In 1946, Union Grove Baptist Church was formed in Lexington, North Carolina with just 11 charter members. Since the beginning, the mission of UGBC has been to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel and to disciple them into becoming followers of Jesus. As the church began to grow, they started Union Grove Christian School in 1975 as another way to accomplish the mission of reaching and discipling as many people as possible.

As the ministry continued to grow, expansion was becoming more necessary. In 2005, UGBC purchased 30 acres of property with a vision to expand on what God was doing at Union Grove. The vision to build was there, but it wouldn’t become a reality until many years later.

By 2021, Union Grove Christian School was full to capacity with a waitlist. The ministry of UG explored possibilities to expand at its current facility, and the doors continued to shut. The only step that they could take toward expansion was the property that they purchased back in 2005. The obstacles with the economy were bigger than ever, but UG’s faith was stronger than ever. They believed that God was in this, and that expansion would help them accomplish the mission of reaching as many people as possible with the Gospel.

As they planned, the waitlist grew—to 50 students by 2023. That year, the leadership of Union Grove began the process to expand, with a phased plan that would look like this:

  • Phase 1 – Site work and the building of a high school educational building to include 13 classrooms, administrative offices, and a cafeteria. This would allow for growth of 200 students in the school’s total enrollment.
  • Phase 2 – Gymnatorium – This phase would be for church on Sunday as well as school events/ball games during the week.
  • Phase 3 – Athletic Fields

The vision and trust in God were huge, but so were the obstacles. As the ministry’s leadership began searching for financing for phase #1 of the project, it became increasingly difficult to find a partner willing to invest in the project. After being turned down by 11 different lenders, Union Grove turned to Church Investors Fund on the recommendation of Calvary Baptist in King, North Carolina.

The loan from Church Investors Fund closed in late October 2024, and the building project started on November 4, 2024. The building was completed in just over 10 months, and students moved into the building on September 22, 2025. Since taking the step of faith with Phase 1 of the project, Union Grove Christian School has seen enrollment grow by 100 students. Many of these young people have already come to faith in Jesus.

Looking back, Pastor Josh Evans shared some of the lessons Union Grove has learned about trusting in God through this project:

  • God’s sovereignty and timing is perfect – UG waited for 20 years to build after purchasing the property.
  • Faith in God is bigger than the obstacles in front of you – UG believed that God was in this, and being turned down from 11 different lenders didn’t stop their trust in God.
  • It helps to partner with Christian organizations like Church Investors Fund – UG is so grateful for the ministry partnership with CIF. Without them, this wouldn’t be a reality. They are a part of the Gospel work happening in Lexington, NC.

God’s hand of favor has been upon the ministry of Union Grove since the beginning, and we believe that His hand will continue to guide them in the days ahead as they began praying about Phase 2 of the project.