Our Story

In the summer of 2008, a small group of thirty-six people stepped out on faith with a new pastor and re-launched Laurel Baptist Church as a new congregation. This marked the birth of a church planting revitalization, bringing to the city of Charlotte and the metropolitan area a new church with a fresh vision rooted in biblical doctrine.

From 2008 to the present, Laurel Baptist Church has experienced biblical growth, operational stability, and a fruitful gospel presence in the community. The church has been blessed to successfully complete several building and property expansions, and new ministries continue to be started regularly.

Today, there are more than 300 faithful members of the church, and the pastor who led the relaunch in 2008, Jonathan Blankenship, continues to serve as our Lead Pastor.

Laurel Baptist Church is a multi-generational, multi-ethnic church community. The culture is one that is gospel-centered and follows the biblical model of Christ as the head of the church and the Bible as the church’s sole authority.

Those who attend the worship gatherings of the church find the environment to be warm and welcoming, where the songs are sung through vibrant worship, the sermons are preached in view of the gospel, and the Lordship of Jesus is glorified in all things.

As a protestant church, Laurel Baptist Church holds to the five solas of the protestant reformation: Salvation by grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide), in Christ alone (solus Christus), according to Scripture alone (sola scriptura), and for the glory of God alone (soli Deo gloria). While we cooperate and partner with a number of gospel-centered churches and networks, Laurel Baptist Church does not formally belong to any particular denomination. The church has maintained its Baptist distinctives through a non-denominational status.

Above all, the story of Laurel Baptist Church is one of gospel discipleship, local and global outreach, theological soundness, and divine faithfulness. The church celebrates the lives of those being transformed by the gospel and constantly evaluates and seeks ways to continue welcoming others to the hope that is found in Jesus. The members of the church possess a faith-filled vision to see God continue to build a biblically healthy and fruitful church in and through their obedience to Him. For nearly two decades, Laurel Baptist Church has been a gracious gift from God, filled with beautiful stories of God’s grace and mercy. It is a refreshing place, a good church with great people, where the future is as bright as the promises of God.