The TTBC Story

Thomas Terrace Baptist Church is a living testament to the faithfulness of God to accomplish His plan. This might best be demonstrated through a quick look at our church's history and, particularly, the great men who helped establish it. By understanding where we come from, we hope that you will be able to get to know the Terrace a little better, and, perhaps, also get a glimpse of God's sovereign hand working towards the completion of the Great Commission here in Central Virginia. 

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Lowell Thomas, Sr., a local land developer and churchman, had a vision to see a church planted in Concord, Virginia, a then mostly rural community on the outskirts of Lynchburg that he called home. This dream, however, never saw fruition during his lifetime. It wouldn't be until after his death in 1988 that his son-in-law, Sam Baker, began the process of planting a church in Concord with the assistance of his pastor, the late Jerry Falwell, Sr. On September 18,1988, a baptist church was officially organized in Concord, and it was decided that it should be called Thomas Terrace, after the neighborhood that bears Lowell Thomas' namesake. 

In November of that same year, Mark Grooms was called on to preach in the fledgling church as a candidate for the pastorate. In December, he was called on for the job, and Mark officially started as the senior pastor of TTBC on New Year's Day, 1989, a Sunday. At its conception, the church only ran about thirty-five members, and they met in the Concord Ruritan Club. In February of 1989, however, the church relocated to a more permanent residence at the old Frazier Furniture Store building on Oxford Furnace Hill, and it would remain there steadfastly for the next ten years. 

In November of 1999, Thomas Terrace Baptist Church moved to its current home, a former 17-acre horse farm, where we have, by the grace of God and the generosity of His people, constructed a facility specifically designed to foster Gospel-expansion and discipleship. The dream of one man has become a movement, right here in Concord, that has seen thousands of souls saved by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, simultaneously, become a bulwark of hope in our community. We are so thankful that God has chosen to use us in this small way for His glory, and we hope and pray that you will join us as we tread onward, carrying the good news of Jesus to everyone we meet. 

Our Leadership