Wilshire Baptist Church

What Wilshire Baptist Church does

Wilshire Baptist Church is an independent, progressive Baptist congregation founded on June 14, 1951, in Dallas, Texas, currently led by Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples (since January 2023). The church operates a single campus at 4316 Abrams Road between the Lakewood and Lake Highlands neighborhoods, with an 800-seat Sanctuary, a 135-seat McIver Chapel, a Community Hall seating 288-400, the James Gallery, education buildings, a two-story music wing with a 4,594-pipe Schantz organ, a public library of 15,000+ items, and a Columbarium Garden.

The organization serves approximately 1,200 active members through weekly in-person worship (9 a.m. contemplative Chapel and 11 a.m. Sanctuary services), Sunday School classes across all age groups, Wednesday Night Live programming, Stephen Ministry one-on-one care, Parish Nurse services, and an extensive music ministry comprising Sanctuary Choir, Youth Choir, Children's Choirs, Wilshire Winds, Carillon Ringers (handbells), and a New Song senior choir. Its technology stack is centered on the Realm SaaS platform for membership management, online giving, event registration, and directory services. Remote engagement is delivered via YouTube livestream of the 11 a.m. service and a multi-platform sermon podcast (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeartRadio).

Wilshire is funded primarily through voluntary tithes and offerings from its congregation, pooled into a unified budget. Auxiliary revenue streams include facility rentals (Sanctuary, Chapel, Community Hall, James Gallery), in-house catering through a full-service kitchen, and modest program fees for summer camps ($125-$450) and senior adult Lunch & Learn sessions ($10). The church also operates the nationally recognized Pathways to Ministry pastoral residency program (founded 2002, expanded via a Lilly Endowment grant), a founding partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (1991), and approximately fifteen local/national/global mission alliances including Cornerstone Baptist Church, Genesis Women's Shelter, Gateway of Grace, and the Grief and Loss Center of North Texas, which is housed on-site.

Name

Wilshire Baptist Church

Legal name

Wilshire Baptist Church

Website

https://wilshirebc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wilshire Baptist Church is a 75-year-old progressive Baptist congregation in Dallas, Texas, serving approximately 1,200 active members through weekly worship, intergenerational education, music ministry, pastoral care, and a nationally recognized clergy residency program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services / Faith-based Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Worship services
• Faith community
• Community outreach
• Pastoral care

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary financial contributions from congregation members, taught as a normative practice of tithing. Supports unified budget covering worship, programs, operations, and missions.
2. Facility Rental: Spaces available to outside groups for banquets, conferences, weddings, and events including Sanctuary, McIver Chapel, Community Hall, James Gallery, Parlor, and Choral Hall.
3. In-House Catering Services: Full-service kitchen and banquet catering for events at the facility.
4. Program Fees: Fees for summer camps, retreats, and events such as Cooking Camp ($125), Passport Kids camp ($450), Wednesday Lunch & Learn ($10).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wilshire Baptist Church provides weekly worship services (in-person Chapel and Sanctuary, livestream, and podcast), Sunday School and faith formation programming across all ages, pastoral care and counseling services, music ministry, and community outreach missions. Its offerings include the Pathways to Ministry pastoral residency program, Stephen Ministry one-on-one lay care, Parish Nurse health services, summer camps, facility rentals, a public library, and a columbarium. The church operates as a nonprofit faith community supported by voluntary tithes and offerings from its approximately 1,200 active members.

Product overview

Wilshire Baptist Church offers a comprehensive suite of faith-based programs and services centered around worship, education, community care, and mission work. The core offerings include weekly in-person and online worship services (Sanctuary and Chapel), the Realm digital platform for member management and giving, music ministries (Sanctuary Choir, Youth Choir, Children's Choirs, Wilshire Winds, Carillon Ringers), Pathways to Ministry clergy training (including pastoral residency and internships), Stephen Ministry one-on-one care, Parish Nurse health services, and extensive adult and children's educational programs. The church also provides community facilities for events and weddings, a public library, and various mission partnerships locally and globally. These services work together to support the church's mission of building an inclusive, justice-oriented faith community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Worship Services
• Online Worship Livestream and Sermon Podcast
• Music Ministry Programs
• Sunday School and Faith Formation (Preschool, Children, Youth, Adults, Senior Adults)
• Pathways to Ministry (Pastoral Residency and Internship Program)
• Stephen Ministry
• Parish Nurse Services
• Event Facilities Rental and Catering
• Online Giving and Tithing
• Wilshire Public Library
• Children's Summer Camps
• Wilshire MomCo
• Missions and Advocacy Programs
• Realm Member Platform
• Columbarium

