About Starling Avenue Baptist Church
Starling Avenue Baptist is a welcoming, all-inclusive church that celebrates diversity. We offer an open-minded faith space where unconditional love, forgiveness, and interfaith relationships are embraced.
Like the early church, we believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and the Bible is the Word of God. We respect and adhere to historic Christian faith and Baptist principles, both within the church and in our personal lives in the community. Our musical legacy, from timeless hymns to modern anthems, is an integral part of our worship.
At Starling Avenue, we believe God has called us to active discipleship. We seek pathways to deepen our faith and spiritual maturity. We support ministries and missions with our time, talents, and resources. We care for the sick and suffering, and ensure both women and men have a place in church leadership.
Believers together…with glad and generous hearts
Our Church Covenant
Rejoicing in the grace of God and surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ, we are led by the Holy Spirit to joyfully and reverently covenant with God and one another. As a member of this body of believers……
I will glorify God through worship, prayer and the study of scripture.
I will live in Christian love and forgiveness in my family and in this Congregation. I will encourage and support others and lift them to God in prayer.
I will be a faithful steward of all God’s gifts, joyfully using all that I am and all that I have in sacrificial service to the glory of God. I will affirm and celebrate the Christian growth and service of others.
I will demonstrate God’s love and mercy through words and actions to everyone whose life I touch. Working with others, I will provide the resources to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
Our History
Starling Avenue Baptist Church was the outgrowth of an ecumenical revival held in “southside” Martinsville in 1929. The area was on the growing edge of the city but there were few churches. Members of First Baptist Church organized a Sunday School which met in the afternoons and soon a tabernacle was built on the present location where services began to be held.
In 1935 the church was chartered with 95 members and Rev. Thomas Fryer, a graduate of Roanoke College and Southern Seminary was called as the first pastor. The energetic young pastor soon had the congregation involved in constructing the present sanctuary, with the area under it serving as fellowship hall and Sunday School space.
The Depression meant that many members were not working full weeks. Banks had not been eager to loan the new congregation funds for the construction. An insurance company finally agreed to make the loan after members put up their homes or bought personal insurance policies as collateral.
Work began with members volunteering their days off in the construction. It was a hands-on project involving faith and commitment on the part of all.
Pastors
Over the years, the church has been blessed by the leadership of capable pastors:
Dr. Thomas Fryer (1936-1939) was the founding pastor of Starling Avenue Baptist Church.
Rev. George W. Simmons (1940-1941 and 1946-1953) served both before and after his years as a chaplain in World War II.
Dr. Charles Harman (1941-1946) left academia to serve the church during World War II and later served as present of Bluefield College.
Rev. Shields Webb (1954-1957) lead the church during a time of growth before returning to his home state of Tennessee to pastor.
Dr. Thomas Hall, Jr. (1958-1962) was the pastor between his tenure as Old Testament professor at Southern Seminary and his professorship at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Charles Shanks, Jr. (1963-1969) was later the associate pastor at First Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.
Rev. John Woody (1970-1979) served as director of Missions in North Carolina prior to his call at Starling Avenue.
Dr. David Adkins (1979-2014) moved from his position as an associate to become the pastor after the untimely death of Rev. John Woody. Dr. Adkins served the church for almost 40 years until his retirement.
Rev. Ashley Gill Harrington and Rev. A. Brian Harrington (2016-2021) were called to serve Starling Avenue Baptist in a new model of co-pastoring.
Rev. Angela Zimmerman (2023-present) came to Starling Avenue after several years as a Music Minister in churches in North Carolina and Virginia.
Women
From the beginning SABC has recognized the gifts and ministry of women. In the 1980s the church elected its first women deacons and was the first church in the association to ordain women to the ministry.
Baptists
A study committee was formed in the 1980’s during the takeover movement in the Southern Baptist Convention, at whose annual meetings we were well represented by messengers. As a result the church affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists for missions and gave support to those agencies defunded by the Southern Baptist Convention such as the Baptist World Alliance and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.
We are grateful for the heritage and pray that our work will make possible a glowing future of service in God’s mission.
