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Who we are…
We are an evangelical group of Christians who believe in the power of God to transform lives. Jesus told us to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Our purpose at Reidsville Freewill Baptist Church is to fulfill Jesus’ command by preaching the Gospel and seeing people saved; baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and teaching them how God would have us to live and serve Him.

How the Church was Started (click for more)

by Joanne Southard

Joanne Southard My children and I were going to Howard’s Chapel Church each Sunday morning. We went by a store that was being used as a church. Each time we went by I had a feeling to stop in for church and eventually we did. I said to the children, “we are going to this store for church today”. I did not know anyone, but when we went in we saw my Uncle Sam Miller and his wife. We had not seen each other in years and it was nice to know someone there. The preachers were Hamp Price and John Gordon. God had led us to this church.

Later on Uncle Sam, Hamp Price, and John Gordon asked my brother, David Miller if he would give us some land to build a church which he did. Again, I thank God for this. Down through the years my family has always been here at “the old country church beside the road”. Miller’s Non-denominational Christian Church was built in 1965-66. There was only the sanctuary built and nothing else. We sat on hard seats with no padding. You can still see the spot in the wall where the stove pipe for the old pot-belly wood stove was. That was the only heat for the church. There were no inside bathrooms, but there were two out houses around back.

Later we began to grow having about 80 to 100 people coming to church and needed more space. The church added the Sunday school rooms and later put in bathrooms. We also added the porch at the front of the church. We changed our name to Miller Chapel Church. As you grow things change, so did our preacher. Hamp Price left and then John Gordon was voted in. He was our preacher for about four years. John Gordon was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. After his passing fewer people were coming to church. Jimmy Carter was our Sunday school teacher and filled in as our leader until he left to start his own church. We purchased new pews and gave our old ones to Jimmy Carter for his church he started near Madison.

Dickie Goad came to our church and we liked hearing him preach. We voted him as our pastor and the church began to grow again. We changed our name to Miller Chapel Heritage Church. We had some good years with special singings once a month on Saturday nights. We had singers coming from far away to sing at our church. While Dickie Goad was there we built our fellowship hall.

Soon after that the Devil started working in our church. Mike Baynes was voted in as our pastor. Over half the people left our church and there were very few people coming. Mike Baynes left and George Hyatt started preaching in 1994. George was voted in as our pastor and the church became Reidsville Free Will Baptist Church. While George was there we did a lot of work to the church. Joe Southard remodeled all the Sunday school rooms and bathrooms. This included tearing out the old studs and paneling, painting, re-covering the pews, and putting down new carpet. He also put in new toilets, vanities, and fixtures in the bathrooms.

George Hyatt was our preacher until 2005 when he left to go into missionary work. The Lord called him and his wife Judy to work for Harvest Free Will Baptist Childcare Ministries in Duffield VA. He was going to help raise money for work they were starting in Mexico. He announced his resignation soon after we held the quarterly Randall District Association meeting at our church. We were excited to show off the great work that was done to make the church look so good. There were attendees from all over the district. There we met a man named Conrad Williford. When he learned we were looking for a pastor, he agreed to fill in as interim pastor until we could find another full-time pastor.

Conrad and his wife Loraine were dear old people. Conrad only preached on Sunday mornings while we watched faith-based bible teaching on Sunday nights. HC Price taught the adult Sunday school class and Tammy Shelton taught the young adults class. Lesa Southard and Shelia Daniels taught the children’s Sunday school. Very few people came to our church then. Tammy held bible study on Wednesday nights. We prayed and asked God to send us a good preacher. It took time, prayers, and lots of faith in God. One Sunday morning the Lord sent a Free Will Baptist Preacher, Jimmy Woods and his wife Teresa. When he prayed everyone felt that he had to be the man God had sent us. Jimmy started preaching on Wednesday and Sunday nights. He and Teresa joined the church and not long after Jimmy was voted in as our pastor.

Since Preacher Jimmy came our church has done remarkable things. We remodeled the fellowship hall, put in new cabinets, installed hardwood floors, painted, and purchased a new refrigerator and stove. We have had two of the best Vacation bible schools ever, since Jimmy and Teresa came to our church. This has helped our growth even more. God has blessed us in so many ways. We have seen lots of souls saved. We are being blessed with a growing church again. Most of all, we want to see God’s children grow in the Lord. We also want to keep this “old country church by the road” in God’s will.

About Jimmy

Pastor Jimmy Woods was born in Reidsville, NC on October 18, 1954. He married his wife, Teresa on August 8, 1973. They have two sons and seven grandchildren. In September 1974, Jimmy joined the United States Army, making a career of the military and retiring in September 1994. During their travels with the Army, the Woods family were stationed in Fort Hood, TX; Ansbach, Germany; Fort Polk, LA; Wiesbaden, Germany; and Rock Island, IL. Traveling alone, Jimmy did tours of duty in both Korea and Somalia.

After retiring from the Army, Jimmy accepted a job in Daytona Beach, FL. While living there, they accepted an invitation from a neighbor to attend his church. They did so and attended a revival being held there as well. Jimmy accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and there began a life changing time of worship, evangelism, and eventually answering God’s call to him to preach His word.

