About
Our History
The Hurricane Chapel Missionary Baptist Church was established in March 1906 and a wooden framed edifice was built on Hurricane Creek. The late Reverend Greer was installed as the first pastor and through the years, many souls were saved under his leadership. As the years passed, other great men of God led the Hurricane Chapel Church to higher heights. They were the late Reverends Tom Stockey, Anderson McCrary, Harry Parker, S Derrick, and O.D. Boone.
The membership came together to seek God for direction, and relocated the church to County Lake Road. On August 23, 1953, the first service was held in the new location, with Reverend C. E. Acklin as the pastor. After the resignation of the late Reverend C. E. Acklin, Reverend W. P. Petty became pastor and served for 26 years. During his pastorate, Reverend Petty believed strongly in love and unity. The church grew in many ways; membership increased; Sunday School attendance grew. The music ministry was established and the Senior Choir, Number Two Choir, and a Youth Choir were organized. The Baptist Training Union and Missionary Society were also formed. In 1983, Reverend Edward L. Anderson became the pastor of Hurricane Chapel. Ministries added under the leadership of Pastor Anderson were the Food Bank, Young Matrons Auxiliary and Evangelistic Ministry. The late Reverend George Franklin, Jr. was called to pastor Hurricane Chapel Church in 1989. Under his leadership, Brothers Willie Brooks and Ahmad Blakemore accepted their call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In 1993, Trustees, Deacons and members considered its aging church facilities; and after much prayer and with deep faith in God, the congregation was given insight to move once again. Reverend Roy E. Williams, Sr. was elected Pastor and under his strong proclamation of the Word, we continued to build for the present and future with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Reverend Michael D. Rice began his tenure as pastor December of 1994. We moved in the new edifice and held our dedication service on Sunday, January 8, 1995. Pastor Rice led the church in a deeper commitment to follow the Word of God as outlined in the Holy Scriptures. Pastor Rice taught the church the purpose that God has ordained for them, and that God will give his maximum power to the church when we line up with the Word of God. Ministries added under the leadership of Pastor Rice were Wednesday Morning Bible Study, the Audio and Visual Ministry, and the Transportation Ministry. A Mortgage Burning Ceremony was held January 6, 2005, and an additional acre of land was purchased April 12, 2005. Pastor Rice rendered his resignation in September 2008.
After a long and exhausting search, Reverend Gary W. Battles was welcomed in November 2010 as the new pastor. Under his comprehensive, yet fast-paced leadership, the church has begun a new season of growth. The membership is expanding, welcoming not only new members but returning members as well. Church ministries have been revitalized and new ones have been introduced. Our First Impression, EmPower Me, Connections, and Marketing & Media Ministries, as well as Small Groups are developing and thriving. Our edifice is undergoing much needed renovations and additions. There is a renewed sense of unity and excitement and hope for the future. Pastor Battles’ in-depth teaching and preaching of God’s Word has given life to our mission: “Changing lives on at a time.” As our website states, the HCMB ministries are driven by a desire to give everyone solid biblical direction for their lives. We thank and praise God and look to the future with confidence because of our past. We trust God with our heart, and we covet together to follow Him as He keeps leading us.
What We Are Committed To
Everyone needs to know they are loved. Our desire it that you would see Jesus through how we show love in action, as we seek to build loving relationships.
Everyone needs to know Jesus Christ. Our desire is that you would learn about the Good News and all the joy that knowing all of Jesus can bring to your life.
Everyone needs a place to belong. Our desire is for Hurricane Chapel Church to be the place for you to belong.
Mission & Vision
Where God Leads
Foundational
What is Most Important to Us
- The Bible: authoritative, inerrant, our standard for truth and obedience
- Christ-Centered Living: loving the Lord God with our whole hearts
- Dependency on God for every area of our lives
- Prayer: individual and corporate prayer as crucial in doing God’s work
- Equipping Believers for a passion-driven, gift-based ministry
- Missions: Taking Christ to the nations by giving, praying, and going
How We Do Ministry
- Loving Relationships: Acceptance, caring for others, forgiving
- Contemporary Worship: vibrant, heartfelt, reflective
- Small Groups for spiritual growth and relationship building
- Strengthening Families along with strong youth, children’s, and young adult ministries
- Empowering Leadership
What We Believe
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
[2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pt. 1:20, 21; Mk. 13:31; Jn. 8:31, 32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32]
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
[Gen. 1:1, 26; Jn. 1:1, 3; Matt. 28:19; Rom. 1:19, 20; Eph. 4:5,6]
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
[Lk. 10:21, 22; Matt. 23:9; Jn. 3:16; 6:27; Rom. 1:7; 1 Tim. 1:1, 2; 2:5, 6; 1 Pt. 1:3; Rev. 1:6]
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.
[Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38; Jn. 1:1; 20:28; Rom. 8:46; 9:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pt. 2:21-23; Jn. 20:30, 31; Matt. 20:28; Eph. 1:4; Acts 1:11; Rom. 5:6-10; Heb. 7:25; 9:28; 1 Tim. 3:16]
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.
[Jn. 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; Jn. 16:9-14; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal. 5:22-23]
We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. Salvation is a free gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
[Gen. 1:26; 5:2; Gen. 3; Gen. 2:17; 3:19; Eccl. 2:11; Jn. 3:14; 5:24; Jn. 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Rom. 9:22; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 19:3, 20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:18; Ps. 51:7; Jer. 17:9; Jn. 1:14; Rom. 3:19; Prov. 28:13; 1 Jn. 1:9; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 1:13; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Jn. 14:6; 1:12; Titus 3:5; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 5:1][Jn. 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; Jn. 16:9-14; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal. 5:22-23]
We believe the security of our salvation rests upon the gift that God has given us in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is impossible to lose your salvation because it is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the sealing and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit that gives us this security.
[Jn. 10:29-30; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25, 10:10-14; 1 Pt. 1:3-5; Rom. 8:38-39, 11:29; Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Jn. 2:19; Lk. 8:9-14]
We believe man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.
[Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 2:25; 5:11-13; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15]
We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, good works, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
[Eph. 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Eph. 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:23-25]
We believe in the return of Jesus Christ to earth, and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous and the endless suffering of the wicked.
[Matt. 16:27; Mk. 14:62; Jn. 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 4:15; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13]
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the wellbeing of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
[1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 12:1-3; Heb. 12:1-2; Jn. 14:15, 23-24; 2 Cor. 9:6-9; 1 Cor. 1:9-10]