Our Story

On July 7th, 2005, Pastor Tom and his wife Laurie sat at a booth in Outback Steakhouse under strong conviction from God to start a church.  As the evening progressed and prayers were offered, a coaster and napkin were used to invent a church name and logo.  With so many churches marked with disunity and conflict, God provided a name that Pastor Tom wrote on a napkin, CommUNITY Church.  Unity being capitalized as a focal reminder that nothing grieves the heart of God more than strife between His people in regard to church.  Then Pastor Tom and Laurie set their sights on a logo.  It was their desire to break away from traditional and contemporary church growth models and revive that New Testament Church elaborated upon in Acts chapter six.  So, God impressed upon Laurie a cross with a heart in the middle. The cross demonstrating the power of God and the heart the love of God.  Finally the church motto was developed, “A New Church with an Old Vision” as was a mission statement (see below) and theme scripture, “Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in UNITY” PSALM 133:1 (Emphasis mine).

On July 10th, 2005 CommUNITY Church held its first service in a donated office building with just a handful of people present, many from out of town showing support! Our Pastor stepped out of 8 years of full-time ministry, became a school teacher and became CommUNITY Church’s volunteer pastor, refusing any salary or benefits until the church was stable. Less than 1 year later the church had purchased property and a building, sound/visual system, started a bus ministry, raised over $11,000 to send 17 members to North Dakota on a mission trip and voted to receive our founding pastor Tom McCracken, as a full-time paid pastor. Our church is on the brink of crossing a 300 membership with no sign of slowing down!
We continue to grow physically as we grow spiritually. Our church’s mission statement is, “To demonstrate Christ’s love in specific ways, so that every person we meet will know they are IMPORTANT, LOVED and WANTED in Jesus’ name. And are invited to become a part of the Greatest Network of Caring People our world has ever seen!”
We are affiliated with and support the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV), the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association (RVBA), and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

Join us each week as we come together at 9:30 AM for Sunday School, 11 am for Sunday Worship, and 10 AM & 6:30 PM on Wednesdays!