Began in 1956 by a group of thirty-five members, including
Jerry Falwell, Thomas Road now claims more than 24,200 members. The first meeting of Thomas Road was held on June 17 at Mountain View Elementary School. On June 24, 1956, The church held its first service in what was the former Donald Duck Bottling Company building. In 1964, Thomas Road moved into its second auditorium that seated 1,000 people. In 1969, the church broke ground for two educational buildings plus a new 3,000-seat sanctuary. In 1971, the church founded Lynchburg Baptist College, now known as
Liberty University, as well as
Liberty Christian Academy in 1967 (known as Lynchburg Christian Academy until it moved and was renamed in 2005). Until 2004, the church was the location for a nationally syndicated religious broadcast known as
The Old-Time Gospel Hour. This program now airs only locally in Lynchburg. Selected sermons from the pulpit of the Thomas Road Baptist Church are now featured nationally on a syndicated program from Liberty University known as
Live from Liberty. The church occupied a new multimillion-dollar facility on July 2, 2006. The new building is connected to an over facility formerly owned and operated by
GE and
Ericsson Mobile Communications to manufacture mobile phones and other telecommunications equipment. The existing building has been renovated to house offices, university classes, the new
Liberty University School of Law, and the Liberty Christian Academy. The church offers a variety of events and speakers, such as a
creationist conference by
Answers in Genesis. Founding pastor Falwell served as its senior pastor until his death on May 15, 2007. In a special business meeting called by the board of
deacons on June 3, 2007,
Jonathan Falwell was unanimously elected by the
congregation to assume his father's duties as senior pastor of the church. Jonathan Falwell had previously served as the church's executive pastor since 1994. ==Affiliation==