On August 16, 1835, a group of 17 teen-age boys, all students at the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute (later called Wake Forest College) passed a resolution to establish a church. Wake Forest Baptist Church was born in the wake of a revival on August 30, 1835. Wake Forest Baptist Church was primarily a student congregation in the early years, with many of the Institue students serving as deacons and presidents of the College serving as Pastors. The current sanctuary was constructed in 1915 on a parcel of land given by the college to serve as the College Chapel. When Wake Forest College moved out of the city in 1956 and took 100 families with them, faculty and students from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary provided much needed stability.

When the Southern Baptist Convention came under more conservative leadership in the late 1970’s, the Church experienced still another period of grief and transition. By the mid-1980's, many of the seminary faculty had moved on to other careers, few seminary students joined the Church, and for the first time Wake Forest Baptist Church was no longer a campus-oriented congregation.

Beginning in the late 1980's, the Town of Wake Forest experienced unprecedented growth, and likewise did Wake Forest Baptist Church. Just last year (2006) due to a generous donation from the Lee family, The Lee Prayer Room was established adjacent to our sanctuary. It is dedicated in memory of Helen Lee and in honor of Cameron Lee, long-time church members.

Plans are underway to construct a Community Life Center, known as The Stephenson Center, on a property gifted to the church near the intersection of US-98 and US-1, beginning in 2008. This will be a seven-day-a-week facility that will provide a place for a variety of ministries whose purpose is to reach out to the community of Wake Forest and beyond.

At its humble birth 172 years ago, Wake Forest Baptist Church was the child of an academic community. The paternity of Wake Forest College, and then Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, afforded stability, stimulation, and high standards from which a mature, diverse, and exciting community church has evolved. Due to its heritage, dynamic congregation and its location in an exploding area, Wake Forest Baptist Church envisions a unique future with unsurpassed opportunities.