From Norwood Park to State Farm Road
The congregation now known as Westwood Baptist Church traces its beginning to a single weekend in late May 1953, when Reverend Harry Haynes held a revival at Norwood Park in Anniston. Twelve Christians from the surrounding Norwood community gathered on July 3, 1953, in the home of J.H. Holloway on McCoy Street and organized what was then called Norwood Baptist Church. Haynes was called as pastor two weeks later, and the first services were held in the Holloways' living room before moving to Norwood School that fall.
Land was purchased and a groundbreaking held for a building at 2900 Moore Avenue, where the church grew rapidly. By the end of the 1960s the original space could no longer keep pace, and in January 1969 construction began on a new sanctuary and educational wing that was completed that summer. Three decades later, the property on Moore Avenue could no longer accommodate the congregation's growth, and in February 1991 a relocation committee was formed. The Calhoun Baptist Association surveyed the area and proposed four possible sites. In January 1992 the church purchased property at 41 State Farm Road, roughly half a mile east of the Westwood subdivision in Alexandria, and in August of that year members voted to rename the church Westwood Baptist Church. The first service in the new building was held on July 4, 1993, after a stretch of Sundays spent worshiping with the congregation of Saks Baptist Church.
Growth continued into the next decade. In October 1997 a building program added the Christian Life Center and additional educational space. In October 2004 Westwood held its first Global Impact Celebration, an emphasis that has since carried many members on short-term mission trips. The congregation has continued to expand its campus and facilities through the Generations faith-raising campaign.
A Sunday Around the Building
Westwood's weekly rhythm opens on Sunday morning with Small Groups at 9:00, a parallel set of Bible-study classes for every age. Whether someone is single, married, a parent, or a retiree, there is a small group waiting to connect them with others walking the same road.
The whole church gathers for Worship at 10:15 in the sanctuary, where a choir and worship team led by Minister of Music Blaise Adams direct the congregation in song and Pastor Rick Coffman preaches. Children and preschoolers are dismissed during the service to their own graded ministries.
Equip Groups Through the Week
For those wanting to go deeper between Sundays, Equip Groups (EGroups) meet at the church and in homes throughout the community at varying times of day. The EGroups ministry is described as Westwood's intentional strategy for obeying the command to make disciples of all nations, helping believers live the life God intends by being actively involved in the disciple-making process.
Wednesday Nights Around the Word
Midweek, adults meet for Bible Study at 6:30 on Wednesdays. The study is open to anyone in the community who wants to work through books of the Bible together, whether or not they attend Westwood on Sundays.
What Westwood Believes
The church's stated purpose is to lead people to love God, follow Christ, connect with others, and serve the world. Its mission is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Westwood affirms that there is one living and true God, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. It teaches that all Scripture is completely true and correct and that it sets out the main beliefs by which God judges humanity. Human beings, made in God's likeness, sinned against God by an act of free will and brought sin upon all of mankind. Salvation is offered to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and His blood purchased never-ending salvation for the believer. A New Testament church, in Westwood's understanding, is an independent local congregation of baptized believers who observe two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper.
The congregation's approach to making disciples follows Jesus' own pattern. He taught the masses, then the disciples, then the three, training them to teach others as He had taught them. Westwood structures its ministry around the same three arenas: the Scriptures, relationships (investing in others the way Jesus invested in the twelve and the three), and service, modeling what is taught through practical life situations.
Three guiding principles frame the church's work. God Dependence: with God all things are possible, and without Him everything is impossible. Life Transformation: the expectation that God wants disciples to make disciples through relationships aimed at Christ-likeness. Kingdom Growth: seeking to join God in His activity in Calhoun County, in America, and around the world so that followers of Christ are multiplied.
Westwood Youth
Minister of Youth Michael Smith oversees Westwood's ministry to middle and high school students. The youth ministry gathers students for teaching, fellowship, service, and the kind of shared experiences that bond a generation to a church family. Specific events and the current calendar are listed on the church's calendar page.
Westwood Kids, Wee Care, and the Nursery
Children's Director Abby Adams leads the Westwood Kids ministry, which partners with parents to help children learn, believe, and share God's Word at every age. Kayla Cromer directs the nursery, and Kaitlyn Henderson leads Wee Care, the church's ministry for its youngest children. Together, these programs give parents the chance to worship and study while knowing their children are being cared for and taught.
Westwood Preschool
Westwood Preschool, directed by Angelia Webber, extends the church's reach into the wider Alexandria community. According to the preschool's mission statement, the program exists to build biblical background by helping preschoolers learn, believe, and share God's Word; guiding them in developing a heart of giving and a love for missions; teaching them to have a deep love for God and to worship Him freely; and fostering a sense of community and love for one another.
Staying Connected
A weekly worship guide and a regular newsletter are both available online, and the church calendar lists regular meeting times as well as special events. Members and guests can follow Westwood on Facebook at facebook.com/WestwoodBaptistAL and on Instagram at instagram.com/westwoodbaptistal. Emails go to WestwoodBaptistAL@gmail.com, and the church office can be reached at 256-820-2211.
Giving at Westwood
Westwood offers three ways to give. Online giving is processed through a secure platform where donors can give from a checking or savings account or by card, either as a guest or by setting up a recurring account. Text-to-give is also available by sending GIVEWESTWOOD to 73256. Checks made out to Westwood Baptist Church can be placed in the offering plates during Sunday gatherings, dropped in the box outside the church office, or mailed to the church. The church teaches tithing as the foundation of biblical giving, anchored in 2 Corinthians 9.