WHO WE ARE
Our Vision
to make disciples who love God, love people, and join God’s Mission.
God's Mission
to bring glory to Himself and for us to join Him in redeeming the nations.
OUR BELIEFS
Below is an overview of our beliefs as they pertain to core doctrines. For an expanded view of our beliefs, please see the Baptist Faith and Message which we hold to in its entirety.
About the Bible
We believe that the Bible is the absolute truth and God’s final authority. We believe both the Old and New Testaments are the inerrant, verbally inspired, and infallible Word of God.
Authority of the Bible
We accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is, “What does the Bible say?” We practice Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.
God and the Trinity
We believe that there is one true, living God who is revealed to us as the Godhead existing eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and that these three are as one God. We believe that God the Father orders all things according to His own purpose for His own glory. We believe that God the Son is Jesus Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born without sin of the Virgin Mary to redeem man from sin. We believe that God the Holy Spirit is sent from God to convict of sin and righteousness, and to be an indwelling guide, teacher, and source of strength for the believer. We believe that all who receive Christ as Savior are born of the Holy Spirit.
Salvation of Man through Jesus
We believe that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone and the atonement and forgiveness He extended to us on the cross. We believe that man was created in the image of God, that man sinned (rebelled against God) and because of the fall, incurred both a physical death and a spiritual death (eternal separation from God). We believe that all human beings are born with a sinful nature. We believe that all who call upon the name of the Lord as Savior will be saved and will spend eternity with God.
The Ordinance of Baptism
We practice baptism by immersion under water—the way Jesus was baptized and the way the Bible commands. Being a church ordinance, it is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.
The Bible tells us that every believer is a minister. We encourage every member to find a place of service and ministry. Every believer has direct access to God through prayer and Bible reading.
The Spirit-led Life
We believe that the only way possible to live the Christian life is through God’s power within us. We seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit leading and enabling us to follow God’s Word.
The Ordinance of the Lord's Supper
We observe the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic act of obedience. Baptized members of the church remember the death of Jesus and anticipate His second coming through sharing in the Lord’s Supper.
The Church and the Believer
We believe that a New Testament church is an association of baptized believers. We come together through worship, small groups, and service. As the body of Christ, the church, we have diversity in our gifts and unity in our beliefs. We believe that every believer is called to a holy life of service and should belong to a Bible-believing local church for fellowship and for the furtherance of the Gospel to every person at home and around the globe.
Autonomy of the Local Church
Christ – not a person, group, or religious organization – is the recognized head of the church. We practice self-government and independence from any denominational control and team up with a network of like-minded churches for greater impact. Each congregation determines its own strategy, structure, and style.
Giving
We practice tithing as an act of worship to our Savior and Lord. We recognize that tithing 10% of our income is the starting point, and giving above and beyond that is our privilege.
Sharing the Gospel
We practice sharing Christ personally as we exemplify the life of Christ and verbalize the Gospel. It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News of the Gospel with those whom God brings across their path. Of course, we also like to invite friends to church.
Our Network
Although we exist as an autonomous congregation, we understand the power of connecting and cooperating with other gospel-centered churches and organizations. To that end, we are part of a nationwide network of over 40,000 churches called the Southern Baptist Convention. We partner together to do some amazing things. For example, our network sponsors over 5,000 missionaries who are sharing the love and message of Jesus globally. We work together to plant new churches in major cities across the U.S., operate the second largest disaster relief organization in North America, and have created seminaries to train new generations of leaders for churches around the world. We are excited about the power of this network to exponentially increase the impact of our church.
OUR HISTORY
- God began Englewood Baptist Church for one purpose and throughout its history, God has maintained and protected that purpose which is to glorify God by leading all people into a growing, reproducing relationship with Jesus Christ.
- After beginning as Englewood Winstead Baptist Mission in September of 1962, on July 11, 1965, the mission met for the first time, changing its name from Englewood Baptist Mission to Englewood Baptist Church. There were 161 charter members. In 1966, the church began construction on its first building on the property located on Englewood Drive in Rocky Mount, NC, which was completed in 1967.
During this time, Rev. Claude R. Walker served as pastor from February 1966 until March 1976. Rev. William Wallace was called as pastor in December of 1976 and served until 1986. During Rev. Wallace’s leadership, the church continued to meet a growing vision for the community by purchasing adjoining land.
- In September 1987, the church called Rev. Stephen M. Lewis as its pastor. Under Pastor Lewis’ leadership, the church exploded in growth. In the spring of 1992, the church family decided to purchase the property on Winstead Avenue and begin a relocation process.
In February of 1997, Pastor Lewis was diagnosed with cancer. During his illness, the associate pastor, Rev. Donald Pope was called as the pastor of Englewood. Pastor Lewis went home to be with the Lord on November 7, 1998. Rev. Pope served as the senior pastor for one year. Under his leadership, the church gained a new focus on intentional evangelism.
Dr. Michael Cloer was called as the senior pastor in August of 2000. Under his leadership, the church took the gospel to multiple states within the US as well as over 20 different countries, sending multiple families to the foreign mission field and adopted an unreached, unengaged people group, the Koli Malhar. The church also developed a deeper prayer ministry, launching a virtual prayer wall allowing people from around the world to join together in prayer.
After 20 years of leadership, in January 2020, Dr. Michael Cloer felt the Lord calling him to ministry beyond Englewood and announced his transition out of the office of Senior Pastor. On October 11, 2020, Dr. Cloer passed the baton to Dr. Chris Aiken as the new Senior Pastor. That same evening, Englewood Baptist members unanimously elected Dr. Cloer to the office of Pastor Emeritus. Dr. Aiken served in the role of Senior Pastor until September 2023.
After a season of prayerful anticipation and unwavering trust in God’s provision, Englewood Baptist Church joyfully welcomed Dr. John H. Ewart as Senior Pastor on March 2, 2025. With over two decades of pastoral ministry experience and a deep focus on church revitalization, Dr. Ewart brings a wealth of wisdom, leadership, and spiritual insight to guide Englewood into its next chapter.
Under Dr. Ewart’s stewardship, the church enters a season marked by renewed purpose and multiplied impact. His heart for reaching the Rocky Mount community and the nations aligns with Englewood’s mission to glorify God and make disciples. As the congregation embraces this new era, they do so with confidence that the experience gained and the vision cast will be used mightily for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.
