, Rev. Wooten and church officers closed on a $2.5 million federal low-income housing project. During that same month, construction began on 151 units, a daycare center, and a washerette.​Other ministers who made significant contributions to the forward march of Sandy Run Missionary Baptist Church were Rev. A. G. Mullen, Rev. Cleophis Wright, and Rev. Johnny Pearson.
Our
Values
Love
We are committed to loving God and loving others, and to being known for our love for one another.
Worship
We strive to glorify God through worship that is rooted in Scripture and that draws us closer to Him.
Discipleship
We prioritize the practice of discipling others in the faith, helping them to grow in their understanding of the Bible and their relationship with God.
Evangelism
We seek to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all people and to share the gospel through both deed and word.
Our Mission
Sandy Run Missionary Baptist Church is a place of learning and fellowship. We are a church dedicated to teaching the truth of God's Word. Our mission is to love and serve God through Jesus Christ, our Savior, by the power of the Holy Spirit. To be committed to reshaping the lives of our families, our church, and our communities through biblical worship, discipleship, and evangelism.
Our
Vision
vision
In 2004, Rev. Joel D. Churchwell was called to its pastorate. As a teaching, community-minded pastor, he believes "one of the focuses of our church's mission is to lead people to a greater relationship with Jesus Christ by making disciples through teaching, preaching, serving, and evangelizing using God's infallible and inerrant Holy Word as the foundational tool for all of our ministries."​Under his leadership and by God's grace, the following has occurred in the building up of God's Kingdom:
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Implementation of a Sunday School Teacher Training curriculum with the addition of four new Sunday School classes
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Implementation of a Men's and Women's Life Enrichment study
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Implementation of the Youth Summer Enrichment program
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Creation of the church newsletter, Reflections of Sandy Run Missionary Baptist Church
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birthing of an Evangelism Ministry
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establishing a Young Adult Ministry
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establishing only a certified Christian Leadership School in North Carolina; completing all requirements for Dean certification under the auspices of the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, Inc.
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fostered partnerships in the community with the Jacksonville City Public Safety Director
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In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in September 2018 that destroyed the sanctuary, the membership embarked upon a building project to construct a brand new 22,000+ square foot facility.