The baptistry painting at Wallburg Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC was painted in 1980 by Jimmy and Mary O’Tuel from Goldsboro, NC. The curtain of the baptistry typically stays closed for worship services, unless there is a baptismal service planned.

Close-up view of the baptistry painting at Wallburg Baptist Church. In the center, you will notice there seems to be a shadow of a cross cast on the painting. This is not actually a shadow; it is a part of the painting itself, a creative touch that we haven’t seen in other baptistry paintings. The lower part shows the glass splash guard, a feature that many baptistries have.

View of the Good Shepherd stained glass window from the inside left of the baptistry.

View of the Guardian Angel stained glass window from inside right of the baptistry.

Signature of the artists, Jimmy and Mary O’Tuel. We assume that they were a married couple and we plan to do a little research to see if we can confirm this. The painting was done on canvas, stretched over a wooden frame and is in great shape for its age!

Exterior view of the sanctuary of Wallburg Baptist Church, constructed in 1938.

Sheila’s notes:  This baptistry painting shows influences from some of the typical paintings one might see of the Jordan River, with the palm trees on both sides of the river bank. The artists seem to have given it a more local North Carolina feel, though, since some of the trees suggest an autumn scene, with winter being just around the corner, as indicated by the snow-capped mountains in the background. The artist for the painting of the United Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church also had snow-capped mountains in that painting, but with only evergreen trees in the foreground.