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About Rochester Community
Baptist Church
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Church History
Rochester Community Baptist
Church was established to give glory to God. Believing that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God, it was organized according to the Holy Bible, God’s
Holy Word.
The city of Rochester
offered many places of worship in the 1980’s but not one that also
embraced the common worship style that most of its African-American
citizens, who had grown up in other cities, had experienced. This changed
in 1981 when the first invitation to fellowship united 36
African-Americans as a body of and for Jesus Christ. According to the 1980
census, there were only 375 African-Americans in the city of Rochester, so
this handful of people represented an important percentage.
Some of these RCBC pioneers
changed from their Catholic, Methodist, and other denominational roots to
help establish what was originally named the Rochester Interdenominational
Fellowship. Why? Because a place was needed in Rochester where the old
Negro Spirituals could be heard and learned. A place was needed where the
children could see adults, like themselves, walking according to the love
of God as expressed through His son, Jesus Christ. A place was needed to
express the joy of the Lord from the "Soul," as was the tradition of the
African-American worshipper. A refuge was needed by those many visitors to
the city's medical facilities to offer their (possibly last)
praises to God in the way they best knew how.
The Minnesota Baptist
Convention in Minneapolis first recognized the needs and supplied
countless hours to help organize the mission. It was the convention's
dedication and unselfish attitudes that helped the congregation realize
the importance of building its foundation on Christ. Members of the
convention traveled punctually and consistently, several times a week to
Rochester to lead services, hold meetings, and to train church workers.
The delegation was under the leadership of, the late, Rev. John Young.
The congregation worshipped
in 5 five different physical locations before finally settling into its
current building in southeast Rochester. Several existing Rochester
congregations worked out arrangements with RCBC to share their facilities.
Worship began with Bible studies in homes, moved to the First Unitarian
Universalist Church building, then to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
building, followed by a move to the Bethany United Methodist Church
Building, and finally a move to the Minnesota Bible College before moving
to its current church home in 1984. RCBC will be forever thankful to these
local congregations who shared their facilities with us during our
infancy.
Over the years, RCBC has had
many officers who have worked undeterred to reach the goal of establishing
an organism for Christ. It has had several faithful Pastors who have led
and encouraged spiritual growth. RCBC has met many Christian hearts who
served in the Southern Baptist Convention, which it joined in 1982. RCBC
has been blessed for the fellowship, love, care, and concerns of too many
to name. It is eternally grateful for all.
Today, as always in the
past, RCBC's doors are open for all to join us as we acknowledge that
"Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father", regardless of
history, culture, or background.
We, members of RCBC, believe
that when God records our history, special dates and events and people
recorded by man will not be most significant. He will look at our history
of sharing and caring. HE will examine our record of passing on HIS Word.
HE will look at our history as written on each individual heart. HE will
put all of our personal motives under a microscope.
The history of Rochester
Community Baptist Church will then be viewed by its Spiritual energy and
how it connects each of its members through fellowship and love and how it
extends to all of mankind, God's message of Salvation.
Our history shows constant
changes in physical places of worship and in people faces, but closer
study reveals a constant and never changing desire to understand and pass
on the TRUTH of God's Word.
There comes a point in time
in a Church's record of growth when it realizes that it is not important
to count the number of services it has held but to ensure that those
who attend can always meet and talk with Jesus Christ in each one. It
realizes that the recorded history of people and events is not so
important but that it must examine (and submit to Christ) the direction in
which it is going.
We thank God for bringing us
thus far by faith, for each Ministry Leader, and for each and every
member! We also thank God for Rev. Barlow and his emphasis for
each of us on living daily for Christ!
We can look at our hearts
and know that God will record our history as ...
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