Tucked into the rolling foothills of Burke County on Pea Ridge Road, just outside the city of Morganton, Zion Baptist Church has anchored the Oak Hill community for more than 170 years. The long, low sanctuary and adjoining education building sit among oaks and pasture land, with a historic cemetery out front where the earliest members rest. ZBC is the kind of country church whose roots run as deep as the red clay of western North Carolina, and whose present-day ministry still centers on the same thing it has always pointed to: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
170 Years on Pea Ridge Road
Zion Baptist Church was constituted on June 3, 1854, at Castle School in the Idlewild Farm area near Henderson Mill Road. Earlier meetings had been held at the Upper Creek Schoolhouse from at least 1851, under the care of Smyrna Baptist Church. The name "Zion" is drawn from Hebrews 12:22 - "But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem."
The first church building, a log structure near the present cemetery, was begun on Pea Ridge Road in 1861. Tradition holds that worship also took place in a brush arbor nearby while the log church went up. A frame building replaced it between 1898 and 1901 and served the congregation for more than half a century - until March 2, 1956, when fire destroyed it completely.
The next morning, March 4, 1956, Pastor Jimmy Lambert gathered the congregation on the grounds near the still-smoldering timbers and preached from Nehemiah 4:6: "for the people had a mind to work." While the new sanctuary was being built, Sunday worship moved to the auditorium of nearby Oak Hill School from March through August of 1956. The first service in the rebuilt sanctuary was held on August 12, 1956. That 1956 building still stands today as the chapel on the left side of the present campus, with its cornerstone installed beside the new door.
By 1991, the church had outgrown the 1956 sanctuary and voted to build a new one. The first service in the current sanctuary took place on September 12, 1993. Since 1854 the church has been led by 28 pastors, eight interim pastors, and two youth pastors. In 2011 the church added a Youth Minister/Associate Pastor role, and since 2019 the church has supported two youth pastors alongside the senior pastor.
A Gospel-Centered Faith
Zion Baptist describes itself as a gospel-centered church, and the word "gospel" runs through every page of its teaching. The congregation defines the gospel from 1 Corinthians 15:3-5: "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve." For ZBC, the gospel is not only the door into the Christian life but the lens through which all of life is viewed, theology is studied, and ministry is done.
The church teaches belief in one God eternally existing in three equally divine Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - perfect in love and holiness, the Creator of all things. Scripture, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is held to be the infallible Word of God, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and the supreme and final authority in matters of faith and life.
Salvation, in the church's confession, is wholly dependent on the work of God's free grace through faith in Christ alone, who is God incarnate - fully God and fully man - born of the virgin Mary, who lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, rose bodily from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Two ordinances are practiced: baptism and the Lord's Supper, observed as visible, tangible expressions of the gospel though not themselves the means of salvation.
The church teaches that the local church is an autonomous body of believers, governed by Scripture and led by Pastor-Elders qualified according to the Bible, an office limited to men. The congregation looks for the personal, glorious, and bodily return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of both the just and the unjust, and the final judgment, with eternal conscious punishment for the lost and eternal blessedness in the new heavens and new earth for the redeemed.
Worship itself, ZBC teaches, is essential to God's plan and a natural overflow of love for God. Drawing from the Lord's Prayer, the church emphasizes that worship is not a separate compartment of life but something that should "invade every aspect of our lives." That conviction shapes the order of every service at ZBC.
Sunday at ZBC
A typical Sunday at Zion Baptist follows a steady rhythm that has been in place for generations. The morning begins at 9:00 AM with Sunday School for every age, from Mission Friends and Noah's Ark (grades 1-3) through youth and adult classes that meet throughout the education building adjoining the chapel.
At 10:00 AM the congregation gathers in the sanctuary for the Sunday Morning Worship Service. The description used for this service is hands-on: "Experience the fellowship, praise, and a joyous noise during our worship service filled with classic hymns, contemporary songs, meaningful teachings, and a warm and welcoming congregation." Music here is blended, drawing from both the older hymnal tradition and newer worship songs. Senior Pastor Keith Rose preaches most Sundays from the pulpit, and the services are recorded and posted online for those who cannot attend in person.
A traditional Sunday Evening Worship follows at 6:00 PM, described as "a traditional worship experience featuring classic hymns, relevant teachings, and a welcoming community that embraces authenticity." Many ZBC families attend both services; others come in the morning and return in the evening for a quieter, more reflective hour of singing and teaching.
Children are a regular part of the Sunday morning congregation. ZBC Kids ministers to first through fifth graders during weekend worship services through singing, Bible teaching, and check-in at the welcome area. The church's mobile app offers an express check-in option for parents on the way in. Children who need it move to age-appropriate classes during the sermon.
Wednesday Nights: Bible Study and Children's Missions
Midweek at ZBC is built around the Wednesday Bible Study at 7:00 PM. The gathering is described as a mid-week learning series in which the church digs into Scripture and studies the meaning of the text. Midweek also opens the door for several children's missions groups that meet from 7:00 to 8:00 PM:
- Mission Friends for the youngest children, introducing them to missions and the work of the church around the world.
