In the year of 1928, sister Lorena Williams had a vision of a church. A few people in the area got together, organized the church and named it the Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church. The first pastor was Reverend Baxter Wilson and brother Adolphus Williams was ordained as the first Deacon. He along with other faithful members helped build the first church that was located immediately to the left of our present one under pastor Wilson's leadership the church began to grow in membership, faith and trust in God. After many years of fellowship and his failing health, Reverend Baxter Wilson resigned as pastor and the Reverend Henry Raymond Smith was elected as his successor.
Under his leadership, the church selected and ordained four new deacons, Brothers Charlie Allen, Ernest Lipscomb, Johnny Page, and Norman Winston. The church continued to grow, and Cedar Rock became associated with the New Hope Union. Reverend Smith served as pastor for 30 years and only resigned because of illness. Reverend Bellamy served faithfully as interim pastor for two years before the Lord sent a kind and humble servant of God by the name of Reverend Elmo Thorpe to serve as Cedar Rocks third pastor.
Unfortunately, reverend Thorpe resigned after serving only two years and the Reverend David O. Parrish was elected as our fourth pastor. Under Reverend Parrish’s leadership, and with the help of two associate ministers, Reverend Johnny Pearson and Reverend Willie Hayes, the church grew spiritually, and the Pastors Aid Ministry was organized.
After Reverend Parrish left, Reverend Elmo Thorpe was reelected as the church's fifth pastor. Reverend Thorpe served 16 years. During his tenure the church ordained 2 deacons, Brother Lester Cofield and Brother Floyd Crump, purchased land and began building a new church. The new church was completed in 1991 and today we are continuing to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Reverend Thorpe was faithful to Cedar Rock and the church was deeply saddened on December 17, 1995, when he announced his retirement. He preached his final sermon as Cedar Rock's fifth pastor on the 4th Sunday in June 1996.
Once again Cedar Rock was without a pastor, however, God always has a ram in the bush. On November 1, 1996, our prayers to send us a spirit filled man of God was answered. The Reverend Mark Royster Sr. was elected as the sixth pastor of Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church.
Pastor Royster is a native of Oxford, NC, and has resided in Chapel Hill with his wife First Lady Sister Phyllis Royster since 1977. Since the preaching of his initial sermon as our pastor on November 3, 1996, Cedar Rock has grown spiritually and has encountered many firsts. We were blessed with our first woman associate minister, Minister Annette Sorrell and our first woman deacon, Deacon Evelyn Page Moss. In 1997, worship service was expanded from three Sundays to every Sunday. Over the last ten years we have established the ministries of the praise and youth ministry and expanded the music ministry by organizing the male chorus and the Cedar Rock youth choir. In addition, the church paid off its mortgage, purchased additional land, built a new pulpit, a new office and church furniture was added to the sanctuary, and we also purchased our first church van. In 2004, we purchased a house that we use as our youth and Resource Center. It contains a library and meeting rooms that we also use as classrooms and serve as our food distribution center. We also renovated an adjacent building which we call our education center that houses two additional classrooms. As God continued to bless us, we established a playground, developed an outdoor recreational area across the street and erected the steeple atop the church. Finally, in 2006, we established the Cedar Rock Youth and Resource Center, Inc., a nonprofit 501C3 corporation that addresses the needs of children as well as adults to ensure success for the community as a whole.
On February 28, 2016, Reverend Eddie White III became our seventh pastor of Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church in New Hill, NC, with his wife and two children. Under Reverend Eddie White's leadership, Reverend White helped the church take care of some much-needed repairs to the educational building. We also purchased an alarm system for the church to make sure the edifice and grounds were safe. Also, a walled television system was added by the Media Ministry for the use of Bible study at Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church. Reverend White was instrumental in starting vacation Bible school for one week during the summer months at Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church and later was instrumental in helping start a community wide vacation Bible school that was held at Apex First Baptist Church in Apex, NC. Reverend White resigned as the pastor of Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church in February of 2019.
Cedar rock Missionary Baptist Church was without a pastor For a few years. This absence and transition were largely due to not being able to find a pastor and the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period of time services were suspended until further notice. Services were resumed posts COVID-19 pandemic in July of 2022. Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church officials collaborated with the moderator of the New Hope Union Association in finding ministers to preach each Sunday until Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church found an interim pastor. In October 2022, Reverend Anthony Brown became the interim pastor for Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church. Under the leadership of Reverend Brown, Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church has been committed to reestablishing a Kingdom presence in New Hill, NC with a growing faith to become the Church that will meet the needs of the community at large.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church not only has the word “rock” in its name but this history lets you know that it is built upon the rock of Jesus Christ and as long as there is a God above, the Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church will continue to stand and be the Church God is pleased with.
