We Are Now Myers Park Covenant Church
Myers Park Baptist Church, a cornerstone of one of Charlotte's oldest neighborhoods for more than eight decades, has voted to adopt a new name. Beginning today, the congregation of 800-plus members will be known as Myers Park Covenant Church, strengthening the connection to its guiding philosophy.
“This is an exciting and joyful time for our church,” said Nancy W. Hudson, chair of the church's Board of Deacons. “Our cherished Church Covenant* remains a touchstone for our members. It is not a list of rules, but rather a statement on how to live and grow together on our spiritual journey.
The congregation's decision follows years of discernment regarding the word “Baptist." While historically meaningful, the name had become a barrier for some seeking a spiritual home, as it carried associations that no longer reflect the church’s inclusive and ecumenical character. A formal congregational vote held in June, confirmed the new name.
Church members have long been encouraged to respond actively to the issues of their time—from desegregation and anti-war protests to advancing creation justice and serving as early advocates for women and LGBTQ+ individuals in leadership. With an origin based on freedom, every generation has found new ways to connect with an ever-changing world.
Leaders emphasize the Church is committed to its original and core Baptist principles: the priesthood of all believers; the free pulpit; the autonomy of the congregation in local churches; and personal religious freedom.
Myers Park Covenant Church continues to welcome all who seek community, regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation or belief. The church’s programs, worship schedule and ministries remain unchanged as the congregation steps into this new chapter under its new name.
*Myers Park Covenant Church Covenant:
We, the members of the Myers Park Covenant Church, are a people on a journey of faith. By God’s grace we are experiencing love through Jesus Christ and in the community of the faithful. We are discovering in this experience our freedom to become new creatures and our responsibility to be faithful stewards of our lives and of this world.
We will be open to all new light, strengthened by God and each other in our faith. We will sustain a critical examination of Scripture, beliefs and ritual as interpreters of God’s active presence in the world. We will accept controversy as a reality of life together and an opportunity for growth toward maturity. We covenant to be a community of God’s New Creation and affirm that we are open to all and closed to none.
We covenant together to nurture this church as a community of faith and as an instrument for reconciliation in the world: by worship, by Christian education, by the dedication of our personal and material resources and by all the other ways we express the significance of our lives with God and one another.
We covenant together to be priests celebrating God’s presence in community and in the world, believing we are participants of God’s kingdom on Earth.
Founded in 1943, Myers Park Covenant Church traces its roots to a visionary group of families who shared a dream: to build a church that preached the gospel and reflected the spirit of religious freedom rooted in the Baptist tradition. Situated on eight acres in one of Charlotte's most storied neighborhoods, the church has grown into a diverse, ecumenical community committed to faith, justice, and radical welcome.