Who we are
First Baptist Church Waynesville is a Christian community where all are welcome
Our church seeks to be a free and faithful voice of the gospel of Jesus Christ, adhering to historic Baptist principles, freedoms, and traditions.
Mission
and Vision
Our Mission: To make disciples, united in worship and service.
Our Vision: To embody Christ, loving all people and introducing them to the God we love.
What We Believe
The sole authority for the faith and practice for our church is the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments.
We affirm the freedom of the individual believer led by God’s Spirit within the family of faith to read and interpret Scripture relying on the historical understandings of the Church and the best methods of Biblical study.
We affirm the freedom of the local church under the authority of Jesus Christ to shape our own life and mission, to call our own leadership, and to ordain those whom we perceive as called by God and gifted for ministry.
We affirm the larger body of Christ expressed in various Christian traditions and cooperation with believers everywhere in giving full expression to the gospel.
We affirm the servant role of leadership within the church, following the model of our Servant Lord, and the full partnership of all of God’s people in mission and ministry.
We are committed to the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ and the calling of God to all peoples
to repentance and faith, and reconciliation and hope.
We affirm that ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience in which we remember Christ’s sacrifice and anticipate his return.
We are committed to religious liberty of all persons without interference by the state. We affirm that the separation of church and state is essential to religious liberty.
Our Staff
Dr. Kenneth Lance
Interim Pastor
Rev. Johnathan Sumner
Pastor for Worship Ministries
Rev. Seth Wright
Pastor of Next Gen Ministries
Rev. Nina Atwood
Director of Facility Stewardship and Pastor for Community Engagement
Mary Ann Cooper
Organist/Pianist
Faith Woods
Financial Secretary
Myra Clemmons
CDC Coordinator
Our Partners And Ministry Areas
In order to serve Christ and others, we collaborate
with organizations here and around the world:
- Haywood Christian Ministries
- Downtown Waynesville Association
- Pigeon Center Multicultural Development Center
- Western North Carolina Baptist Fellowship
- Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
- International Mission Board
- Haywood Pathways Center
- School Bus Drivers Ministry
- ChaCha Boke and Gachui Baptist Church, Nairobi, Kenya
- Jay and Sumter Brantley, The Nkishon Mission, Nanyuki, Kenya
Dr. Robert Prince - Pastor Emeritus
After twenty-two years of service Dr. Robert Prince announced his retirement from First Baptist Church Waynesville in 2025. Upon his retirement the church presented him with the title Pastor Emeritus, thanking him for his years of service and recognizing his love and compassion for First Baptist Waynesville and the people of Haywood County.
Founded on Faith - Rooted in Scripture
Being an historic church is both a blessing and a challenge. At First Baptist, we cherish our 200 year history and tradition while seeking to be a church rooted in Scripture. Our history shapes who we are and what we believe, but we do not see ourselves as "stuck in the past." We know God has great things planned for community and we are seeking out how we fit into that future.
