Our History
God led Rev. David and Mrs. Brenda Dupree to Zebulon to plant a church. The first service of the Zebulon-Wendell Baptist Temple was held in March of 1974, in an old store-front building on the corner of Gannon and Arendell Avenue in Zebulon. Much work had to precede the first service in order to transform the old Whitley Tire Shop into a suitable place of worship. Walls were studded and paneled, rooms were built, carpet and pews were added, a platform and altar built, and much painting had to be done. Workers from the pastor's family and friends from Midway Baptist Church did most of the work in about three weeks, working at night and on Saturday.
Eleven people were in that first service. Through hard work and the blessings of God, Baptist Temple grew to the point of organization on May 7, 1974. Fourteen adults and children made up the original charter.
As time passed, land was purchased, and after fourteen months of legal battle with zoning ordinances, ground was broken on July 4, 1976. The first building was completed and occupied for the first service on December 31, 1976.
In the fall of 1977, Baptist Temple Christian School was started with the A Beka and ACE curriculum. The church and school grew, making a second building program necessary. A gymnasium and classroom complex was built. This facility was occupied in January of 1980.
Since the beginning, twelve more acres of land have been bought and paid for, bringing our total acreage to fifteen.
The greatest blessing of all is the more than 2,000 souls that have been led to Christ and the nearly 500 of them that have followed the Lord in believers' baptism.
To accommodate the growth as well as to upgrade facilities, in 1991, a building program for a new gymnasium and renovations of the old gymnasium into classrooms was begun. The work was finished and ready to occupy January 1992.
In June of 1997, the church incorporated and changed names to Heritage Baptist Church and Heritage Christian Academy.
Ground breaking for the new church auditorium and Sunday school and office complex was started in June of 1998. the work was finished and occupied in January of 1999.
In May of 2007, the work to brick the elementary building and the gymnasium began. New metal roofs were done and porches were added. The high school building was upgraded with a new A-roof, as well as new porches.
Through the years, HBC has been a missionary-minded church. Presently we are supporting 109 missionaries and projects. By God's blessing and God's people giving, the sun never sets on the ministry of HBC. Souls are won to Christ almost daily around the world. To God Be The Glory!
The bus ministry, music, youth, AWANAs, ladies' and men's fellowships, LAF, Sunday School and Heritage Christian Academy are just parts of the ministries that continue to meet the total need of the individuals and families of HBC.
God has given us the victory through His great and mighty things. He has proven to us and the world that "little is much when God is in it." To God be the glory great things he has done!