MLK Community Room

The MLK Community Room at University Baptist Church is named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke here on May 8, 1960, during a visit to UNC. His visit was sponsored by the UNC Baptist Student Union, and while he was welcomed to speak, members of our church at the time did not offer him space in the sanctuary. Instead, he was invited to speak in what was then our downstairs Fellowship Hall—now the MLK Community Room.

The space was renamed and consecrated on November 5, 2014, in a service of celebration alongside our sister congregation, First Baptist Church of Chapel Hill. This act was not only to honor Dr. King’s voice for justice and peace, but also as a step of honest confession. We recognize that our church, like many, has at times fallen short of fully living into Jesus’ call to love our neighbors without exception. Naming the Community Room in Dr. King’s honor is part of our ongoing journey of repentance and renewal—one that reflects our commitment to embody the love and justice of Jesus more faithfully today.

In that same spirit, the MLK Community Room now serves as a space of unconditional welcome and tangible care. It’s a place where neighbors gather, friendships deepen, and needs are met. Here are a few ways the space is shared in this season of our church’s life: