Betty Gollwitzer’s Memories of Her 66 Years at FBC
Betty has been a member at FBC for 66 years, joining on January 9, 1955. She calls First Baptist her “home church” because worshipping here makes her feel so very calm inside and “it feels like home … big and friendly.” Read more…
Learn More About FBC’s Transition Team
On October 8, 2019, the Personnel Team and the Board of Deacons created the Richmond’s First Baptist Church Transition Team to assess and plan for leadership needs as several ministers near retirement over the next five to seven years. Read more…
Open Doors and Hearts to Richmond’s Students
We mobilized our teams and planned to open the temporarily empty Sunday school rooms to provide Wi-Fi, supervision and a safe place for children to attend school virtually. On September 21, 2020, we opened the First Learning Center to nine elementary students. Read more...
Love God, Love Others, Do the Work!
Welcome to the Rev. Dr. Allison Collier who was called to be the Associate Pastor, Christian Formation effective February 1 after an endorsement by the Board of Deacons and a vote by the congregation during a church business meeting. Read more…
Welcome to Our New Pastoral Resident!
Justin Pierson, our new Pastoral Resident, began working at FBC in the Ministry of Christian Compassion several years ago, and he and his wife, Tori, have been involved in so many ways in the life of our church. Read more…
Welcoming Others through Christian Hospitality
Thirty years ago, Ralph Starling began his career at Richmond’s First Baptist Church as Minister of Single Adults. Today he is most remembered as Associate Minister of Christian Invitation, and his work with the Divorce Recovery Ministry and his connecting with international students attending Virginia Commonwealth University. Read more…
Gifts and Treasures for What Lies Ahead
Shortly after, we as a congregation began experiencing Patrick’s powerful voice from the pulpit as he so effectively read the Scriptures. Next, came his strong, compassionate, current and relevant prayers. Then his contribution to the bass section of the choir. AND his sermons! Read more…
Thank you to our Building Support Team!
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Richmond’s First Baptist Church has found ways to safely move forward with service, worship and fellowship, thanks to our dedicated “behind the scenes” building support team and custodial staff. Read more…
Dr. Stephen C. Booth: Forty-One Years of Ministry
Life is a constant state of beginnings and endings, alphas and omegas, firsts and lasts. After forty-one years of active ministry, Steve Booth is writing a new chapter in his life as he prepares to retire. Seventeen of those years have been with Richmond’s First Baptist Church as Minister of Christian Formation. Read more…
A Lady Always in Action
“Actions speak much louder than words” is a belief instilled in Betty Ann Dillon by her parents and grandmother. It does not take long for one to realize that Betty Ann is a lady always in action! At almost 91, she shows little intention of slowing down. ” Read more…
Not What You’d Call a Normal Family
When we were applying for our second adoption, a social worker told us “I would never give you a normal child.” We could see her point. By then we already had two Cambodian boys in permanent foster care plus an adopted daughter who had spent her first 11 months in Medical College of Virginia’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and was still being fed through a gastrostomy tube. Read more…
Together. Intertwined.
For Lewis and Toni Myers, the road that winds from their childhood homes in the flat Mississippi delta to missionary and family life in Vietnam to retirement days in Richmond includes a very important bench outside a girls’ dormitory at Mississippi College in Clinton. Read more…
Journey of Love: Stories of Adoption
For this feature, here’s a glimpse at how two of our staff members might define it as they have welcomed children into their homes. These stories may help define adoption, but it is so much more. In their cases, it’s a journey of love. Read more…
The Power of a Pen
I was in the hospital eight days, followed by an extended recovery period at home. It was during this time that my mailbox transformed from a junk mail, bills and sales flyer collector to a source of daily anticipation as I waited to see who I might hear from that day. You see, there was an outpouring of cards and letters wishing me well, offering prayers for swift healing and a quick return good health. Read more…
DiscipleNow Weekend: Not Just for Youth!
In Student Ministry at Richmond’s First Baptist Church, there are several annual events that anchor our year: Fall Retreat; Christmas Pageant; DiscipleNow Weekend, affectionately called DNow; and Mission Trips. I look forward to each of these events with great anticipation, but DNow has a special place in my heart because it is the one event that truly involves the whole congregation. Read more…
Called to Prepare
After several years as an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, Patrick Jackson returned to Washington, D.C., to work as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. While in Washington, Patrick married the former Yvette Hensley. As he and Yvette began attending church regularly, he found himself thinking more and more about his friends’ playful suggestion regarding vocational ministry. Read more…
Imagine What God Can Do!
