Founded in 1987, Woodland Heights Baptist Church had its beginnings in a meeting with the Southern Baptist Association director Bill Kreis and Floyd Tidsworth of the Arkansas Baptist Association Headquarters in Little Rock. According to church records, the meeting was held to discuss and identify the need for a new Southern Baptist Church in western Conway. Organizers were expecting 10 people to attend the meeting; 50 showed up. Before the meeting concluded, there was a commitment to start a new church and Sunday services were scheduled.
Approximately 140 people attended the first service held at Cold Springs Camp. There were approximately 225 in attendance the next Sunday. On June 7, 1987, Woodland Heights Baptist Church constituted with 216 charter members.
On July 28, 1987, 25 acres were purchased in western Conway on Highway 60. Building plans were approved for a 15,800 square foot multipurpose building to seat 350 people. Groundbreaking was scheduled for April 1988. In the meantime, services were held at numerous sites, including Cold Springs Camp, Camp Beaverfork, Baptist Student Union at the University of Central Arkansas, Salem United Methodist Church and several private homes.
Ground breaking ceremonies were held on April 28, 1988.Special guests speakers, music, and dinner on the ground were included in the day's activities. Construction of the new multipurpose sanctuary, office space, and education classrooms began shortly thereafter.
On July 3, 1988, the church unanimously voted to call the Rev. David Hatfield of Oklahoma City as its pastor. The first service in the new building was held on October 23, 1988.The church continued to grow during the next several years. On June 23, 1991, ground breaking ceremonies were held for a new 6, 321 square foot education building.
"Expansion" was the wording in 1994. The construction of 4,992 foot of additional education space provided 14 classrooms. The worship area was remodeled, bringing the seating capacity up to 625. Several classrooms were remodeled to offer additional office space for the new Minister of Music and Education.
Woodland Heights Baptist Church has a sister church in Naples, Italy. In 1995, WHBC sent a team of workers to Naples to conduct Vacation Bible School, preach, teach, and give testimonies at the International Baptist Church.
In mid 2001, ground was broken and construction began on a new sanctuary building. The building initially created room for 800 people to come together for worship. The choir loft holds an additional 120 people who lead our congregation in worship through song. There is a separate area for the church's Sanctuary orchestra.
The sanctuary also provided the hand bells with a separate room to store the equipment and a room to practice. There is also a music library to store orchestra music and instruments. The choir room's platform is an exact duplicate of the stage in the worship center, and the choir suite has four smaller rooms that serve as practice rooms.
In the first phase of construction, the balcony area will be used as classrooms, providing additional education space. In the future, these classrooms will be torn down, and additional seats will be put into place.
On November 24th, 2002, Woodland Heights Baptist Church took an exciting step by holding their first worship service in this new facility. About 800 church members and friends attended a ribbon cutting ceremony in the foyer of the building, and then moved into the worship center as the choir sang the Hallelujah chorus. After the welcome, the choir led the church body in "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" with orchestral accompaniment. The sanctuary orchestra played "Oh, I want to know you more" for the offertory music.
The choir later led the church in worship by singing "The Majesty and Glory." Rev. David Hatfield preached a very touching message out of God's word on "Jehovah Adonai".
Ending the service, Wrenetta Austin and Donna Gober played the postlude on the organ and piano, respectively.
Woodland Heights has been very blessed by God since it began in 1987. The staff and congregation will maintain the fact that were blessed so abundantly, because our church has kept it's focus where it should be: the cross.
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