A vision to help hurting people.
Loving Word Baptist Church began with a vision for Reverend Joyce Pulley-Hinton. The vision was a church to help hurting people and to teach them, through the Word of God, how to have the life Jesus died for them to have. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundantly.
The first official meeting with a group of believers in the Word of God was held on December 28, 2001, where several names for the church were discussed. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Loving Word Baptist Church (LWBC) was the name revealed and accepted. Therefore, December 28, 2001, is recorded as the date the church was founded.
Loving Word Baptist Church (LWBC) was incorporated by the North Carolina Secretary of State on February 20, 2002.
Loving Word Baptist Church made history on August 21, 2004, when the Church became a member of the Wake Missionary Baptist Association (WMBA), becoming the first church in the Association under the leadership of a woman Pastor. In June 2014, the church dedicated its new edifice. Pastor Pulley-Hinton became the first woman in the Wake Missionary Baptist Association to build a church from the ground up.
Our first worship service was held on Sunday, February 3, 2002, at Worthdale Community Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, with Pastor Hinton declaring, "It's All About Jesus." Our youth choir, under the leadership of Sister Margie Williams, sang for our first service. They did not have a piano player, just our little drummer girl, Krystal Whitaker, who was only 12 years old at the time.
Each Sunday thereafter, God continued to bless the ministry both spiritually and physically. The music ministry was expanded to include: The Spiritual Chorus, Male Chorus, and The Voices of LWBC. Sister Carol Holder came on board as our first piano player and played for all the church's choirs. Later, Dr. James Longmire came on board, serving alongside Sister Tommie Fowler. We are thankful to Jyrita Moore for the service she rendered to us as pianist. Other piano players who have assisted us include Mattie Justice, Charles Murray, and Richard Johnson.
LWBC held its first Baptismal Service on Sunday, August 18, 2002, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina. Ten candidates were baptized based on their profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and God continues to add to the church. Thank you, Pastor William Morgan (my father in the ministry) and Bethlehem Church, for granting us the privilege of a special service for our first baptism and for allowing us to participate in your baptismal services at other times as needed.
As disciples continued to come forth, LWBC was blessed to have a standing invitation with Baptist Grove, under the administration of Rev. Paul Anderson, to baptize new converts on the 3rd Sunday of each month, as needed. We shall ever be grateful to Rev. Paul Anderson and Baptist Grove for opening their doors to us. We also thank Pastor Ronald Avery and St. Matthew Baptist Church for extending the invitation to baptize new converts on the 3rd Sunday as needed.