Historical Highlights
190th Anniversary Celebration - October 8-9, 2022
In 2017, the church welcomed intentional interim pastor Rev. Larry Frakes. He worked with a seven-member transition team to prepare the way for our next full time pastor.
In March 2019, a call was extended to Adam Denny and he accepted. Pastor Adam began his ministry at North Run in May 2019. In August 2019, Diamond Cotman joined the staff as Children’s Ministry Director. We are currently in the process of calling a youth minister.
We were making plans to once again expand to two Sunday morning services and embark on a mission trip to Haiti. Things came to a halt as Covid-19 reached pandemic levels around the world and in the United States. Schools, businesses and churches closed. Finally, in April 2020, North Run reopened on a limited basis with church services in the Outreach Center, following mask and distance protocols. On September 13, 2020, Adult Sunday School started and the children began on November 1, 2020.
During this time the Sanctuary renovation began. On Sunday, Easter 2021, the whole congregation met together for the first time in our newly renovated and welcoming sanctuary. Since our last anniversary celebration, we have ordained to the Gospel ministry three of our members: Kerry Smith and Taylor Smith on June 11, 2017 and Grayson (Sonny) Miller on January 30, 2022. We stand on the threshold of a new, exciting adventure called North Run Baptist Church!
A Christ centered Preschool
By offering a week-day, faith-based prekindergarten program, North Run has seen many families come into our church fellowship since 1973. Prekindergarten alumni are in the following elementary schools: Echo Lake, Glen Allen, Greenwood, Holladay, Lakeside, Longan, Springfield Park and Trevvett. Today, Hollis Banks, Marilyn Hurt, Linda Snead, Bekah Midkiff, Sandy Traylor, Sherri Talman and Evelyn Cronin are still helping the children gain the necessary skills to be successful academically, spiritually, socially, physically and emotionally.
It’s a sight not quickly forgotten – Dr. Junior H. Kidd in a 1920s-style bathing suit. He wore it on the occasion of a Second Runners’ pool party, one of their earliest events. Dr. Kidd was instrumental in organizing this senior adult group in 1987. Through the years, they have taken road trips, gone to see local plays, and invited numerous musical groups to come entertain them. There is always food, fellowship, and fun. So, if you are of age, join them on the second Friday night of the month!
“I was in prison and ye came unto me.”
North Run Baptist Church began its ministry to prisoners in 1969. Team members visit and witness to inmates very week to help them prepare for life in society and achieve spiritual growth. As fruit of this ministry, Sonny Miller came to North Run! Linwood Wilcox is the only founding member still serving. Rev. Joe Driver credits George Parlett with teaching him the wherewithal of prison ministry. Joe founded the Gospel Jail Ministry in early 1993. NRBC provided office space.
Are Baptists better at eating or meeting? Really, there is no need to answer, because Baptists meet to eat and also eat when they meet! The latter is so true that many Virginia Baptist churches have their own cookbooks. To date, NRBC has compiled at least two. Did you know that there is a North Run Baptist Church Lasagna? The “secret” ingredient is pepperoni! How about the North Run Punch? You only need two main ingredients – 2 cans of Minute Maid Fruit Punch and 3 2-liter bottles of Sprite. So, when you get home, find a large bowl and make a batch – thaw the fruit punch first for best results!
Leland H. and Dorothy K. Waters
North Run Baptist Church and Hopeful Baptist Church shared a pastor and wife from 1929 to 1944. They were Leland H. and Dorothy K. Waters. In 1957, when Rev. James C. Quarles wrote a history of the church, he stated that “perhaps the greatest period of development …to that time, was during its pastorate of nearly 14 years by the Rev. Leland H. Waters ….” He left the pastorate to become a local denominational leader and eventually served as Executive Secretary of the Home Mission Board (now North American). He died in 1970. In 2004, granddaughter Debbie Waters Yoho, contacted the church to invite “people who might remember her” to send Dorothy Waters a card on her 100th birthday. She lived until just a little more than two months shy of her 102nd birthday.
Missions
The Southern Baptist Convention and its Foreign (now International) Mission Board were established in 1845. For over 172 years, Baptist missionaries have been spreading the precious name of Jesus around the world. In the 1950s, North Run was helping to sponsor financially three missionaries on foreign fields: Miss Margaret Lamberth, Mr. Daniel Cobb and Mrs. Lorne Brown. Lorne and Virginia Brown were missionaries for 32 years, and during their service they touched lives in Jordan, Lebanon, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya. Daniel and Fannie Cobb served as missionaries to Thailand for 33 years. Today, North Run is still supporting missionaries.
The Church Media Library
The church library was established in March 1958 upon recommendation of the Deacons.
Today, it remains true to its purpose to support the mission of the church, to help strengthen its teaching, preaching and evangelistic efforts, and to help individuals develop an understanding of their faith and potential as children of God and workers in the His kingdom. Ruth Elswick served as director for 33 of these 59 years, and she is quick to tell others that it has been recognized at the state level for its excellence!
Warren and Bette Kelley Rice
Twenty years after leaving Indonesia, Warren and Bette Kelley Rice followed God’s call to church plant in Guyana. In letters from the field, Bette wrote “…I was reminded again and again how blessed I am to have been raised in a Christian home and to be married to a wonderful Christian. To be blessed with a Christian home is very unusual here. We realize more each day that we are really engaged in spiritual warfare and are confident of victory through Jesus. Thank you for your concern and prayers.” Bette had developed her ‘spiritual roots and wings’ as part of this congregation.