Identity

Ridge Road Baptist Church is a “baptist” family of faith committed to following Jesus. We gather weekly to participate in practices that have been a part of Christian communities for centuries. Sunday’s are set aside for morning Bible study and for worship. A weekly fellowship meal also takes place on Wednesday nights.    

     As a Baptist congregation, there are some things about our tradition that are unique. We observe the ritual of baptism for believers who publicly confess their willingness to follow Jesus. Our practice of baptism involves the total immersion of persons in water. We know that Baptism is symbol of one’s willingness to identify with Jesus and the mission of God’s kingdom, and respect that each tradition practices that ritual differently.

      At the center of our identity is the person of Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus that we understand who God is and how God relates to humanity and Creation. While the New Testament weaves a together a narrative about Christ, we know that the living Christ is present to the world in the lives of those who follow his way of grace, reconciliation, and love. These followers make up the local church. At its best, we believe the church is the community of Christ’s presence in our neighborhood, and in the rest of the world.    

     From our beginnings, Baptists have self-identified as “people of the book.” This has been a longstanding confession of our commitment to the Bible as a trustworthy source for understanding who we are in relationship to God. We read the Bible prayerfully, and seek to discern its meaning together through what Jesus revealed about God. The stories, liturgies, songs, apocalypses, and parables that make up the Bible have made their way through centuries of translations and interpretations. We trust what we have, and embrace our part in that long ongoing tradition of interpretation and application.     

     Baptists also place significant value on the competency of each individual to work out their faith before God in community with other believers. Each person is capable of connecting to God through the Holy Spirit in every moment of life. We are also capable of being the priestly presence of Christ in every sphere of life we inhabit. While we are led by clergy in the practices of worship and spiritual formation, we are not dependent upon them. Our value of personal responsibility in one’s faith journey and ministry to others means that Baptist churches themselves are locally oriented and congregationally led. While there are state and national Baptist denominational structures, they do not determine how local Baptist churches function.    

     Ridge Road Baptist church is associated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Raleigh Baptist Association. These organizations allow us to join with other churches in mission projects and for mutual support.    If you are looking for a family of faith wherein you are more than just face in the crowd, you will find Ridge Road to be just the place for you. We are glad you have visited our website. We look forward to knowing you and being blessed by what you bring to our family of faith. May God’s grace & peace always be yours, The RRBC Family.