“Imagine what God can do with hands that are open, with hearts made new…” Those lyrics were written by my friend and co-worker, Phil Mitchell, and, we have seen “what God can do…” through Phil’s life. He is an unusually gifted musician, choral director, soloist, instrumentalist, composer, and most importantly, a true minister. Read more…
Side by Side
It began as an inspiration from one of our members, Suzanne Shonnard. “I just remember wondering, shortly after 9/11, who supports the small group (the entire church staff) that supports all of us? There were many demands on their time and expertise, and I remember thinking, ‘I’m sure they have the same fears, doubts, questions we all have. Read more…
A Youth Health Club
Through the activities and programs of the club, they have the opportunity to learn many of the skills and much about the subject matter related to a variety of careers in health care. And, it helps them to either affirm their interests in pursuing a health care profession and plan their college programs accordingly, or confirm that their aptitudes lie elsewhere. Read more…
Steppin’ Out with David Lawrence
A serious foot injury while in college on a basketball scholarship changed David’s career goals to health and physical education with a certification in athletic training. But his desire to work with people rather than on them sent him back to school for a masters in physical therapy, earned in 1990. Read more…
Don’t Sit Around!
From the outside it can sometimes seem that churches, especially churches effective in their ministries, run fairly smoothly. It does, however, take a surprising quantity of gifted people willing to give their time and talents to make it all work. Laura Harris is one of these people. Read more…
Robin Hendricks Retires
Numerous faces have come and gone through the Preschool, Deaf, Recreation, and Community Mission ministries at First Baptist Church, but one face—that of Robin Hendricks—has remained constant. Read more…
When We All Get to Heaven
It was a fun and music-filled weekend for the James Gang. We had a Saturday afternoon music performance at The Dogwood Terrace Retirement Community. Things were going well during the performance when the unexpected occurred. Read more…
A Life of Family and Service
Betty Allen sometimes describes herself as a “Connecticut Yankee.” She was the last child born in the 18th century house in Guilford, CT, where her father’s family lived for over 250 years. Read more…
Embracing History
Take a look around the sanctuary on a Sunday morning at FBC and you’ll find people representing different cultures and ages. Most of us believe our church truly has The Open Door, that it is a diverse place to meet and worship. Read more…
They have the gift of hospitality at its finest.
Having begun their service on the kitchen staff with retired Food Services Director LaVora Sprinkle, Vanessa and Doris have been feeding and nurturing FBC members for over 25 years. Read more…
Perseverance and Service
Not everyone at First Baptist Church knows Tom Visotsky but we all should. He is the person who ensures the bills are paid, that we stay within budget, and that FBC continues its many programs in a fiscally wise manner. Read more…
Goodbyes are never fun.
Goodbyes are never a fun part of life, and saying goodbye to a church full of people I care so much about is especially tough. As I approach the last month of my residency, I feel like I am nearing the end of a good book that I don’t want to finish. Read more…
A little Hausmusik, please!
“Hausmusik” is not exactly an everyday word in our language, but translated from the German it simply means “music in the home.” Years ago Bernice Rodgerson began inviting friends and neighbors to her home for music programs. Read more…
Fellowship encourages our relationship with God.
That fellowship can be both a place for us to use our gifts and to be fed as we grow in understanding who He is and who we are. For Ladies Only (FLO) began as a way for our church to concentrate on this fellowship for women. Read more…
WAWA helps women walk together through loss.
WAWA became a part of my life after my husband’s passing. Breaking bread together with others who are grieving or struggling with caregiving gives us comfort and support and bonds us. Read more…
Let the sisters pray on.
When women are aware of needs, they respond. And when they faithfully pray for missionaries, souls are saved here in America and around the world. Read more…
To Belong, Part 2
I finally took the plunge. I invited my daughter’s classmate over to go to the neighborhood pool with us. That doesn’t sound like such a big deal for most, but for my daughter Julia and me, it was a very big deal. Read more…
Buddy Burgess – A Life Responding to God’s Nudges
For many of us, an image of our life may be a path that goes to unexpected places as God nudges us in directions we had not planned. I believe this aptly describes Buddy Burgess’ road to ministry. Read more…
To Belong, Part 1
My earlier childhood experience is not much different from what many kids still experience today, including my own daughter who is intellectually disabled. Read more…
Finding a New place for Myself
I grew up at First Baptist Church and spent a great deal of time there in Youth group and other activities. I considered it a second home. Then I left Richmond for college. Read more…
Walk and Roll with Danny
Six years ago, the Virginia Home started The Walk and Roll 5K, which is a race with cheering crowds, balloons, bands, matching t-shirts, and medals at the finish line. It’s the Monument Avenue 10k without the hassle…and it’s half the distance! Read more…
Home Is Everywhere.
