During 1972 it became a dream of the Dallas Baptist
Association and the Baptist General Convention of Texas to begin a new
church at 2121 Apollo Road in Garland. Calvary Baptist Church agreed to
sponsor the mission at this site and named it Woodhaven Baptist Church. By
the next year, the dream of reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus
Christ in the north Garland area became a reality in the hearts of the
five founding members: Glen and Norma Betty, Bill and Evelyn Beaird
and Beth Vanderford. Within a year, the Lord honored the sacrifice and
commitment of these founding members. What follows is a testimony to their
faithfulness and a timeline of our church’s history from start to present.
1972
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Dallas Baptist Association and Baptist General Convention of
Texas collaborate to purchase a four-bedroom house on a six-acre
lot at 2121 Apollo Road in Garland as a potential mission site.
[Photo] |
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1973 |
Calvary Baptist Church agrees to sponsor a mission at the Apollo
Road site; Glen Betty heads a group of twenty from Calvary who
founded Woodhaven Baptist Church there. Founding members include
Glen and Norma Betty, Bill and Evelyn Beaird, and Beth
Vanderford.
Woodhaven conducts its first Vacation Bible School in August
with 41 children enrolled.
Raymond Collier, at age 70, leads Woodhaven’s first formal
worship service on Sept. 9, 1973 as our interim pastor.
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1974 |
Wayne Wood becomes Woodhaven’s first full-time pastor.
Photo
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1976 |
Woodhaven builds its first building, an 8,000 square foot
structure seating 250 for worship. [Photo
of Building] [Photo
of Woodhaven Sign] |
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1979 |
The Lord’s continued blessings allow the church to complete a
two-story education building providing an additional 6,000
square feet of Sunday School space.
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1984 |
Walter Draughon, III, becomes Woodhaven’s second full-time
pastor.
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1988 |
Woodhaven changes her name to Arapaho Road Baptist Church in
preparation for relocation to a ten-acre site at 2256 Arapaho
Road; sells existing church buildings and land to Korean Mission
Baptist Church.
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1989 |
ARBC grows spiritually and numerically while holding services at
Spring Creek Elementary School; Sunday School classes meet in
homes, offices, and restaurants.
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1990 |
 ARBC moves to a new building with a 700-seat worship center and
over 10,000 square feet of Sunday School space. [Photo]
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1992 |
Benny Bond becomes ARBC’s next full-time pastor.
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1994 |
ARBC sells mission house and remaining property at original
Apollo Road site and begins Sunday schedule with dual worship
services and Sunday School sessions.
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1996 |
 A 6,000 square foot educational building is added.
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1997 |
Bill Ashburn is called as ARBC’s full-time pastor.
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1999 |
Annual mission trips to the Dominican Republic began helping a
church Santo Domingo, build a building and minister to the
people of the Invivienda community.
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2000 |
 A 29,800 square foot family life center is added.
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2005 |
 A children's building is added. We began 3 worship
services and 2 Bible Fellowship hours.
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2005 |
Our mission to help construct the church in Invivienda was
completed.
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2007 |
Annual mission trips to Barahona, Dominican Republic began to
help a new church pastored by Franklin Rodriguez.
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2011 |
 On
Sunday, January 30, 2011, Dr. David Rogers was
voted in with a unanimous “YES” to serve as the next Lead Pastor
of Arapaho Road Baptist Church! His
first Sunday in the pulpit was Sunday, February 27. |
