Four Languages, One Roof in East Charlotte
On a busy stretch of Albemarle Road in East Charlotte, Eastern Hills Baptist Church has been a steady presence since 1961. What began as a single English-speaking congregation has grown into something far broader. Today, four language communities worship on the same campus: English, Spanish, Korean, and Burmese. They keep their own services and their own pastors, but they also share hallways, fellowship meals, AWANA clubs, and once a month they fill one room together for a unified service called One Voice.
The church describes its calling as making disciples from neighborhoods to nations, and the Albemarle Road campus has become a working picture of that idea. A visitor on a Sunday morning will hear four services running in parallel and a translation app feeding English, Spanish, Korean, and Burmese captions or audio into anyone's phone.
Sunday Mornings Across Four Services
Worship at Eastern Hills runs in overlapping waves. At 9:30 a.m., small groups gather for all ages in both the English and Spanish ministries, with a separate Korean Sunday School running until 10:30. At 10:30, the English service begins in the Sanctuary while the Spanish congregation worships in the Upstairs Chapel. An hour later, at 11:30, the Korean congregation - known as the Church of Disciples - begins in the Upstairs Ministry Hallway, and the Burmese congregation meets in the Student Area.
To keep the four streams connected, the English service uses a live translation app so that anyone in the room can listen or read along in Spanish, Korean, or Burmese on their own phone. Once a month, the language congregations set aside their separate services and gather together for a unified One Voice worship service.
Children and students have their own Sunday slots. One Voice Kids, serving children from birth through fifth grade, runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. One Voice Students, for grades six through twelve, meets in small groups from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. in the student ministry area. Every Sunday and Wednesday program is led by background-checked staff, and the children's ministry uses KidCheck for a secure check-in system.
One Voice Wednesdays: A Weekly Family Meal
Wednesday nights at Eastern Hills are built around a single shared rhythm called One Voice Wednesdays, running from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. between September and May. At 5:30, adults, children, and teenagers from across the language congregations gather in the fellowship hall for a home-cooked meal. After dinner, adults move into a Bible study while the children head to AWANA and the middle-schoolers head to TREK.
AWANA, for kids from birth through fifth grade, runs from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. with an opening celebration, game and handbook time, and small group time. The cost is $40 per child per year, which covers a workbook, vest or shirt, and awards; cash, check, or online giving through the church's giving page are accepted. TREK, the middle-school program for grades six through eight, runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and includes games, small group discussion, and life talks centered on God's word.
Many people in East Charlotte first met Eastern Hills through that Wednesday night meal and AWANA program. The dinners are a simple, recurring welcome - anyone in the neighborhood can show up, eat, and meet the church.
Women's, Men's, and Senior Ministries
One Voice Women's Bible Study meets on the last Sunday of each month from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on the lower level of the church building, running from September through May. The study is intentionally multi-ethnic and multi-generational, drawing women from each international congregation. Table groups are organized by language so participants can study in their heart language, led by women from each partnering congregation. Food and drinks are provided, materials are provided, and no membership is required - friends are welcome.
The men's ministry gathers once a month in the homes of various church members. Men from different backgrounds study God's Word together, currently walking through the book of Ecclesiastes, and usually share a meal along the way. Senior adults have their own Bible studies and community trips, giving those with years of wisdom and experience a place to grow deeper and to mentor across the church.
Kids and Students, From Birth to Twelfth Grade
Children's ministry at Eastern Hills, led by Children's Director Mallory Hocutt, runs under the name One Voice Kids and reaches from birth through fifth grade. On Sundays, children are dropped off and picked up in classrooms organized by birthday or grade, with parents checking them in at the Kids Check-in Desk on the main floor. The Wednesday AWANA program layers in scripture memory, team games, and small groups, giving kids a year-round rhythm of biblical teaching alongside their parents' adult study.
Student ministry, led by Student Pastor Brian Prince, serves grades six through twelve and is called One Voice Students. Sunday mornings are built around small groups and lively conversation about how the Bible translates into everyday life. Wednesday nights add the TREK program for middle schoolers, plus summer camps and other events through the year. Both Kids and Students draw children and teenagers from across the English, Spanish, Korean, and Burmese congregations, so the next generation is growing up in a multi-ethnic community from their earliest years.
A Story That Spans Cultures
When Lead Pastor James Weddington and his wife Blair returned from living in the Middle East, their sense of call sharpened: to make disciples of all nations, right here in Charlotte. The congregation they joined had been on Albemarle Road since 1961, and the Weddingtons and the church together leaned into the multi-ethnic shape of East Charlotte. The campus that already housed one congregation began intentionally hosting others, so that international congregations could worship under the same roof, build each other up in Christ, and offer a small picture of eternity - all tongues and tribes gathered before the Father.
That vision now runs through everything from the weekly schedule to the Wednesday night meals. The English-speaking congregation, the Church of Disciples in Korean, the Eastern Hills Spanish Congregation, and the Burmese congregation are described as partnering congregations, each with its own pastor and identity but linked in shared ministry.
What Eastern Hills Believes
Eastern Hills holds to a traditional Baptist confession of faith shaped around eighteen articles, beginning with the full truth and trustworthiness of Scripture and the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church teaches that man was created in God's image, that sin entered the human race through Adam, and that salvation is offered freely to all who place faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Salvation is described as encompassing regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification, with perseverance of the true believer secured by the power of God.
Two ordinances are observed: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. The church understands itself as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, governed by elders and deacons, with the office of pastor limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Other articles address the Lord's Day, the Kingdom of God, last things, evangelism and missions, Christian education, stewardship, cooperation among churches, the Christian's calling in society, peace and war, religious liberty, and the family - including marriage defined as the lifelong union of one man and one woman, the dignity of every person as made in God's image, and the protection of human life from conception to natural death.
Pastors and Staff
The English-speaking congregation is led by Dr. James Weddington as Lead Pastor and Elder. The Korean congregation, Church of Disciples, is led by Lead Pastor Samuel Han. The Spanish congregation is led by Lead Pastor Jovany Juarez. Together these three pastors shepherd the partnering congregations that share the campus.
Among the broader staff, Brian Prince serves as Student Pastor for grades six through twelve, and Mallory Hocutt serves as Children's Director for One Voice Kids. April Taylor supports the work as Financial Assistant, and Beverly Hardister serves as Administrative Assistant.
Visiting Eastern Hills
First-time visitors will find the church at 4855 Albemarle Road, Charlotte, NC 28205. Sunday English small groups start at 9:30 a.m. and the English worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Parking is available in the main lot for the English service and in the lower lot for weeknight events and the other language services; greeters and members are happy to point the way in.
Families with children should come through the main church entrance and head to the Kids Check-in Desk to register. KidCheck accounts can be set up ahead of time online so check-in is quick on arrival. Anyone attending the English service can use a translation app on their phone for Spanish, Korean, or Burmese audio or captions.
Worship services are livestreamed each Sunday for those unable to attend in person. Giving can be made online through the church's Realm giving page, including AWANA fees during the program year. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and visitors are welcome to reach out by phone at 704-537-5101 or by email at office@ehbc.info with any questions before coming.