Our History
On April 16, 1866, the Pine Chapel Baptist Church was founded under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and under the leadership of the late John Blont Alston, who was a deacon on “loan” to Pine Chapel from the Shiloh Baptist Church in Arcola, North Carolina. The late Reverend Loveless Brown, Sr. served as our first pastor from 1866 to 1904. Under his leadership, the men of Pine Chapel built our first church.
The late Reverend Burgess Harper served as our second pastor from 1904 to 1937. It is estimated that he baptized more than two thousand people during his pastorate at Pine Chapel. The membership also grew to approximately fifteen hundred. In the 1920’s and the 1930’s, Pine Chapel added two wings to the existing church to accommodate her fast-growing congregation.
The late Reverend Robert William King served as our third pastor from 1937 to 1948. The membership of the Pine Chapel Baptist Church continued to enlarge during his pastorate. During his pastorate, Pine Chapel only baptized people on the fourth Sunday in September. Reverend King was known to baptize hundreds of people on that Sunday.
The late Reverend Henry H. Alston served as our fourth pastor from 1949 to 1955. He was the son of the founder of Pine Chapel and was a member of Pine Chapel. During his pastorate, Pine Chapel was rebuilt in 1953.
The late Reverend Charlie Horace Richardson served as our fifth pastor from 1956 to 1957. He was a member of Pine Chapel and ordained by Pine Chapel during the pastorate of the late Reverend Robert William King in September 1944. He established the youth ministry of Pine Chapel, organized the youth choir, and had a weekly radio broadcast from a local radio station in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. In 1957, he resigned from his pastorate at Pine Chapel and to organize and pastor the Mount Bethel Indian Baptist Church.
The late Reverend Charles H. Whitaker served as our sixth pastor from 1957 to 1976. During his pastorate, Pine Chapel began its celebration of Passion Week services and the membership of Pine Chapel continued to increase.
The late Reverend Kermit Richardson served as our seventh pastor from 1977 to 1994. He was a member of the Pine Chapel Baptist Church. He was licensed by Pine Chapel to preach the Gospel on the fourth Saturday in October 1954. The membership of Pine Chapel grew under his leadership. During his pastorate, Pine Chapel built a fellowship hall, kitchen, and office space that included the pastor’s study. A baptismal pool was installed. In addition to the Fourth Sunday worship service, Pine Chapel initiated a Second Sunday worship service. Reverend Richardson served as the Moderator of the Reedy Creek Missionary Baptist Association and served as a county commissioner in Nash County, North Carolina.
Reverend Robert G. Hedgepeth has served as our eighth pastor from 1995 to the present. Prior to being called to serve as our pastor, Reverend Hedgepeth served as our interim pastor from 1994 to 1995. He is a member of the Pine Chapel Baptist Church having been baptized by the late Reverend Charles H. Whitaker. During the pastorate of Reverend Hedgepeth, Pine Chapel started having morning worship service every Sunday, the Mass Choir has been organized, the New Members Ministry has been established, Christ’s Corner [Children Church] has been organized, the Deacon Family-Plan Ministry has been established, the Audio-Visual Ministry and the Deaconess Ministry have been organized, and Pine Chapel has built a new facility and has had a mortgage-burning for that new facility. Reverend Hedgepeth is serving as our first full-time pastor.
Salvation
All human beings are sinners by nature and are helpless in delivering themselves from the power of sin and in bringing themselves into a right relationship with God. However, because Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins, all, who believe in Jesus Christ, are saved by grace through faith in Him.
Baptism
Believers in Jesus Christ are baptized by immersion in water as a sign of their faith in Him and as symbol of the new life that they have in Him.
Mission
To learn Christ, to love Christ, and to live Christ in a way that leads others to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Church
All believers in Jesus Christ are members of His body (the church). They are uniquely gifted to help the Church to carry out her mission from Him and to carry out her ministries for Him.
Beliefs
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were inspired by God without any error and are sufficient in the revelation of God’s plan of salvation for sinners and in equipping believers in Christ to live out their faith in Him.
The Trinity
God is the living and true God, Who reveals Himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Communion
Believers share in Holy Communion as a celebration of what Jesus Christ has done for us through His death on the Cross and as remembrance of His promise to come again.