Eutaw Place - Woodrook Baptist Church

  Historical Highlights

1859

Layman Hiram Woods offered a lot for a new church, but the Civil War postponed plans.

1867

A group from Seventh Baptist Church resumed planning.

1868

Ground was broken for the Eutaw Place Baptist Church in the "northern suburbs." North Avenue, then known as Boundary Avenue, was the City-County Line. The building was designed by Thomas U. Walter, architect for the dome and wings of the United States Capitol.

1871

133 members of the Seventh Baptist Church resolved "to separate in a friendly manner...for the purpose of forming a new church...(whose) name and style shall be the Eutaw Place Baptist Church."

1871-1877

Richard Fuller, called from the pastorate of the Seventh Baptist Church, served as Pastor until his death. He was President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1859-1863, and had preached the first Convention Sermon in 1846. At various times during his ministry in South Carolina and Maryland, Fuller baptized James Petigru Boyce, the first president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Joshua Levering, co-founder of the Layman's Missionary Movement, and Annie Armstrong, first corresponding secretary of the Woman's Missionary Union.

1874

The Shiloh Baptist Church was organized by Eutaw Place Baptist Church. It later merged into Grace Baptist Church.

1877-1882

Franklin Howard Kerfoot, Professor Elect of Ecclesiastical History at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, accepted the call as Pastor and served until called to the Strong Place Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York. He was later Secretary of the Home Mission Board.

1880

The Fuller Memorial Baptist Church was organized by the Eutaw Place Baptist Church. This congregation eventually merged with the First Baptist Church. Its property was sold; the funds were turned over to the Church Extension society and used to help start the Middle River Baptist Church.

The Chinese Sunday School was begun at the Eutraw Place Baptist Church.

.

1882

The Immanuel Baptist Church was organized. It later merged with the Seventh Baptist Church, when it moved from its original location at Paca and Saratoga Streets to the Immanuel site, North Avenue and St. Paul Street.

1884-1894

Frank M. Ellis was called from the Tremont Temple Baptist Church of Boston. He served as Pastor until called to the Washington Avenue Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York. He was Vice-President of the Southern Baptist Convention and preached the Convention Sermon in l888.

1888

Annie W. Armstrong, a lay member, led in framing the constitution of the Woman's Missionary Union and became its first Corresponding Secretary. Her successors, Edith Crane (1907-1912) and Kathleen Mallory (1912-1948), were also members of the Eutaw Place Baptist Church.

1890

On September 28, Der Sang, the first Chinese member of the Eutaw Place Baptist Church, was baptized.

1895-1904

Junius W. Millard, one year after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and four years after graduating from Wake Forest College, became the fourth Pastor at the age of twenty-six. He served until called by the Ponce de Leon Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia.

1894

The North Avenue Baptist Church was organized by the Eutaw Place Baptist Church. It later changed its name to the McCormick Memorial Baptist Church. Still later the majority of its membership became a part of the University Baptist Church.

1905-1913

Charles Hastings Dodd was called from the Peddie Memorial Baptist Church of Newark, New Jersey. He served as Pastor until called by the Second Baptist Church, Germantown, Philadelphia. The Baltimore Sun reported that the Eutaw Place Baptist Church had set a national record by giving away $4.00 for outside causes for every $1.00 spent for church expenses (December 21, 1912).

1907

Individual communion cups were first used at Eutaw Place Baptist Church.

1908-1911

Lay member Joshua Levering served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention. He had helped found the Layman's Missionary Movement, forerunner of the Baptist Brotherhood.

1912

The Liberty Heights Baptist Church was organized by the Eutaw Place Baptist Church. It later merged into the First Baptist Church.

1913

The Patterson Park Baptist Church was established by the Eutaw Place Baptist Church and constituted.

1914-1921

John Henry Strong left the faculty of Rochester Theological Seminary to become Pastor. When he left Eutaw Place, he rejoined the Rochester faculty.

1921

Lay member Joshua Levering and one-third of the active membership of the Eutaw Place Baptist Church went out to found the University Baptist Church. Samuel G. B. Cook, Eugene Levering and Joshua Levering, pledged over $75,000.00 for its establishment. Joshua Levering said that they were not so much leaving the church as that the church was "sending them out as missionaries, as it were."

1921-1935

O. C. S. Wallace was called as Pastor and served until his retirement. He had previously been Chancellor of McMaster University in Canada. He was Pastor Emeritus from his retirement in 1935 until his death in 1947.

1936-1970

W. Clyde Atkins, Assistant Pastor from 1930 to 1935, was called as Pastor, serving later as Pastor Emeritus from his retirement in 1970 until his death in 1984. The greatest period of attendance, activity and neighborhood ministry came during his pastorate.

1969

The church relocated to Stevenson Lane in a building designed by Pietro Belluschi, then Dean of the School of Architecture of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Baltimore architect, Mr. Warren Peterson.

1970

John E. Roberts was called as Pastor from the faculty of Wake Forest University. He had served as Associate Pastor from 1960-1962.

City Temple Baptist Church purchased the building at Eutaw Place and Dolphin Street.

The staff was expanded at various times to include Directors of Christian Education Mary Kathryn Black (1971-1972) and Miriam Ann Glover (1973-1977), Associate Pastors, David M. Hughes (1977-1980) and Douglas E. Murray (1981-1987); and Minister of Christian Education, Greg Cochran (1988-present); Linda M. Fowler, Director of Weekday Early Education (1988-1996); Minister of Music and Worship Glenn A. Haynes (1993-1996) and Heike Burghart Rice (2005-present); L. Sue Ritz, Director of Weekday Early Education (1996-1999); Terry Yount, Music Director (1997-1998), and Max Lyall, Minister of Music, (1999-2004).

1972

Marjorie E. Allen retired as Secretary and Missionary. She had served in 1946 and from 1954-1972.

1974

The church voted to open the office of Deacon to female as well as male adult, resident members. In 1975 the first female Deacon, Marjorie E. Allen, was elected.

1986

Rae Cumbie and Christy Waddail began the children's graded choir program.

1988

The Report of the Future of the Church Committee was adopted by the Woodbrook Baptist Church. It contained goals for attendance, membership, giving and building.

Weekday Early Education (WEE) opened with Linda Fowler as director.

1990

Sister church relationship established with Seventh Baptist Church in inner city Baltimore.

Sparks Baptist Church, a mission of the Woodbrook Baptist Church, established in northern Baltimore County, with Ron Brown as interim pastor.

1991

Paul Arnold called as pastor of Sparks Baptist Church. He served until 1994 when the mission voted to disband.

1993

The congregation voted to enter the Together We Build program to raise funds for building a new sanctuary and additional educational and administrative space. The architectural firm of Ayers-Saint-Gross was engaged.

1994

Christy Waddail began the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

John Roberts was elected President of the Alliance of Baptists.

1995

Ground was broken for the construction of the new sanctuary and for the renovation of the existing facilities on October 22.

1997

The new sanctuary was dedicated on September 21, with an all time high attendance of 431.

1998

Cantonese worship services began under the leadership of William Chin.

2001

On April 29, John Roberts retired and preached his last sermon as pastor. He currently serves as Pastor Emeritus.

John W. Laney was called as Interim Pastor.