History

Sunday school lessons were taught over radio due to a ban on public gatherings during the polio epidemic. The church started its first kindergarten.

Our membership surpassed 1,000 for the first time.

A play school (pre-cursor to the preschool) was founded for four year olds.

A new Fellowship and Administration Building was built, and renovations were made to the Educational Building.

Ardmore members began participating in the Meals on Wheels program.

The first of several missionary houses was purchased to house foreign missionaries on furlough.

Due to renovations in Brown Auditorium, worship services were held at the Thruway movie theater on the bottom floor of the shopping center.

In the fall, Ardmore adopted a refugee family from Vietnam, providing a home as well as language and job training. A Vietnamese congregation would later begin holding regular worship services at Ardmore in 1989.

Ardmore changed its constitution to allow women to serve as deacons. Our first woman deacon was elected in 1982. The 1980’s and 1990’s also saw an expansion of our mission and outreach activities through lay mission groups, medical, dental, and Bible teaching trips, college and singles outreach, and the NC Baptist Hospital outreach.

Ardmore contributed money, volunteer labor, and moral support to help establish St. Andrew’s Baptist Church. This was an African-American church that would later merge with Zion Hill Baptist Church to form Grace United Community Church.

Ardmore bought and opened the J.L. Wilson Guest House to give families with family members undergoing long-term care at the hospitals a free place to stay. Continuing our missions emphasis, Ardmore started its first Operation InAsMuch day of community service to schools and community agencies.

In November, the Winston-Salem Chinese Christian Church began holding worship services at Ardmore and offered ESL classes, which still continue today. Groundbreaking for the current education and sanctuary buildings on Miller Street began this year, and both were completed in 2003.

A group of ladies met to form the Handicrafters ministry using their talents for sewing, knitting, and crocheting to provide handcrafted health and comfort items through local groups and agencies.

Partnered with Ashley Elementary School and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC to provide backpacks of food every weekend for 125 children in need. Ministry has grown to include tutoring, summer reading programs, teacher and staff support, and mentoring.

Ardmore introduced the Shared Ministry Model of Leadership that moved away from committee assignments and toward a model that encourages members to find and serve in their ministry calling.

Began the formation of Pivot Ministry, providing women with the skills and support for stable employment and enhanced life opportunities through mentoring, classes, and Bible study.

Helped World Relief resettle two refugee families in Winston-Salem by providing friendship, cultural support, and assistance in settling into their new community, jobs, and schools.

We realized our vision to staff each Shared Ministry Leadership area with a resource minister who would serve alongside laypersons, allowing us to fulfill our ministry vision.