Named customers3 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Wilshire's primary partner in global missions work. CBF is a network of churches united for missions and fellowship. Wilshire was a founding congregation of CBF in 1991 in response to restrictiveness at the Southern Baptist Convention. CBF Global Missions serves in more than 30 countries. CBF Texas is the state expression of this partnership.
• Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilshire is a member congregation of AWAB, an association of churches committed to full inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ individuals. AWAB supports welcoming and affirming Baptist churches.
• Cornerstone Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornerstone has ministered to South Dallas and Fair Park for 40+ years, serving vulnerable children, youth, and those experiencing homelessness. Wilshire volunteers help with children and youth programs, clothing closet, and kitchen.
• Dallas Advocacy Eviction CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmpowers Dallas County tenants to maintain housing security by providing pro bono legal assistance.
• Gateway of GracecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcumenical effort connecting churches with refugees needing service and friendship. Volunteers assist with transportation, English teaching, cultural awareness, baby showers, special events, and befriending refugees.
• Genesis Women's SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides emergency shelter, safety counseling, play therapy, and transitional housing to women and girls experiencing violence. Wilshire prepares hot breakfast monthly and helps with children, resumé writing, office, and thrift store.
• White Rock Center of HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcumenical organization supported by 50+ congregations providing emergency aid including food, clothing, and rent/utility assistance to East Dallas residents.
• Wilkinson CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransforms lives of Dallas families through pathways to self-sufficiency with dignity and respect. Wilshire volunteers work in food pantry, computer lab, career development, children's programs, and senior art classes.
• Grief and Loss Center of North TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased at Wilshire, provides support groups, individual consultations, children's day camps, services of remembrance, seminars and workshops. Never charges for services. Supported by individuals, businesses, and foundations.
• The Center for Integrative Counseling and PsychologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides therapy and psychological assessments for kids, teens, and adults. Has offices across Dallas including at Wilshire. Accepts insurance.
• Pastors for Texas ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry serving Texas public schools through prayer, service, and advocacy. Initiates school assistance programs with local congregations.
• Together for HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural development coalition engaging 338 counties of persistent rural poverty in America. Holistically fights poverty focusing on Education, Health & Nutrition, Housing & Environment, and Social Enterprise.
• FaithWorks (formerly Fellowship Southwest)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcumenical nonprofit mobilizing Christians to practice compassion and pursue justice. Building multiracial, cross-denominational beloved community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cathedral of Hope: Dallas-based LGBTQ+ affirming congregation with a comparable welcoming identity, music-forward worship, and community service emphasis. Direct peer for affirming-mission positioning in the Dallas market.
• Highland Park United Methodist Church: Large, well-resourced mainline Protestant church in Dallas serving a similar affluent, educated demographic with comparable music, education, and missions programming. Strong structural comparator for facility and program scale.
• First Baptist Dallas: Large historic Baptist congregation in downtown Dallas with significant facility scale, multiple worship services, and broad programming. Closest same-tradition, same-geography direct peer to Wilshire, though more conservative theologically.
• Church of the Incarnation: Historic Episcopal parish in Dallas with similar progressive, well-resourced mainline character and broad programming for all ages. Comparable urban mainline peer in the Dallas religious market.
• Myers Park Baptist Church: Progressive Baptist congregation in Charlotte, NC, known for social justice engagement, large music program, and CBF affiliation. One of the clearest national peer churches for Wilshire's identity and program mix.
• Northaven United Methodist Church: Progressive, reconciling United Methodist congregation in Dallas with similar inclusive identity and outreach orientation. A close peer on progressive theology and community engagement within the same metro.
• Cornerstone Baptist Church: Long-standing Baptist congregation in South Dallas serving vulnerable children, youth, and those experiencing homelessness. Wilshire's direct community partner and same-tradition peer focused on mission outreach.
• First Baptist Church of Atlanta: Large historic progressive Baptist church in a major Southern metro, with strong music ministry, seminary partnerships, and a similar moderate-progressive identity. National peer for program structure and polity.

Others

• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship: National Baptist network of progressive churches for which Wilshire is a founding congregation and primary mission partner. Denominational and grantmaking counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Chapelwood United Methodist Church: Large progressive United Methodist church in Houston with comparable music, missions, and education programming. Regional peer in the Texas mainline/progressive church market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/wilshirebaptist
• Facebookfacebook.com/wilshirebc
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilshirebaptist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilshire-baptist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wilshire Baptist Church