A few years later, Jimmy accepted the position of Pastor at the Zion Free Will Baptist Church in Sanford, FL where he remained until his resignation July 2008. Jimmy had always wanted to return home to Rockingham County, NC and with his wife, had made the decision to do so. The Woods visited several different churches when they first moved back to North Carolina.

In October 2009, they found their way our church and felt they were home. Jimmy and Teresa moved their membership to Reidsville Free Will Baptist Church and settled in. We had an interim pastor at the time. When members of the church heard him pray, they asked him if he’d be willing to preach on Wednesday nights. The interim pastor lived a distance and was elderly and only oreached on Sunday morning and Sunday eveing services. After a while, we asked Jimmy if he would accept the fulltime position as our pastor. He was voted in as our Pastor in March 2010 and has been here ever since. We are so glad to have he and Teresa as a part of our church family.

Jimmy’s Testimony

Pastor Woods answered the call to preach in 1998, and was ordained in the Citrus Association by the Late Reverend Wetzel Ball of Longwood, Florida on January 23, 1999. Pastor Woods then became Pastor of Zion Free Will Baptist Church in Sanford, Florida. He held that position until July 2008 when he and his wife moved back to North Carolina.

Pastor and Mrs. Woods started attending Reidsville Free Will Baptist Church in October 2009. He was offered the position as Pastor there in March 2010 and still pastors the church today.

What a joy and privilege it is to be able to serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Though I feel unworthy to be used, I am thankful that He was willing to overlook my faults and use me anyway. I am enjoying my ministry in Reidsville, NC so much. God is continually giving fruit for the labor.

Thank you for taking the time to visit with us online and we look forward to seeing you in one of our services real soon.

About Joanne

Joanne is the longest standing member since 1965. She is married to Joe Southard and has four children, 12 grandchildren (two of which have since gone to be with the Lord), and 17 great grandchildren. Lovingly known as “Granny”, she is there every time the doors are open. She is a trustee and the song leader.

About Joan

Joan Miller moved back to the area to care for her father. She has been attending Reidsville FWB since 2011 and moved her membership here in 2014. Joan has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Joan loves singing and volunteering for her Savior, Jesus Christ.

About Reid

Reid has attended our church since Easter 2001. He became a member in May, 2006, shortly before he was married in July to Christina, his wife. He has two beautiful little girls, Anna and Lily. He currently serves as a trustee and clerk. He enjoys sharing his testimony of what God has done in his life and singing for the Lord.

Reid’s Testimony

I used to go to church every week. Sure I believed in God; I believed in Jesus’ virgin birth, death, and resurrection. But, the Bible says in James 2:19 that even the demons believe and they tremble! If you would have asked me, “was I saved?” I would have told you yes. I believed, but that was it. The devil believes but is far from being saved! I served Jesus with my lips, but my heart was far from it! (Matthew 15:8)

The truth is I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. I also had a drinking problem. Most folks wouldn’t have called it a “problem”. I have always struggled with an addictive personality all my life. I would hide how much I had had from my wife and my little girl called it, “Daddy’s drink”. I would go to restaurants and order the biggest beer they’d serve and tell you that I wasn’t convicted. The truth is, if the preacher would have walked in and saw me; I would have hid under the table. My wife constantly prayed for me and one day, our anniversary to be exact, I was at the Greensboro Coliseum at a beer festival with friends. My wife came to pick us up after hours of drinking. I was so black-out drunk I can’t remember any of it. I was very sick and throwing up with my head hanging out the window.

The next day after waking up, God began to heavily deal with me. I was under such conviction! I fell to my knees beside my bed and told God that I couldn’t do it anymore. I could no longer play church. I had to stop drinking and treating my family that way. That day, beside my bed, I asked Jesus into my heart. I haven’t drunk a drop of alcohol since. He took it away from me; He saved me! I was no longer on my way to a devil’s hell; I was a child of the King! He’s still working on me! I’ll never be perfect, no one will on this earth. There was only one that was perfect and He died for me and you! He took my punishment for being a sinner at Calvary’s cross and cleansed me of my past! Thank God for sending Jesus to die for our sins!

About Keith

Keith has been married to Shelia Daniels for 31 years. He has 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Keith accepted Jesus as his personal savior in July 1975. He has been a church trustee since the formation of Reidsville Free Will Baptist Church in 1994. Keith is s former scoutmaster and has been a volunteer firefighter/EMT for more than 20 years.

About Shelia

I was saved at the age of 12. God has blessed me so much. I have been married to Keith for over31 years & we have 3 wonderful children – Kim, Kirk & Kyle. God has also blessed me with 3 adorable grand babies. I love the Lord and praise Him for all His blessings on me and most of all thank Him for saving my soul.

About Christina

Christina Hart has been attending our church her whole life. She became a member on her 16th birthday. She was married to her husband, Reid on July 15th, 2006. She has two beautiful little girls, Anna Katelyn and Lily Alice. She has a burden for the youth in our community. She is the youth director and plays an integral role in planning all the events at our church.