God's Local Expression in South Columbus
Parsons Baptist Church sits on Parsons Avenue in the heart of south Columbus, just off High Street, where it has been a steady presence for more than five decades. The congregation describes itself as God's local expression of His church in this part of the city, and its members gather each Sunday morning for contemporary worship with the simple aim of pointing the way to the cross.
A Church Planted in 1960
Parsons Baptist Church began on October 2, 1960, as a Southern Baptist congregation. From those early days, the church has shaped its ministry around a handful of values that have guided it through every season since: a heart for children and youth, a strategy for outreach and missions, a commitment to the biblical integrity and leadership of God's Word, a desire to help believers grow into spiritual maturity, perseverance and faithfulness in hard work, and a feeling of mutual unity built on deep relationships.
Five-plus decades on, the church continues to minister to both the spiritual and physical needs of the same community where it was planted.
A Mission Drawn from Matthew 22
The church's mission is short enough to print on a banner. We are a diverse family of believers boldly committed to displaying God's love to our community and to the world around us. That purpose is anchored in Matthew 22:37-40, where Jesus calls His followers to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind, and to love their neighbors as themselves.
What Parsons Baptist Believes
The church holds that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the sole authority for faith and practice, and it uses The Baptist Faith and Message, adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000, as a guide for interpretation without binding the conscience of the believer.
Parsons Baptist confesses one God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being. Human beings were created in God's image but fell through the temptation of Satan, leaving a corrupt nature opposed to God and His law. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed Mediator who took on flesh without sin, perfectly obeyed the Law, suffered, died, was buried, rose again the third day, and ascended to the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession.
Salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, brought about in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and leads to a life of holiness. The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church, composed of all His true disciples, who are to associate themselves into particular churches governed by Pastors or Elders and Deacons.
Two Ordinances
The church observes two ordinances. Baptism, by immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is a sign of fellowship with Christ's death and resurrection, of remission of sins, and of giving oneself up to walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church membership and to participation in the Lord's Supper, which is observed with bread and the fruit of the vine as a commemoration of Christ's death and a renewal of fellowship with Him and with one another.
Sunday and Wednesday Rhythms
Sunday School meets at 9:15 am and runs until 10:15 am, giving way to the Morning Worship Service at 10:30 am, which concludes around 11:45 am. The service is contemporary in style, and the church invites newcomers to come as they are and join the singing, prayer, and preaching.
Wednesday nights are given over to prayer and Bible study from 6:30 to 7:45 pm. Past sermon recordings are archived on the church's sermons page by year, going back through 2018, so newcomers and members alike can revisit messages at any time.
Kids Zone: From Birth Through Preteens
Children are at the heart of this congregation, and the Kids Zone ministry is built around them at every stage. Kids Zone Preschool welcomes children from birth through kindergarten, with trained workers who have been background checked through Protect My Ministry. Kids Zone, for children in first through third grade, and Break Out, for fourth through sixth graders, meet both Sundays at 9:15 am and Wednesdays at 6:30 pm, gathering upstairs in the Kids Zone area of the building.
Youth for Grades 7-12
The youth ministry serves students in seventh through twelfth grade. Every worker in the youth ministry has been background checked through Protect My Ministry, giving parents peace of mind. The youth ministry is led by Youth Pastor Jack Faught, whose desire is that the students of Parsons Baptist grow in their knowing and treasuring of the Lord Jesus so that their joy may be full and God may be glorified.
Men, Women, and Saints Alive
The Men's, Women's, and Saints Alive ministries round out the life of the church for adults at every stage. Saints Alive is the senior adult fellowship, open to anyone age 55 and older, gathering regularly for food and fellowship around a shared meal. The Women's Ministry hosts events for ladies of all ages, including an annual retreat. The Men's Ministry meets for young men's Bible study and other gatherings throughout the year. A church-wide book study also meets several times a month, and a Thursday Theology gathering offers an additional time of deeper teaching.
The Pastoral Team
Senior Pastor Charles Blake is a native of Vermilion, Ohio, who grew up in a Southern Baptist church and professed faith in Jesus Christ at eight years old. He holds a BA from Mississippi College, an MA in Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary, and an MDiv from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Before coming to Columbus, he served for seven and a half years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Meadville, Missouri. His longing for Parsons Baptist is that the church would mature and grow in its knowledge and application of the Word of God. He and his wife, Amy, have four children.
Youth Pastor Jack Faught was born in Selmer, Tennessee, and grew up in the small towns of northeast Mississippi. He came to faith during his first spring semester of community college and went on to earn a BA in English from Mississippi State University, where he met his wife, Claire, and later an MDiv in Theology from Liberty University. He served two years in the youth ministry of Crossgates Baptist Church in Brandon, Mississippi, before moving to Columbus. He and Claire have two boys and a little girl.
Visiting Parsons Baptist
The church building stands at 3930 Parsons Avenue in Columbus, Ohio 43207, with the front door just off the busy Parsons Avenue corridor near High Street. Parking is available on site, and the building's upstairs Kids Zone keeps younger children close to the worship space. Sunday morning is the main gathering, but the building sees steady traffic throughout the week for Bible studies, fellowship meals, and ministries. Office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, and the office can be reached at 614-491-1185 or parsonsbaptist@sbcglobal.net.