Carmel Baptist Church

We are a church that was planted on Carmel Road in 1965 with a name that means 'orchard and garden.' In striking contrast to our current culture that is obsessed with consumerism, competition, and growth; we now have a God given opportunity to live differently. To be a church that models a servant's heart rather than consumerism, a heart for unity in the city rather than competition, and a heart that beats for church health rather than growth simply for growth's sake. A place that is truly that 'orchard and garden' we were intended to be where the Gospel of Jesus Christ flourishes with lasting fruit. We see a church that passionately 'disciples those Nearest.' A church that goes home first. A church that understands that Charlotte is only as strong as its individual families and the individuals who live in them. Since marriage was the first institution that God created, it is therefore holy and paramount in its strength and prosperity. We see a church that is intentional in equipping and caring for it. A place where marriages are built on covenant before God and one another. We see a church investing into men to lead, love, and serve their wives and to lead their families with a servant's heart. A place where both men and women are equipped to nurture their children and grandchildren as treasures sent into a time that we will not see. A church full of parents who see themselves as their children's primary disciple makers. Parents who tenaciously walk the path of spiritual milestones with their sons and daughters. Believing that God's heart beats strongly for the orphan, we will be a church that embraces and celebrates the adoption of children who need a 'forever family.' A church where children, students, singles, single-parents, young marrieds to empty nesters, blended families, families of one to ten, widows and widowers all have a place at the same table. A table that forgets all of those labels except that of son and daughter of the living God we call Father. A church that is truly a family. We see a church that intentionally 'disciples our NEIGHBORS.' A church that actually believes the words of Christ to 'love our neighbors' are critically important for city transformation. We see our church 'going across the street' to know our neighbor's names, their stories, their joys and their struggles. A church that prays for the families who live beside, behind, and before them. One where conversations in the driveway lead to dinners together and sincere invitations to walk side by side in the journey of life that leads to the Cross of Christ. A church that encourages everyone to find balance and simplicity in their schedules and lifestyles to make these types of friendships even possible. We see a church that continues to plant daughter churches as quickly as the Holy Spirit provides people and resources to do so. We exist as a church because Providence Baptist Church planted us in 1965 on Carmel Road. We honor that legacy when we continue to look for areas where our neighbors would benefit from a church plant out of Carmel. We see a church that disciples our neighbors by being 'for them.' A church that is for the neighbor we call the pre-born. We are for them because they are made in the image of God and deserve an opportunity to fulfill their God-given destiny. A church that is for the neighbor we call the orphan who prays for a forever family each night. We will be for their adoption, not because it's trendy, but rather because it's a biblical mandate. A church that is for the neighbor otherwise hidden as a modern day slave who lives in our own city. A church who will be a voice for all those who are forgotten and hidden from sight but who are very much known and loved by Christ. A church where the compassion and justice of Christ is a new normal. We see a church that believes that the discipling of our neighbors is best accomplished when we live out Romans 13:8, which states "owe no man anything except to love him." We see that day when our church and school campus is completed and is debt free. This frees us to aggressively, tenaciously, and relentlessly plant churches locally and globally; to invest into Pregnancy Resource Centers on behalf of the preborn; and to support the orphan locally and globally. We see a church that is free to dream, to imagine, and to obey whatever the Holy Spirit calls us to do. We see a church that is outrageously obedient, intentionally counter-cultural, and where the joy of the Lord is our strength. We see a church that 'disciples the NATIONS.' A church that is laser focused on taking the gospel around the planet through short term projects as well as commissioning hundreds of career missionaries. A church that will not stop pounding against the kingdom of darkness "until the earth is full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." It's our dream that Charlotte will one day be known more as the City of King Jesus than simply as the Queen City. A city where the collective bride of Christ longs for "his name and renown to be the desire our hearts! As citizens of this kingdom of God we should not, must not, and will not stop until this dream of the tangible glory of God is lived out in Charlotte and beyond.