Heading West on Bear Grass Road just off of U.S. 17 after passing the fifth hole of Roanoke Country Club, the Back Swamp Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, appears on the right.
The picture postcard church sits back off the road in the slightest valley rolling flatland roads offer. Vibrant green fescue, manicured as though it were a neighboring fairway, serves as the canvas for the architecturally pleasing red brick house of worship. The church has been a pillar in the Martin County community for over a century and has stood on its Back Swamp property since 1908.
However, it’s what happens within the church and the community outreach Back Swamp’s members perform that shines brightly on the Back Swamp congregation and it’s Elder, the Rev. Dr. Derrick Wilkins.
Dr. Wilkins, an Eastern North Carolina native, born in Roper, has led the Back Swamp membership for 28 years and in that time has achieved tremendous heights.
“My ministry journey began on May 16, 1993, when I preached my initial sermon at Salem Baptist Church, now Salem Bible Church, in Atlanta, Georgia. I relocated to North Carolina in August 1993 to accept a position at Elizabeth City State University,” said Dr. Wilkins. “I was ordained in the Washington and Norfolk District Assembly of the Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ in October 1994. I served as an associate minister at St. John Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, in Washington until I was called to serve as pastor at Back Swamp Church of Christ.”
Wilkins is also the proud, but humble recipient of the The Order of The Long Leaf Pine Award.
Back Swamp’s roots run deep in Williamston and the Martin County Community, dating back to 1885 when a small group started a mission known as Disciples of Christ. The congregation met at a location on Washington Street near the Atlantic Coastline Railroad crossing in Williamston.
Eventually, they moved to the Tyner’s Town community and began meeting in a one-room house on Ben and Pat Bigg’s property, explained Wilkins.
Early on the congregation faced challenges. The first pastor was elected from the Free Union Community in Jamesville, but died suddenly leaving the 17-member congregation without a pastor.
After electing Elder Josh J. Ward pastor in 1906, church leaders decided a larger church was needed, purchased land from Mack Riddick near Back Swamp, and decided to name the church after it.
Wilkins became the seventh Elder to lead the Back Swamp congregation in 1996 and has realized many accomplishments throughout his tenure.
The church’s tagline is ‘Impacting the community for Christ through education, evangelism and outreach.’ Dr. Wilkins and the Back Swamp members have developed numerous programs supporting the Williamston Community, living up to the church’s motto.
Back Swamp’s food pantry recently began operation after a COVID shut down and distributes food on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. The Community Soup Day, held at Williamston’s Main Street Haven Park, is an overwhelming, anticipated event. Recently, Back Swamp members took to Bear Grass Road cleaning up debris along the highway to maintain that picture postcard image throughout the neighborhood.
“We have a nursing home ministry where we render services at one of the local facilities several times a year,” Dr. Wilkins said. “We provide gifts to children in foster care through the Martin County Department of Social Services. We also host holiday concerts and educational events such as health seminars, financial literacy and end of life planning.
“We have welcoming and engaging worship services each Sunday,” added Dr. Wilkins.
Historically, churches of all denominations have been the foundation of communities throughout the country; however, polls show church membership across those denominations has fallen below 50 percent of the U.S. population for the first time since polling began, presenting challenges for churches and the communities they serve.
“There are great opportunities for churches to address community issues. The need is tremendous. As we plan programs, our church relations team is responsible for maintaining our Facebook page and marketing our events,” said Dr. Wilkins. “We have a mid-size congregation. We have maintained membership over the recent years.
“We are beginning to see post-pandemic growth in membership along with an increase in visitors. In addition to those attending each Sunday, we have gained additional members who live out of state by way of our conference line,” he continued.
Wilkins’ methodology for attracting new members is to be Christ-centric, relevant and welcoming.
“It is necessary to be seen in the community in ways that are impacting lives. We encourage our members to invite people to our events and services,” Dr. Wilkins insists. “We also have an evangelism team that takes part in attracting new members.”
Dr. Wilkins walks the talk of Jesus and urges Back Swamp members to do the same.
“My goal is to reach the masses with the clear message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of Grace is not just a spoken message, but most importantly, it is a lived message. I emphasize to our members that we have a better chance of attracting people when they see us living the scriptures rather than quoting scriptures,” noted Dr. Wilkins.
The Elder faces the challenge of a weekly sermon as a partnership.
“The challenge of coming up with a weekly topic is keeping my mind and spirit clear to hear from God amid the noisiness of life — personal, environmental, political, etc. The best way for me to remain relevant in preaching is to allow the Holy Spirit to inspire my messages,” Dr. Wilkins said.
He is also concerned about the poverty in Martin county and how to alleviate it.
“Jesus was concerned about the well-being of the poor and marginalized people, and so am I,” explained Dr. Wilkins. “We deal with poverty by educating our members, encouraging them to be involved in the political process where policies are being developed that will impact the poor, and enlisting their time, talent and treasure to address poverty in our community.”
“We are striving to ensure the beauty of our members, through their kindness and service to humanity, will surpass the beauty of the building,” Dr. Wilkins humbly said.
Back Swamp Church of Christ is located on 1414 Bear Grass Rd. just outside Williamston.
(Editor’s Note: The above story is part of the current edition of Eastern North Carolina Living. Pick up a copy throughout Martin County.)
Most Popular
Comments / 0