About Us

Doctrinal Statement

At West End Baptist Church we believe that the Bible is the literal and inerrant word of God; that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became a man in order to die on the cross for our sins; that our purpose in life is to glorify and worship God in everything we do; that our changed lives should be a witness to our community and to the world.

West End Baptist Church is committed to the whole Word of God. The church stands firm on the teaching of the scripture, comes under the authority of the scripture, preaches and teaches the scripture boldly and completely, and holds the scripture as our guide and direction in all we do. We are committed to show the love of Christ, but not violate the integrity of the scripture with tolerance and compromise. It is God's Holy Word, and we follow it as such.

The doctrine of West End Baptist Church is based on the inerrant and infallible scriptures. Several verses are significant as we obey Jesus Christ's commands: Matthew 22:37-39, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:40-47, and 2 Timothy 3:15-4:5. These scriptures are the means and guidelines for the New Testament church and it is our desire to follow God's plan for His church body.

"Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus sums up the Old Testament Ten Commandments in two commandments which take precedence over all things. He teaches us that the first directive of the church is to love God above all else. We must have a love focus on God and serve Him as our one and only God. One must have this priority in order to be in the will of God. The second directive of the church is to love our neighbors just we love ourselves. Jesus places the love of other people as a very high priority. It is imperative to have a people-focused church in order to be in the will of God.

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."Acts 1:8

This instruction of this verse is two-fold. The first half teaches of the power of the Holy Spirit. West End Baptist Church is committed to doing everything with complete dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit. When Christ was ready to ascend into Heaven, he told His disciples in Acts 1:8 that the Holy Spirit was coming to them. His promise is clear - we are to witness and minister through the power of the Holy Spirit, with dependence on Spirit-led leadership.

The second half teaches of the extents of our witness. Our ministering and witnessing begins here at home. There is a purpose for God placing this church in this community. We are to be God's ambassadors to West End Richmond in our families, our workplace, our schools, our recreational activities, and throughout our region. Our commitment is to be salt and light first to our local community. We take this responsibility very seriously.

According to Acts 1:8, our witness should not just end in our own back yards, however. We are commanded to shine our light beyond the boundaries of our local community and out into the surrounding areas. Judea and Samaria were within a day's travel of Jerusalem. It was important for the disciples to carry the gospel beyond Jerusalem and into the surrounding areas, as people in other communities needed Jesus as well.

After our "Judea and Samaria" we are commanded to spread the good news to the entire world. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands Christians to go into all the world and share the gospel. There are many nations that have never heard the name of Jesus. We will obey God's command to win the lost here at home, and carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.' Then those who gladly received his words were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread, and in prayers. And then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believe were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."Acts 2:40-47

This passage in Acts is the ordained format for the New Testament Church and a template for the church today. This precedence set by the Holy Spirit through the apostles consists of six key elements that constitute a successful and obedient church.

  • Discipleship / Scripture Focus (vs. 42)
    As a church, we are always seeking the guidance of the Holy Scripture in our teaching, preaching, leadership, and every other function. Scripture is the ultimate authority at West End Baptist Church. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
  • Worship (vs. 42)
    It is important for the church to worship God. We owe God our worship and praise for His glory, majesty, love, grace and mercy. True worship brings us to a reverent respect of God and allows a believer to be engulfed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 95:6-7(a) calls us to worship: "Oh come let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Romans 12:1 says,  I urge you therefore, bretheren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship."
  • Prayer (vs. 42)
    A praying ministry is a successful ministry. We must be active in our relationship with God through prayer. Through prayer we are to praise God, petition, intercede, have communion with God, and seek answers. West End Baptist Church is dependent on the power of prayer. The Bible tells us in I Thessalonians 5:17 to, "Pray without ceasing." I John 5:14-15 assures us that, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have petitions that we have asked of Him."
  • Service / Ministry (vs. 44-45)
    Humanity's sinful nature is self-centered, self-focused, self-indulging, and prideful. West End Baptist Church must combat this by always having an outward focus of meeting the needs of the lost and saved communities, both physically and spiritually. Our service must have an evangelistic focus. Otherwise, people are dying and going to hell well-provided for, yet lacking their most important need  the Savior. The Bible s attitude towards service is this: "Be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." (I Samuel 12:24) It also tells us in Psalm 100:2 to, "Serve the Lord with gladness."
  • Fellowship (vs. 46)
    Our bond of fellowship exists because of the common bond of having Christ as a personal Savior. Fellowship is true intimacy between believers in relationships. The act of fellowship includes sharing praises, struggles, requests, and accountability with other believers. Real relationships among believers can only begin when people have real and intimate relationships with their Savior and Lord. The Bible instructs us of the value of fellowship in Proverbs 27:17, which states, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Galatians 6:2 commands us to, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
  • Evangelism (vs. 40-41, 47)
    West End Baptist Church is committed to sharing the gospel message of Christ. We will always continue to present the gospel, equip others to share their faith, and seek to further the kingdom of God. Our goal is to be obedient as a Great Commission church. Matthew 28:19-20 instructs us to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen." The give us further instruction in Acts 1:8, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."