Our History

Snyder Memorial Baptist church began with Dr. Joel Snyder's vision for a "Church On the Hill," a newly developing suburb in the Haymount Area. At that time, Dr. Joel Snyder was a pastor at First Baptist, Fayetteville located in the downtown Fayetteville Area. Although he died without seeing his vision come to life, Dr. Snyder's wife, Mrs. Bessie Snyder, led a group of 125 First Baptist members to fulfill his vision by establishing a church using Westlawn School (now Alma O. Easom) as its temporary home in 1949.
In 1951, they held the first worship service in the newly constructed Chapel on Westmont Drive. They quickly outgrew their current space and began building a new 1000-seat sanctuary and educational building in 1958.

1994 brought a new season of growth as Snyder expanded to include a contemporary worship service, and began Operation InAsMuch, a program which involves church members in a community-wide mission project for those in need. Operation InAsMuch is now a nationwide program with over a thousand churches involved each year. 
Since the beginning, Snyder has had innovative ministries and programs, which have all contributed to its growth and mission. From Snyder's Learning Center, Snyder's Music Academy, or The Singing Christmas Tree, to the Fayetteville Life Center, and Operation InAs Much, Snyder has been a catalyst in the Fayetteville community for leading people to discover God, develop their faith, and display Christ-like love in attitudes and actions.