Committed to The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our Story

Warren Woods began in 1953 in Roseville, Michigan. In 1964, the church moved to its current location on Twelve Mile Road in Warren. Since its founding, our church has experienced many changes but our essentials remain the same:

  • We welcome people who are looking for a place to belong
  • We preach and teach the Bible because we believe it has the power to change lives
  • We give generously to those in need and to support the ongoing mission of the Church
  • We love God and our neighbors in tangible ways in obedience to the great commandment of Jesus

When We Gather

SUNDAYS

9:45 AM | Adult Bible Fellowship Groups & Children’s Programs

11:00 AM | Main Gathering & Children’s Programs

WEDNESDAYS

6 PM | Kids4Truth & The Loft Youth

6 PM | Equip Group

What We Believe

The one true and living God reveals Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is infinitely holy and perfect in all of His attributes and dealings with His creation. He knows everything, is all powerful, and never changes. To Him we owe our highest love, awe, obedience and service.

The Father lovingly orchestrates the plan of redemption from eternity past. He sends the Son into the world to provide humanity with a way to be reconciled back to Him. He hears and answers prayers and graciously meets the needs of His children. All who repent of their sin and place their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, are adopted by the Father.

The eternal Son of God, in His incarnation as Jesus Christ, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin named Mary. He lived a sinless life and died a vicarious, atoning death. He was resurrected from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father. One day, He will return in power and glory to raise the dead, judge the wicked, and reign forever in the new creation. He is the One Mediator, fully God and fully man, in whom we find reconciliation with God.

The Holy Spirit, being fully divine, has been sent to indwell, guide, teach, comfort, help, and cultivate the character of Christ in the believer. He inspired the writing of the Scriptures and illuminates the Word of God for readers today. He enables us to read, understand, and apply God’s truth to our lives. He calls men and women to the Son and grants them spiritual gifts by which they serve God and His people through the local church.

All people are created in the image and likeness of God, equal in personhood, dignity and worth, and distinct in their manhood and womanhood. Though created to enjoy unhindered, personal relationship with God—the first humans fell through disobedience, resulting in physical and spiritual death for all who would come after them. All people are born with a sinful nature, separated from God, and can be saved only by grace through faith in Jesus.

The Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of humanity. The Scriptures are true, trustworthy, and sufficient. The words of the Bible point us to the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ himself, the one to Whom all 66 books testify.

Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Those who repent of their sin and trust in Him are united with Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. They are born again and granted the gift of eternal life as adopted children of God.

Those who follow Jesus are set apart to God and His purposes. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in daily life. The Christ-follower will make imperfect progress toward moral and spiritual maturity throughout the rest of his or her life.

The local church is the visible expression of the universal Church over which Christ is the head. It’s made up of believers who meet together regularly to fellowship, pray, worship God, observe the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and be equipped for the good work God calls us to by the preaching of the Word of God. The Church, locally and globally, is tasked with fulfilling Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations.

Our Valuable Team Members

Clayton Knight, Senior Pastor

Clayton has served as our Senior Pastor since January 2021. He is passionate about preaching and teaching, as well as helping church members connect the timeless truths of the Bible to their everyday lives. He believes that things like “doctrine” and “theology” are for everyone in the church–not just pastors or seminary professors. He desires to see WWBC become a family in which it’s members know God truly and become equipped to fulfill the unique ministry that God has called them to.

Prior to pastoring at Warren Woods, Clayton was an Associate Pastor in Indianapolis for six years. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv) and Liberty University.

Clayton is a native of Texas and has been married to his best friend, Sarah, since 2013. Together they have one sweet daughter. In his free time, Clayton enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, working in his yard, or trying to find Detroit’s best version of Tex-Mex.

Joseph Fessler, Family Life Pastor

Joe joined our team as Family Life Pastor in May 2023. He has a deep desire for the Church to know their God and to walk according to His precepts. He believes that the family unit is an essential part of the life of the Church as spelled out in Ephesians 5, where the family unit acts as the example of how members of a church submit to one another through the work of the Spirit.

Prior to his role at Warren Woods, Joe was an Associate Pastor for 10 years, overseeing discipleship ministries. Prior to that, he has worked in children, youth and adult discipleship roles. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) and Pensacola Christian College.

Joe is originally from Pennsylvania, born in the heart of PA Dutch country. He has lived in Florida and Texas, which is where he met and later married his wife Jenny in 2005. They have three beautiful children, Elaina, Elias, and Elowyn. They also have three Golden Doodles who keep them entertained at all times of day.

Joe loves basketball, cooking (especially barbecue and Italian food) and historical theology. If he was watching a Sixers playoff game with St. Augustine while eating spaghetti bolognese, life would be close to perfect. Joe is on the hunt for the perfect Italian hoagie.

Emma Hagerdorn, Worship and Youth Leader

Emma joined our team as our Worship and Youth Leader in November 2025. She is passionate about discipling the next generation so that they can turn to Christ with confidence through the ups and downs of life. She is also passionate about singing theological truths that help us to know Christ better and spur us on to follow Him more faithfully.

Prior to her role here at Warren Woods, Emma served as the Worship Leader at a church plant in the Dayton area for 2.5 years during her undergrad studies.

Emma was born and raised in Ohio and will remain an Ohio State Buckeyes fan for life. She is a graduate of Cedarville University with an undergrad degree in Worship and is currently working on a MDiv at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In her free time she enjoys baking sourdough goodies, as well as anything else creative such as songwriting, knitting, or diamond art.

Elaine Hill, Administrative Assistant

Elaine has served as our Administrative Assistant since 2019. She’s been a member of WWBC for 26 years, where she has also served as Student Ministry leader, WMU Acteen State director and vice president.

Elaine was born in Warren and was raised in a Christian home. She sang in a southern gospel quartet for many years with her parents as a young girl, where they traveled to churches in several states singing in concert. And yes, she still loves gospel music.

Elaine has been married to Dan for 48 years. Dan answered the call to do bi-vocational youth ministry, and she served alongside him for 40 years. She attended Birmingham Bible College and has received certifications in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Elaine had the privilege of going to MFuge over 20 times. She has traveled to Russia and Jordan for international projects, and missions remain a passion to her.

Elaine and Dan have two children. Nathan (his wife, Beth) and Lauren (her husband, Michael). Their greatest joys are their grandchildren Ezekiel, Selah and Silas, who they spend as much time as possible with.

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