The History of Unity Baptist Church

On February 17,1957, the members of Southside Baptist Church, in coordination with the Pilot Mountain Baptist Association and Rev. Lewis Ludlum, Associational Missionary, officially organized Southside Baptist Mission. The Mission began with a membership of 40 persons. Rev. Tom Womble, a student at Wake Forest, was called as the first pastor and services were conducted in the home that currently serves as the youth department. Following Rev. Womble's resignation in August 1958, Mr. Howard Honeycutt served as the second pastor of the Southside Baptist Mission.

The Mission was constituted as Unity Baptist Church on January 7, 1962. Rev. Robert Mann was the pastor until July 15, 1962. On January 1, 1963, Unity Baptist Church called Rev. James H. Knight as pastor and continued to make plans for the construction of a new building. The ground breaking ceremony for the current sanctuary was held on April 28, 1963 and services were conducted for the first time in the new facility on December 3, 1963. Rev. Knight served as pastor until December 31, 1975 and the building debt of $45,000.00 was retired in February, 1976.

The following pastors have served the congregation since 1976: Rev. N.W. Martin (7/76-7/78); Rev. Talmadge Wall (8/79-3/82); Rev. Ron Beutel (11/82-10/83); Rev. Enoch Booth (10/84-4/87); Rev. Earl Pennell (6/88-3/91); Rev. Nathan Parrish (1/92-11/02); Rev. Gene Ryder (Interim 11/02-8/03); Rev. Kenneth Coker, Jr. (8/03-5/04); and Rev. Benny Sprouse (Interim 5/04-Present).

Today, Unity Baptist Church of Winston-Salem continues to thrive as a congregation at 145 Fishel Road. Our congregational identity is centered in corporate worship, the study of the Scriptures, the building of Christian fellowship, the formation of disciples for Jesus Christ, and the proclamation, in word and deed, of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all persons. We thank God for the cloud of witnesses that have preceded us, for those who labor together in the present, and for the future we approach through faith in Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, for ever and ever. Amen.