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Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.

People in its history

People named in events about this site, ordered by number of mentions. Each example links to an entry with a source citation.

Robert E. Seymour5 entries, including Robert Seymour becomes the first pastor of Binkley Memorial Baptist Church (1959)

In the chronology

Storyline about this site, with a page of its own:

Binkley Baptist and the Community Church of Chapel Hill 55 events

1958 Binkley Church joins the North Carolina Council of Churches Right after it organized in September 1958, the new Binkley congregation asked to be received as an individual member of the North Carolina Council of Churches and was accepted. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 4
September 21, 1958 Binkley Baptist Church organizes Fifty-six charter members established the congregation, initially worshiping on campus. Binkley Baptist Church — Our History
1959 Robert Seymour becomes the first pastor of Binkley Memorial Baptist Church Robert Seymour came to Chapel Hill in 1959 as the first minister of the Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church, organized the year before. He led it until 1988. Chapelboro: Robert Seymour, Civil Rights Activist and Chapel Hill Pastor, Dies at 95
1960 The Yates Association declines to receive Binkley and deeds it the bypass lot After a year of watchcare and a further year's delay, the Yates Baptist Association voted at its 1960 session not to receive Binkley as a member because it admitted members not baptized by immersion. At the same session it deeded the 15-501 Bypass lot to the church on condition the church pay the $350 still owed. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 4
1962 Binkley Baptist Church takes James Forbes as a student intern Under Robert Seymour, Binkley Memorial Baptist Church accepted James A. Forbes Jr., a Black divinity student, as its intern in 1962. Carolina Arts & Sciences Magazine: Pillar of Chapel Hill community leaves gift to College's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts
October 13, 1963 Binkley Church breaks ground for its fellowship hall and education wing Having traded its bypass lot for a larger one just to the north, the congregation broke ground for a fellowship hall and education wing designed by F. Carter Williams. A $25,000 gift from Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte made it possible to award the building contracts. The deeds recorded between August 27 and September 3, 1963 included 4.93 acres on U.S. 15-501 deeded to the church's trustees, and lots at Conner Ridge deeded by the trustees in exchange. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 5 · Also: The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), September 12, 1963, p. 21; The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), November 8, 1962, p. 4; The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), May 9, 1963, p. 4
1964 Binkley Church asks to join the American Baptist Convention After long study Binkley applied to the American Baptist Convention, in part because that body belonged to the National and World Councils of Churches and the Southern Baptist Convention did not. It became one of a small number of churches affiliated with both conventions. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 4
fall 1965 The Binkley Kindergarten opens in the new church building Binkley's first community project was a state-approved kindergarten run as a separate nonprofit, with the church giving space and utilities in return for scholarships for poor children. It ran until 1977, when public kindergartens came in and it became a preschool for younger children. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 6
1967 Binkley rewrites its constitution to open full membership to all Christians After a self-examination the church revised its constitution, offering membership to people from any Christian church rather than only the evangelical tradition. It also dropped the bar that had kept members not baptized by immersion from serving as deacons, officers or convention messengers. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 5
1968 Binkley Church adds a classroom wing A growing congregation needed more church school space, and in 1968 Binkley built a wing addition, with David Basile leading the building committee. The church paired the project with an outreach effort in Carr Court. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 9
1970 A daycare center for Ridgefield's working mothers opens, with infants at Binkley When the Chapel Hill Housing Authority opened the Ridgefield Apartments for low-income families at the end of Estes Drive, Binkley joined the Authority and the Community Church to start a daycare center. Older children met at the Ridgefield community center and infants and toddlers in Binkley's nursery, which the church gave rent-free. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 7
July 18, 1970 Binkley votes to join the new American Baptist Churches of the South Binkley took part in forming the American Baptist Churches of the South and approved membership on July 18, 1970. Robert Seymour, Sam Hill, Henry Hellmers and Bob DesJardins helped organize the body, most of whose churches were Black congregations. People: Robert E. Seymour Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 6