- Girls in Action (GAs) for girls in grades 1-6, a longstanding WMU missions discipleship program.
- Royal Ambassadors for boys in grades 1-6, focused on missions and godly character.
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM the Student Ministry also gathers, starting with games and a message crafted for middle and high school students, then moving into Bible discussion. The student ministry meets again on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM for its own Sunday School hour.
Sunday School and Small Groups
Zion Baptist takes the idea of community groups seriously. The church runs a full Sunday School program across the education building and chapel, with classes organized by age and stage of life. Among the adult classes meeting at 9:00 AM Sunday mornings are Adult Men, Growing in Grace (middle-aged to senior adults, meeting in the elevator-accessible basement), Morning Glories (women), S.A.L.T., Sonshine Ladies, Truth Seekers, Victory Class, Young Adults, and Young Disciples.
For Noah's Ark, children in grades 1-3 gather at 9:00 AM on the main floor. Beyond the Sunday School hour, ZBC offers a number of weekday small groups and fellowship circles. The Beulah Group and Nita Group meet on the second Monday of the month, in the evening and at midday respectively. The Brotherhood is a men's group that meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM. The Reflections Group meets on the second Wednesday at 7:30 PM, and the Women's Missionary Union gathers on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM for prayer, Bible study, and missions work.
Group life at ZBC is built around the conviction that faith grows best in community. As the church puts it, "The best way to really know and understand what we believe at Zion Baptist Church is being involved in one of our local community groups."
Children and Students
Two generations of ministry stand at the center of ZBC's family life. ZBC Kids serves first through fifth graders on Sunday mornings with singing, Bible stories, and verse-by-verse teaching. The ministry is always looking for volunteers to check kids in, lead classrooms, assist teachers, and serve in the children's worship band.
Student Ministry, led by Student Pastor Brandon Collins, walks with middle and high school students through three weekly touchpoints: a Sunday morning Sunday School class at 9:00 AM, the Sunday morning worship service at 10:00 AM, and a Wednesday evening gathering at 7:00 PM that opens with games and teaching before moving into Bible discussion. Pastor Brandon's consistent refrain around the student ministry is simple: "Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing." The Main Thing, he explains, is Jesus, and every activity from Bible study to interest events is shaped around Him.
The Pastoral Team
Senior Pastor Keith Rose has been at Zion Baptist since 2011. A western North Carolina native, he served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1990 to 1995 before returning home with his wife Shane, to whom he has been married since 1992. The Roses have three adult children. After surrendering to the call to ministry in 2010, Keith spent his first three years at ZBC as associate youth pastor before becoming senior pastor in 2014. His ministry centers on preaching, teaching, counseling, and helping the church stay focused on Jesus. His stated aim is summed up in Colossians 1:28-29: "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."
Student Pastor Brandon Collins grew up in Burke County, graduated from Freedom High School and Lees McRae College with a degree in Criminal Justice, and worked for the NC Department of Juvenile Justice for sixteen years before surrendering to ministry in 2022. He and his wife Alisha have three children - Aiden, Brayden, and Alaina - and he has spent his entire life at Zion Baptist, serving as a Deacon, Children's Church Director, and Youth Leader before being called as Student Pastor in June 2023.
The Music Ministry Director position is currently open; the church is seeking a part-time director to lead the choir, music programs, and hand bells. Shannon Cline joined the staff as church secretary in October 2025 after retiring from NC state service and twenty years as a member of ZBC.
Reaching Oak Hill and the Ends of the Earth
Zion Baptist continues to serve the Oak Hill community that has been home to the church since the 1850s. Each year the congregation hosts several community outreach events and welcomes volunteers to serve as greeters, set-up help, and clean-up crews. The C.A.R.E. Team, a ministry group that meets Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM, carries much of the pastoral care work among members.
Globally, ZBC supports missionaries sent from the church who serve in medical work, disaster relief, church planting, and global partnerships around the world. The church partners financially and prayerfully with the Catawba River Baptist Association, the International Mission Board, and Straight Up Missions, all linked from the church's resources page. Giving to support this work, both local and global, can be done online through the church's secure giving page, via the My Church Home mobile app, or through the EasyTithe Pro app.
Visiting ZBC
Zion Baptist Church meets at 3394 Pea Ridge Road, Morganton, NC 28655. Sunday School begins at 9:00 AM, followed by Sunday Morning Worship at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary. A traditional Sunday Evening Worship follows at 6:00 PM, and the Wednesday Bible Study meets at 7:00 PM along with children's missions groups and the student ministry.
Visitors can expect a blended morning service with classic hymns and contemporary songs, Bible teaching from Pastor Keith Rose, and a warm welcome from a multi-generational congregation. Dress is casual to business casual. Children in first through fifth grade can be checked in at the ZBC Kids area, and parents can speed up the process through the My Church Home app on the way in. The Growing in Grace Sunday School class meets in the basement of the education building, which is elevator-accessible for those who need it.
Those unable to attend in person can watch the livestream or catch up on recent sermons through the sermons page, where audio downloads are also available. Weekly bulletins are posted in PDF form, and a Google Calendar of all church events is embedded for easy reference. The church office can be reached at (828) 437-3080 during the week.