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Nestled between the Richmond International Airport and the James River in Varina lies Pioneer Baptist Church, an unassuming brick building with warm, red doors. Its members, who have remained steadfastly devoted to its fellowship for decades, beam with pride as services begin. Within the context of nearly two centuries of spiritual significance, the sight of one young man among the aging crowd serves as a testimony of the church’s longevity, but also as a sobering reminder that a younger generation must step up if Pioneer Baptist will continue to fulfill its centuries-old vision.
As Pioneer Baptist approaches its 180th anniversary Oct. 8, its community faces the challenge of bringing youth through its crimson doors as its congregation ages. Pioneer Baptist is not unique in this regard, however, as church membership in the United States continues to decline, with numbers dipping below a majority for the first time in 2020. For those who have dedicated their lives to maintaining Pioneer Baptist as a center of the community, such numbers are concerning.
When considering Pioneer Baptist’s history and upcoming anniversary, members agree that the church’s original vision has sustained it over the past 180 years.
“It was to have a church established in this community and be a witness to the community,” said Paul Garner, as he sat next to his wife, Betty (whom he married in the church’s old sanctuary in 1962) on a recent Wednesday afternoon. As members of the congregation pushed him about how to maintain that vision as the number of churchgoers in America dwindle, Garner provided a simple answer, “That’s up to you and me.”
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Officially organized in January 1843, Pioneer Baptist received admission into the Dover Baptist Association in October of the same year.
First erected as a pine wood chapel in a rural area, the congregation consisted of a range of members, from large landowners to families who worked hard labor on their own small farms or in the brick and cedarworks. As the Civil War tore through Virginia, the church community was split between those with competing sympathies for the North and South. While the history remains unclear, the small wooden chapel burned down at some point around the Battle of Darbytown Road in 1864.
Although Pioneer Baptist was not rebuilt until 1895, its members continued to meet in private homes and schools. In 1960, the second wooden structure was torn down in order to build the existing brick building.
Gayle Snelson, a youth leader at the church’s Sunday school, began attending Pioneer Baptist in 1959 and recalls it serving as the center of her social and spiritual life as a child.
“Church was everything,” she said. “It’s where you saw your friends. We were here whenever the doors were open.”
From Sunday school before services every week to basketball games against other churches and the Royal Ambassadors program, Pioneer Baptist brimmed with activity. Through these activities the church’s members recall how the church brought the community together and served as a social outlet in the rural area.
While the inter-church basketball games have since ceased, Pioneer Baptist maintains its role as a pillar in its community dedicated to faith and service.
The Linda Melton Women’s Missionary Union, a group of 14 members of Pioneer Baptist, dedicates itself to various mission projects, such as Housing Families First in Henrico, and maintains a Sunday school program.
Remembering the impact her own Sunday school teachers had on her as they taught her basic bible stories at Pioneer Baptist, Snelson works to strengthen the program today. While the number of children in various age groups fluctuates from a few to over a dozen, she tries to instill the same lessons in them that her teachers did in her.
“The church has to have faithful members,” Garner said. “It’s easy to come in and just sit for 30 minutes or an hour, and then walk away for a whole week and be a part of the world. But you have to grow in your faith. And I think that’s what has helped me over the years–members help us grow in our faith. That’s what I think church is supposed to be about. We help one another.”
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As older members of the congregation like Garner and Snelson look to the future, their eyes fall on a member of the next generation, Michael May. May’s grandmother, Joan Bell, has attended Pioneer Baptist for 80 years, and he continues to uphold the family tradition.
Practically growing up in the church’s nursery, May acknowledges the formative role the congregation played as he grew into a young man. While he spent four years mostly away from Pioneer Baptist as he pursued a degree in integrated science and technology at James Madison University, May has since returned to Varina and participates as an active member in the church community.
May stands out as a recent college graduate at his weekly Wednesday bible study, yet he finds the same support that has served as a lifeblood in the community for generations.
“I grew up there,” May said. “It’s been the consistency. It’s been a place I can call home and really invest in my relationship with God.”
Despite being one of the only people of his age at Pioneer Baptist, May maintains a faithful optimism in his church and feels no discouragement in regards to its future.
With the 180th anniversary approaching this coming weekend, the church is abuzz in preparation to celebrate its past. While the future of Pioneer Baptist remains unclear, solid leaders like Snelson consider ways that May might get involved with the church’s youth groups to aid in ushering in a new generation of members.
“Nothing makes such an impression on them than someone closer to their age,” she said.
May looks forward to the possibility of gaining more leadership at the church. As for the upcoming festivities, he plans to introduce some friends to the community that raised him.
Learn more
Pioneer Baptist Church will celebrate its 180th anniversary Sunday, Oct. 8, beginning at 10 a.m. with guest speakers and including special music throughout the service. Afterwards, the celebration will move to the new addition fellowship hall for a luncheon. The church is located at 3140 Darbytown Road in Varina.
