Temple Baptist Church stands at the corner of 18th Street and Market in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, where it has long been a neighborhood fixture. Its motto, "To Know Christ... and Make Him Known," shapes everything from Sunday worship to a busy slate of food, clothing, and fellowship outreaches that reach across the surrounding blocks and out to college students at the nearby University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Sunday Mornings at 18th and Market
Worship on Sunday begins with Bible study for all ages at 9:45 a.m., followed by a worship service at 11:00 a.m. The service is offered both in person and online: it is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, and past sermons remain available on the church's YouTube channel. Those who prefer to listen can tune in to 980 AM or 107.9 WAAV radio during the service hour. A weekly worship bulletin and church calendar are posted online so newcomers and members can follow along.
Visitors driving in can enter the parking lot on the Princess Street side of the building, where there is additional parking for both regular services and the monthly community lunch.
Helping Hands: Food, Clothing, and Blessing Bags
The Helping Hands Food and Clothing Ministry is one of the most visible arms of Temple Baptist Church, addressing food insecurity and material hardship in the neighborhood with a combination of ongoing programs and a flagship monthly event.
Each third Thursday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the church hosts a free Hot Dog Lunch in its fellowship hall. Hot dogs with all the fixings, drinks, chips, and a cookie are served in a relaxed, come-as-you-are setting with no reservations required. The event is open to anyone who lives nearby or is simply passing through, and guests are invited to bring along anyone they know who might benefit from a hot meal and warm company.
Alongside the lunch, the ministry runs a clothing closet that offers gently used clothing, shoes, and essential items for men, women, and children. The Blessing Bag Ministry assembles portable care packages filled with hygiene items, non-perishable snacks, and seasonal necessities, which congregation members carry in their vehicles or hand out directly on the street to neighbors experiencing homelessness. Both programs run on donations, with an Amazon Wishlist linked from the church's resources page for anyone who wants to contribute supplies.
The Anchor Church Breakfast on Water Street
Temple also partners with Anchor Church, a Sunday-morning gathering at 106 S. Water Street in downtown Wilmington that brings together unhoused and housed neighbors, skeptics and believers, young and old, for community and worship. Anchor meets at 8:30 a.m., and Temple helps stock the breakfast each month to support food security efforts in the heart of the city.
Reaching College Students Near UNCW
Because Temple is just down the road from UNCW and Cape Fear Community College, the church's College & Career Ministry is woven into the campus community. It partners with the UNCW Track and Field Team, the UNCW Baseball Team, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the UNCW Music School, with the music partners joining the congregation for a Christmas program each year. A weekly College & Career Bible Study meets on Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. and is open to students and young adults from across the area.
Children, Seniors, and Adult Studies
The Children's Ministry offers a safe and loving setting for kids to grow in faith through Bible lessons, worship, fellowship, and service, with Wednesday evening programming at 6:00 p.m. and seasonal events including Christmas productions, an Easter Egg Hunt, and a Summer Camp Cooking Camp Jr.
The Senior Ministry is built around Bible studies, social gatherings, outreach projects, and support groups that honor the wisdom and experience of older members. Sunday School for the group meets at 9:45 a.m. each Sunday.
Adults can also join a Women's Bible Study on Mondays at 11:00 a.m. or a Men's Breakfast on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Bible Study with Interim Pastor Gantt
On Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., Interim Pastor Dr. Bobby Gantt teaches a Bible study that is open to anyone in the community who wants to dig into Scripture together. Children's programming runs at the same time, so the whole family can attend.
Music and Leadership at Temple
Logan Cartwright has served as Temple's Minister of Music and Spiritual Formation since February 2018. A trumpet player and vocalist who grew up in the Raleigh area, he came to church music during his senior year of college and worked as a music director in western North Carolina before joining the staff. He sees church music as both a ministry and a teaching tool across generations, and his hobbies outside the church include cooking, board games, and making music.
Interim Pastor Dr. Bobby Gantt provides preaching and teaching leadership during the church's current transition season. Office Administrator Brenda Chandler, a native Wilmingtonian, has been on the staff since October 2, 2006, with decades of experience in Baptist churches across the area. Her favorite scripture is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Online Resources and Giving
Worship bulletins, the church calendar, an online directory, and a Right Now Media library for streaming Bible studies are all available from the church's resources page. Giving and tithing are accepted online through a dedicated portal. A connection card on the site makes it easy to reach out as a visitor, request prayer, ask about membership, or simply get more information.