Who We Are And What We Believe
Our History
The Willow Grove Baptist Church was founded by a small, dedicated group of believers in 1924 out of the desire to be salt and light to the South Dallas community. Surrounded by willow trees in one of its early locations, the congregation gained the inspiration for its name.
With an emphasis on dynamic teaching, worship and relevant ministries to all members of the family, the church has experenced consistent growth. The current pastor, Rev. Mark E. Walker, Sr. began his tenure with the Church in 1998. Under his leadership, the church has expanded its ministries and grown its congregation spiritually and numerically. From that growth in ministry, the need arose for a more adequate space to accommodate the present growth and to make room for future growth. On September 4, 2011, under the leadership of Pastor Mark Walker, God blessed our congregation to move to 1222 W. Kiest Blvd, our present facility. The Church is poised to continue its rich heritage of reaching everyone at all levels with relevant ministries.
Church Mission
Our mission is to present Jesus Christ to those who are lost and empower lives through spiritual development.
Vision
We envision Willow Grove Baptist Church as a congregation of loving, commited, growth-oriented believers who provide real ministry for real people with real problems, resulting in transformed lives. It is also our vision to impact our community and serve as a model for other congregations.
Values
Members and leaders of Willow Grove Baptist Church adhere to the following values and beliefs
-Act as servant-leaders who faithfully support the ministry physically, financially, spiritually and mentally
-Value each member and seek to fully utilize each member's gifts
-Lead Christ-centered ministries that are relevant and responsive to the needs of the community and congregation
-Support the unity of the congregation with respect for one another and leadership
-Hold one another accountable and operate with integrity, professionalism and commitment
Motto
A Real Ministry for Real People with Real Problems
Becoming a Christian?
Becoming a Christian involves receiving the Lord Jesus Christ, the gift of God's love and forgiveness of sins, by faith. What happens is a threefold commitment a person makes to the Lord Jesus Christ. This commitment to Him involves one's intellect, emotions and will.
We can see our relationship with Christ the same as a marriage relationship. Both contain these same ingredients, the intellect, the emotions and the will.
For instance, a man may truly believe that the woman he intends to be his bride is the "one" for Him. He has intellectually convinced himself that this is a fact. He may be emotionally involved and love her with all his heart. However, marriage requires more than intellectual and emotional involvement. It also invloves the will. It is not until an act of the Will, that the couple commit themselves before a minister or another person of authority do they become husband and wife. The same can be said of our relationship with Christ. For it is not enough to believe intellectually in Christ, nor is it enough to rely on or have an emotional experience. Though both are valid and have good points, one does not become a Christian until, as an act of the Will that a person recieve Christ into their life as Savior and Lord.