Show all 24 dated events

July 1971 to June 1978 Binkley gives a room for a daycare center for developmentally disabled children In July 1971 Binkley lent a room to the Orange County Association of Retarded Children for a daycare program. Starting with five children it grew into a five-day school with 18 pupils and seven teachers, sponsored by the Orange Mental Health Association and the church, before moving in June 1978 to county space at the Northside Center. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 7
1973 Binkley defends its open membership to the state convention's Committee of Eleven When the Baptist State Convention named a Committee of Eleven to study churches that took members not baptized by immersion, Binkley replied that refusing other baptisms would treat the church as divided and that expelling such churches would violate local autonomy. The convention did not pass expulsion that fall and defeated a voting-rights amendment in 1974. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 5
1976 Binkley takes over the Ridgefield daycare and renames it the Binkley Child Care Center When the Community Church and the Housing Authority withdrew in 1976, Binkley took on the whole daycare operation and renamed it the Binkley Child Care Center, serving the same families. The church history says Binkley housed it at the church; Black Ink, visiting in December 1977, found the Binkley Child Care Center at the Hargraves Recreation Center. The summer day camp the church had hosted moved to the Ridgefield center that year. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 7 · Also: Black Ink (Black Student Movement, UNC), December 1, 1977, p. 4
1976 Meals-on-Wheels begins serving from the Binkley Church lounge Binkley gave its church lounge to the community-sponsored Meals-on-Wheels program, which delivered hot meals at low cost five days a week to people living alone who could not cook for themselves. By 1978 Memorial Hospital was catering it. Courtland Smith and John L. Humber, Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church: A Twenty Year View, 1958-1978 (1978), scan p. 7
early 1980s Binkley votes to build its sanctuary after years of debate After about eight years of argument over whether to build at all, the congregation voted in the early 1980s to build its present sanctuary. Members absent on the night of the vote could cast a written ballot at the church office during the following week. John L. Humber, The Ordeal and Tragedy of Binkley Baptist Church (1992), scan p. 75
February 20, 1983 Robert Seymour preaches a sermon on the church and homosexuality Binkley's pastor Robert E. Seymour preached a sermon questioning the readings of scripture used to keep gay people at arm's length and citing new scientific work. Humber calls it the one time before 1991 that the church took up the subject. People: Robert E. Seymour John L. Humber, The Ordeal and Tragedy of Binkley Baptist Church (1992), scan p. 25
April 1984 Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is incorporated An ecumenical housing effort that began at Binkley Baptist Church in late 1982 became Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, incorporated in April 1984. Its first house was a donated building moved to what became the Chestnut Oaks neighborhood in Chapel Hill. Habitat for Humanity of Orange County: History
June 24, 1986 The Stonewall Community Supper meets at Binkley Baptist Church The annual supper marking the Stonewall uprising brought gay and lesbian people and their friends to Binkley Baptist Church on the Tuesday of pride week, with association members cooking and a speech by writer Mab Segrest. Lambda (Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association, UNC), October 1986, p. 14
April 13, 1989 The Orange County Human Relations Commission holds a hearing on harassment of lesbians and gay men The Orange County Human Relations Commission held a hearing at Binkley Baptist Church on harassment of and discrimination against lesbians and gay men, part of a review of whether the county should update its antidiscrimination statement. Past and present co-chairs of the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association described vandalism, obscene and threatening calls and other harassment aimed at the group. Lambda (Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association, UNC), April 1989, p. 10
March 25, 1990 Binkley calls Linda E. Jordan as senior minister After a two-year pulpit search, Binkley voted at a church conference on March 25, 1990 to call Dr. Linda E. Jordan as senior minister, with about 16 votes against. She moved to Chapel Hill about a month later. John L. Humber, The Ordeal and Tragedy of Binkley Baptist Church (1992), scan p. 10
April 5, 1992 Binkley's church conference votes to license John Blevins to preach At a quarterly church conference with 266 members present, Binkley voted by written ballot, 145 to 107, to license John Blevins, an openly gay Duke Divinity student. It first adopted, 142 to 87, a preface saying the church would disregard sexual orientation in calling pastors and in licensing or ordaining. The vote split the congregation and led the state and Southern Baptist conventions to cut ties. John L. Humber, The Ordeal and Tragedy of Binkley Baptist Church (1992), scan p. 57
June 14, 1992 Binkley rescinds the preface on sexuality adopted with the licensure vote On the joint advice of its council and diaconate, a Binkley church conference voted 151 to 24 to rescind the April 5 preface, saying it acted over notice and fairness and not on the preface's content. The licensure itself stood. The same meeting let the church fill deacon seats between elections after seven deacons resigned. John L. Humber, The Ordeal and Tragedy of Binkley Baptist Church (1992), scan p. 65

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Indexed works

The index has no works about Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church itself yet. The surveys and maps below cover where it stands. Search the index for Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church, or tell us about a book or record we have missed.

Surveys and maps of the area

Not about Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church alone: the architectural surveys that cover its town or the county, and maps drawn while it stood. Several of the surveys can be read free online at NC Digital Collections.

History and Architecture of Orange County, North Carolina

Mattson, Richard L. · 1996 · Unpublished manuscript

Richard L. Mattson's manuscript survey of the history and architecture of Orange County, completed in September 1996. Its 78 pages cover the county's historic buildings and structures and end with a bibliography.