About Our Church

Our mission at HRBC is to glorify God by being a loving, Christian community that reaches out to all people through worship, spiritual growth, proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and ministry to needs in our world. (Acts 1:8) Our vision is to become a growing, outwardly focused, transforming presence in our world that helps individuals connect with Jesus Christ and with each other. Connecting people to each other and to their Lord is what HRBC is all about. Each of our ministries, missions and activities has at its root the goal of bringing individuals together with their families and friends, families and friends together with their community, and the entire community face to face with Jesus Christ. There is a place for you here in our community, a place where you’re sure to fit. And without you, we’re not a complete congregation. Get to know us, and let us get to know you. What We Believe HRBC accepts the Bible as its authority in matters of faith and practice. Our understanding of Christian truth in the Bible is in essential accord with the belief of Baptist churches as indicated in “The Baptist Faith and Message” adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963. Click here for a longer discussion of what we believe. Membership The membership of this HRBC is composed of persons who have accepted and confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, have been immersed in accordance with the teaching and commandment of the New Testament, and do accept and subscribe to the doctrines and practices of this church. Relationships We are affiliated with the following organizations: Richmond Baptist Association The Baptist General Association of Virginia The Southern Baptist Convention The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship The Baptist World Alliance

What We Believe

This is our statement of belief as stated in our constitution:   Baptists hold much in common with Christians in other churches or denominations. We are, first and foremost, Christians. As such, we believe similarly to all Christians,especially those of the Protestant tradition. Our beliefs are very close in the following areas: God wants to be in relationship with all of God’s creation. Mankind has broken fellowship with God through sin. God’s love caused God to send Jesus to bridge the gulf between mankind’s sin and the holiness of God. Forgiveness of sin is found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Christ established the church as a means of conveying God’s love to all people. What distinguishes Baptist practice from those of other denominations is how we govern ourselves(church polity), elements of our worship services, and how we understand and implement the ordinances of the church. Otherwise, we share much in common with our brothers and sisters in other denominations and serve alongside them in kingdom work and expansion. Provided below is a brief summary of what Baptists have historically believed. These various statements have been taken from the “The Baptist Faith and Message” adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963. An important part of this doctrinal statement is the preamble which says: These statements constitute a consensus of opinion of a Baptist body, We do not regard them as complete statements of our faith [free to change them], Any Baptist group can publish to the world a confession of faith, The sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and The statements are drawn from scripture and are not intended to hamper thought or investigation. Please be aware that the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message was written to a specific context at a specific time. It reflected a consensus opinion of those gathered and voting at the annual convention meeting. If we were writing a doctrinal statement for our church today, we would use language that would be inclusive of both genders. Since we are copying the text word for word from the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message, we have not altered the language for use in the new member materials. Please note that the use of “man” refers to mankind, males and females. Scriptural references are also available to support the doctrinal statements included here. THE SCRIPTURES The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles of which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ. GOD There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfection. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. God the Father God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all- powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. God the Son Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and Man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever-present Lord. God the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. MAN Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence; whereby his posterity inherited a nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral action become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. SALVATION Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual perfection through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. THE CHURCH A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, committed to His teachings, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. This church is an autonomous body, operating through democratic processes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In such a congregation members are equally responsible. Its Scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. The New Testament speaks also of the church as a body of Christ that includes all of the redeemed of all the ages.

Our History

How does one capture in words the essence of a people of God moving together through time? Since 1964, Huguenot Road Baptist Church has been a vibrant witness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The purpose of this brief history is to convey something of the passion of the people that call themselves HRBC. The church was birthed because of the vision of the Richmond Baptist Association and a few members from Bon Air Baptist Church. Many perceived the need for a Baptist witness south of Bon Air, and a piece of land upon which the present buildings rest was purchased. A group from Bon Air Baptist Church sensed the call of God to begin this new work, and they began to meet in a house on Montieth Road. Dr. Russell Wallis was called as the first minister in 1964. The initial vision for the charter members was to grow in numbers and in spirit and to develop a full range of ministries for the church and the community. Once the charter members outgrew the house on Montieth Road, the congregation met at Bon Air Elementary School for a little more than a year. The first building (the Wallis Building) was occupied in May of 1967. Our church is deeply indebted to Virginia Baptists and other local congregations that helped the first building become a reality. Dr. Wallis is attributed with providing excellent leadership for this fledgling congregation-giving clear and firm direction and displaying excellent biblical scholarship. His commitment and standards have been infused into the church's fabric. A term frequently used to describe the genesis of the congregation is sacrifice. Many sacrificed time and financial resources to ensure the success of HRBC. There was an excitement with beginning something new, and the church grew and matured as a result of its contagious spirit. Creative and energetic leadership were hallmarks of the ministry of Dr. Tim Dixon (1968-1975). During his tenure, youth and children's ministries were expanded, communications with the congregation were enhanced and staffing was begun. Faith was deepened and strengthened during these years. Dr. Bob Teems (1975-1979) brought energy and enlistment skills to HRBC. The congregation experienced the greatest period of membership expansion as a result of his outgoing leadership and focus on outreach and evangelism. The church's commitment to build an educational building and gymnasium before a new sanctuary evidenced the congregation's commitment to young families. Consolidation is the word typically used to describe the church during Dr. Ray Pollard's ministry (1980-1988). The church continued to grow quickly and people needed to be assimilated. To accommodate the growing attendance, worship services were moved into the gym until a new sanctuary could be erected in 1986. Mid-week ministries grew and the ministerial staff was expanded. The ministry of Dr. Charles Chandler (1989-1993) was influenced by his focus on administrative detail. During his tenure, the church completed a number of initiatives including improvements to the facilities. It was during this time the church engaged in an intensive period of soul searching about the future of the congregation and the type of leadership that would be necessary for the future. The church became very clear about its identity and strengths during an interim period following Dr. Chandler's resignation. During this important time without a pastor, the church found a new vision, crafted new governing documents, and gained spiritual momentum. This period of assessment laid the foundation for the congregation to call a new pastor to lead in a specific direction, and on May 1, 1995, Dr. Bert Browning began his ministry. HRBC has been in a period of transformation since Dr. Browning became pastor. Humble leadership and gifted preaching have guided the congregation toward needed changes. A focus on making disciples has led the congregation to become more serious about spiritual growth through small groups and other educational offerings. Ministries have been expanded, and full-time staff ministers have grown to five. New ministries to single adults, senior adults, youth, and children have been implemented. The chapel has been converted into flexible space and offices. The music ministry has expanded to include new choirs, ensembles, and an orchestra. We have initiated new partnerships with ministries like CARITAS, Bland County Ministry Center, Pine Street Baptist Church, nursing homes and many others to help us put feet to our faith. We continue to send out members on short-term mission experiences at home and abroad. The congregation's understanding of biblical stewardship has grown, as has the annual budget. The church's relationship with Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond has grown, and we regularly welcome seminary interns in various fields. God continues to richly bless the people called Huguenot Road Baptist Church. We are intentionally building upon the rich heritage of those who have gone before us, and we constantly strive to become the best church we can be for the glory of God. Our future together is bright as we submit to God's leadership and invest our gifts and passions in ministries, missions, and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.