Sometimes I think we put too much stock in our physical environment. Our setting often dictates our attitudes toward others and life in general. If we allow God to control our response to our surroundings, we can feel at home anywhere. Read more…
It’s not work if you love it.
Most take for granted the importance of a Grounds Supervisor who maintains the land that surrounds FBC’s prestigious edifice. While Len Morrow is remembered for his stewardship of FBC’s beautiful gardens, Stuart Blackwell has been in charge of enhancing what hems in those flower beds for over 40 years. Read more…
Landing on our Feet
I have long contended that Valentine’s Day is a legal extortion racket perpetrated by the Greeting Card/Chocolate Industrial Complex. Give me a break! With that said, my lovely wife, Julie, and I had an acoustic Gospel musical performance scheduled on the morning of Valentine’s Day 2015. Read more…
Easy to Follow His Call
My calling is to teach others about the love of God through Christ Jesus. Music is the means, not the end. My abilities are God’s gift to me and He has been generous. I believe the greatest ability is availability—to be willing to use what God has given me to point others toward Him. Read more…
Unsung but in tune.
Behind Phil Mitchell, FBC’s Associate Pastor, Ministry of Music, sit two women volunteers who help his ministry run like a well-oiled antique pocket watch. Read more…
CrossOver Healthcare Ministries honors Douglas Johnson.
For over ten years Douglas Johnson has gone to CrossOver once a week to provide office nurse services to clients. She interviews patients, prepares them to see the physician, and if needed, provides education about their disease and its treatment. Read more…
KSU (Kickstands Up) and ready to ride!
First Riders enjoy God’s creation, experience the freedom of riding a motorcycle, and have fellowship. In addition to having a good ride with fellow bikers, we also help support Kingdom events like readying Camp Alkulana for summer and Thunder in the Hills. Read more…
Taught by the Staff and Congregation
Often ministers in my position have to learn on the job with little outside help. The pastoral residency program allows me to be a minster on staff and at the same time provides me a helpful level of supervision to learn about my new role. Read more…
Looking Back
On a Sunday in September 2008 I visited Richmond’s First Baptist Church (FBC) with a fellow seminarian (from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond) who kindly took me to church. I had just moved from Beijing and was without a car. Read more…
A Mother’s Letter
When my daughter was in 8th grade, each student created a parenting handbook as a language arts project. Each parent contributed by writing a letter to her or his child, giving advice to the future parent. Read more…
Who is this man?
Finally I’m inside [Richmond City Jail] and near the inmates, who walk in escorted lines, most with their heads down. If I focus, eventually one will look at me. And I wonder, “Who is this man?” Read more…
The Bible and Yogurt Every Morning
Yogurt played a substantial role in my life in Romania. I ate it for breakfast quite often, usually while I read from the Bible each morning …ok, MOST mornings. I’m not that perfect! Read more…
Here, There and Everywhere—Interns on the Move Part 1-BTSR
FBC’s convenient location has provided many BTSR Master of Divinity candidates the perfect environment for their required off-campus supervised training (15 hours per week for one year). Read more…
Closed to Pilgrims
“Closed to pilgrims from 12:30 to 2:00.” It took me a moment to realize the sign on the church door was for me.
I hadn’t thought of pilgrims as 21st century folks – running shoes instead of sandals, windbreakers in place of rope-cinched robes. I certainly hadn’t thought of pilgrimage as part of my trip to Israel. Read more…
A grand tour returns to Monument and Boulevard.
As newlyweds in 2008, blindsided by the recession, my husband Van and I began what we call our “grand tour of Virginia,” as we kept chasing our careers around the state. During those years, we identified with a nondenominational church in Williamsburg, an Episcopal church in Charlottesville, a large Anglican church in Northern Virginia, and visited countless others of every denomination. Read more…
Something New Is Coming.
God’s fire was consuming me; my inward rats were fleeing and if I waited long enough, the charred earth of my life might give way to green sprigs of life. I hoped for something new to come. Read more…
I was Stuck.
I was stuck. Rooted to the ground, with no hint of what to do with my life. So I went to Africa. Read more…
Deaf Mission Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Making it to a 25th anniversary is a milestone in any relationship, certainly one to celebrate. So, it’s not a surprise that the Deaf Mission of Richmond’s First Baptist Church did exactly that – they celebrated the 25th anniversary of their ministry on October 19, 2013. Read more…
Scouting at First Baptist Church
Boy Scouts have been meeting almost steadily at First Baptist Church since 1932, just a few decades after being organized in the United States. Read more…
The Roanes don’t limit God.
