The Story of Winchester Baptist Church

The story of Winchester Baptist Church isn’t the story of men building and promoting a sprawling mega-church that has touched the lives of millions. Rather, it is the story of God building and sustaining a small church that has touched the lives of many of us.

In 2012, a handful of families began meeting in the living room of Tim White’s home to explore the possibility of launching a new church. Six of the families had been driving an hour or more to worship at Sterling Park Baptist Church, which is near Dulles Airport in suburban D.C. God’s people at Sterling Park Baptist committed to helping us plant a gospel church in Winchester. God later enlisted other churches, such as Timberlake Baptist Church in Lynchburg, to also help us. And in September 2012, fourteen people covenanted together to form Winchester Baptist Church with Tim as our elder.

For our first five years, we held Lord’s Day worship services at Millbrook High School. God provided for our financial needs through several partners, chief of which was Sterling Park Baptist Church. But in order to hold worship services in a school, we had to arrive at Millbrook High early every Sunday morning with a big trailer full of boxes. The boxes contained all the materials we needed to set up and equip the nursery, the children’s church, the sound system, the book table, and refreshments. Then when the worship service was over, it took another hour to an hour and a half to pack everything into the boxes and reload them onto the trailer. We called that church-in-a-box. Church-in-a-box wore out our little church! Our church was so small that almost everyone had to come to Millbrook early on Sunday morning and stay well past the service’s end.

But in addition to church-in-a-box making us tired, it also made us a family. It meant that we spent hours every week working shoulder-to-shoulder, and that translated into rich Christian fellowship. New members pitched in to help, and everyone was working with everyone. At the time, I sometimes grumbled about church-in-a-box. But in retrospect, I can see how God used it in our new church to deepen our personal relationships with each other.

From 2012 to 2015, Winchester Baptist Church experienced slow and modest growth. However, that growth was offset by some key members leaving for job-related reasons. Others left to be members of churches that were closer to their homes. As a result, 2015 and 2016 were difficult years.

It was discouraging when we added only one new member in all of 2015. Fewer members meant less financial giving. Tim voluntarily cut his salary significantly so we could pay our bills. Tim and Sherry both took jobs to supplement Tim’s reduced church salary. At one memorable members’ meeting in 2016, we talked about possibly disbanding the church.

But several members insisted that we persevere. They said that God had not called us to be big, but rather to be faithful. Others said that Winchester Baptist Church had been a blessing to them and their families, and that they had flourished spiritually due to the church’s ministry. One reminded everyone that faithfulness does not always bring immediate success. And God convinced us that He was not finished building His church with us.

God had been faithful to us from the very beginning so we could continue being faithful to Him. And we continued.

And God continued to bless us! The following year (2017), He sent us ten new members! In 2018, God used Hamilton Baptist Church in Purcellville—specifically Dave and Paige Murray—to move us into our current building on Front Royal Pike. For the first time ever, we had a fixed location and a visible presence in the community. We even had a church sign so people knew we were here!

Today, Winchester Baptist Church is evidence that God is committed to His covenant people. We have been small—but God has been faithful. We have been poor—but God has been faithful. At one time, we thought that maybe we were a failure and considered quitting—but God remained faithful.

And over the past ten years, certainly hundreds—and perhaps thousands—of people have benefitted from the work that God is doing here. Of course, there are the people here in Winchester who have been part of our church. There are also the people in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, where we continue to help Sipho Mfusi minister to South Africans. And there are the people in Gostivar, Macedonia, where we helped David Snyder proclaim the gospel. Plus the people in Springfield, Missouri, where Willis Covington—who was a pastoral intern here for a year—now pastors a church. And there are the people in Lovettsville, Virginia, where Cody Snyder, whom we currently assist, pastors a church.

It is impossible to account for the existence of Winchester Baptist Church in 2022 without accounting for God’s determination to sustain us and encourage us.

Rob Spinney — 10 Year Anniversary Celebration

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This recording of Rob’s Talk has poor audio quality because it was outdoors.