Dealing with the assumptions and expectations of others is an everyday event for the Roanes. Both are frank about their respective conditions and welcome questions, which they try to handle with grace and good humor. Read more…
Celebrating Miss Mary
First Baptist Church Weekday School (FBCW) has been bringing smiles to children’s faces for 66 years, and for 31 of them Mary Hiteman, Minister of Weekday Education, has been wearing a smile wider than those of her students. Read more…
Celebrating 10 years of Bible study and fellowship
When Becky Payne, FBC’s Music Associate/Organist, talks about the Lakewood Ladies Bible Study, you hear her heart: “I am passionate about this one little piece of my world. Read more…
FBC’s TV Crew extends God’s love beyond the church walls
As worship fills the sanctuary each Sunday, there is a team of volunteers capturing the joy and message of Sunday morning and delivering it to those who cannot physically attend First Baptist. Read more…
Reaching Richmond
After years of practice in the Middle East and European mission fields, Annette Hall became an expert storyteller, and has passed on her knowledge by training countless others to “story” the Bible. Read more…
Teaching kids values
What if [my daughter] makes straight A’s, goes to a good college, lands a great job earning lots of money? Does that mean she is successful? Read more…
Homeschooling is God’s plan for our family.
Shortly after we married, the Lord began introducing Richard and me to people who were homeschooling their children. Read more…
Shirley Flamming: Listening to God’s Call
Shirley states, “Significance of purpose for Jim was accomplished through the church, but I was learning that I had been given a different set of gifts, and one was to make friends for the church outside of church.” Read more…
Christy Somerville: On a mission
Christy Somerville has spent the last 10 years consumed with her calling: Raising the literacy level of preschoolers so they’re better prepared for kindergarten. Read more…
FirstRingers – A small group making music
However they began, all bell ringers agree with Susie West: Ringing “feeds my soul – the music and the fellowship. I love being part of a small group making music.” Read more…
Chosen by God
I remember the early years after my daughter Julia was discovered to have delays. There were visits to specialists and a lot of testing, which resulted in no firm diagnosis… I obsessed for a while searching the Internet for every article and website that had anything to do with genetics and all of her maladies. But I started realizing all this research was causing me much fear and anxiety. Read more.
The Lord, Children and Sports
Many of FBC’s busiest members are equally busy sharing God in the community. Recently we asked Nancy Chewning to tell us about one of her passions, U-TURN Sports Performance Academy. Read more…
Who makes our library work?
With gratitude we recognize the Library Team for their generous and professional service. Read more…
Connecting God-given Dots
Before I met Valter Sorrentino, I was expecting lots of clear, concrete responses to my questions about where God was calling him. After all, he was called by God, right? As Valter talked, I was reminded that God’s call does not always include a complete picture. Read more.
Good Neighbors
Mary Margaret Shannon is a longtime member of St. Benedict Catholic Church in the Fan. Though already familiar with FBC, her impressions of the church grew a couple of years ago because of a simple kindness by Todd Brooker, who operates the VMFA parking deck shuttle each Sunday. Read more.
Good News
What a delight that Christ’s charge to serve one another is made possible by the gifts He has given each follower. First Baptist member Shirley Westbury helps uplift her community through e-mailing and delivering positive writings that she collects from church to her neighbors. Read more.
Small Groups, Friendship & Family.
The First Baptist family is a diverse group of individuals, joining together as one body of believers seeking their paths with Christ. Read the story of three different FBC couples.
Our organist this morning
Chris Ward is one of those critical behind-the-scenes people often taken for granted. Neither his profession nor his pastime places him under a spotlight, but should one day pass without his service, nearly everyone would notice his absence. Read more…
“Please use me.”
“Please use me.” These are the words of Al Astle, an active and vital member of Richmond’s First Baptist Church who celebrated his 95th birthday on August 30, 2011. Al is a Sunday morning balcony usher, a volunteer for the Community Missions Shower Ministry, and a volunteer at Henrico Doctors Hospital, Forest Campus. Read more…
A 21st Century Success Story
Susan Strickland, member of FBC, single mother of two teens, soldier, entrepreneur, and holder of numerous degrees, is a 21st century success story. Susan opened a floral business in 1999 in her home. This business allowed her to pay her tuition to J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Read more…
Green, Not Concrete
On Saturday, June 18, forty-eight Bhutanese mothers and daughters gathered with FBC volunteers for a day of fun and food at Jeff and Jeannie Dortch’s house. “As we entered the driveway towards the Dortches’ house, I could hear the women talking excitedly,” Julie Pierce, one of the FBC volunteers, said. Read more…
Let Freedom Ring
Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). Dong, dong, dong rings our church bell each Sunday morning as Dagnachew Eshete pulls the cord in the bell tower calling all to worship. Dagnachew, an American citizen for ten years and a member of… Read more…