One Hundred Years on Magnolia Street
Pilgrim Progress Baptist Church stands on Magnolia Street in North Little Rock, Arkansas, a Bible-believing congregation whose motto, "Let's Do It God's Way," greets visitors at the top of its homepage. The number 1912, woven into the church's email address and its CashApp handle, points to the year it was founded, and the brick-and-mortar presence at 1301 North Magnolia Street has grown into a broad network of ministries that touch every stage of life. The church's name is sometimes given in full as Pilgrim Progress Missionary Baptist Church, the form used on the pastor's page, but the public-facing name on the building and online is Pilgrim Progress Baptist Church.
A weekly rhythm is easy to map. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m., followed by worship at 11 a.m. On Wednesday afternoons, an adult Bible study meets at noon on Zoom under the title "Welcome Home"; on Wednesday evenings, youth gather for classes of their own. Friday nights bring the Brotherhood, a men's prayer service at 7 p.m. The Feed My Sheep Ministry opens its doors on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 9:30, serving hot lunches and giving away food boxes. Saturday afternoons at 4 p.m. are for new members in a five-week orientation class. Through it all runs the slogan repeated on the site: "Its All About Following Christ."
The Reverend Dr. Gerald Parker, Sr.
Dr. Parker has been the pastor of Pilgrim Progress since 1971, a tenure that by the church's own count stretches back more than five decades. He and his wife, the former Wanda Jean Hubbard, have three daughters and two sons, both of whom are ministers; one of his sons pastors a church in Columbus, Georgia. Dr. Parker received his early education in the Little Rock Public School System and is a proud graduate of the Class of 1966 of Scipio A. Jones High School. He attended Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas, and went on to study at the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Baptist College, the Missionary Baptist Theological Seminary, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
He holds a theological degree from the Missionary Baptist Theological Seminary and received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Morris Booker Memorial College in 1986. He co-founded and served as Dean of Religion of G.M.C. Bible Institute. At the time the church's site was written, Dr. Parker served as an instructor for the Regular Arkansas Baptist Congress of Christian Education and as administrator for the Department of Biblical Studies at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education. In 1991, the Arkansas State Press named him Father of the Year, and in 2000 and 2003 the Little Rock Baptist Pastor's Conference selected him as Pastor of the Year. He has conducted revivals and seminary workshops nationally and written several pamphlets on Baptist doctrine and stewardship.
A Sunday on Magnolia Street
On Sundays, the rhythm at Pilgrim Progress follows a familiar Baptist sequence. Sunday School meets for all ages, with separate men's and women's classes, youth classes, and young adult classes, so that newcomers can find a small group suited to their stage of life. Teachers are described by the ministry as "called and accountable" to share what the Holy Spirit has spoken through prayer, preparation, and study, and to "teach by the example of our daily lives." The ministry leans on 2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Worship at 11 a.m. is the central gathering of the week. Music is provided by the Music Ministry, described as "one of the largest ministries at Pilgrim Progress," with separate choirs - the United Voices, Inspiration Voices, and the Youth Choir - bringing praise before the preaching of the Word. Greeters are the first faces visitors meet at the door; ushers are on hand to help the congregation settle in; and a security team of law enforcement, military, and civilian members keeps watch inside and out. For those unable to attend in person, services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel and Facebook page, and rebroadcast on Fox 16 each Sunday and Wednesday at 5:30 a.m.
Wednesday Around the Word
Wednesday is a study day at Pilgrim Progress. Adult Bible study meets at noon on Zoom, and on Wednesday evenings the youth gather in classes divided by age from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. The current adult study is a walk through the Book of Exodus, with each week drawing on a different passage. Recent completed series include "Awake - The Call to a Renewed Life," with units on returning to God, returning to first love, returning to prayer, returning to God's Word, returning to unity, and returning to the task. Earlier completed series covered Philippians under the title "Thrive - Living In Real Joy," the work of the Holy Spirit, "Obedience at Any Cost," "RE-Finance: Using Finances God's Way," and the paired studies "Heaven or Hell: Every human soul will live forever in one of two places" and "Is HELL Real?" Lesson materials are available by contacting the church office.
Music, Dance, and Drama
The Music Ministry exists, in the words of its own description, "to render praises and adoration to a MOST WORTHY GOD through songs of praise and worship," and "to point attention to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ by singing songs that allows the congregation to FOCUS on HIM." The team's standard for joining is memorable: a member must be "FAT" - Faithful, Available, and Teachable - and must "love the Lord, Play for the Glory of God." Paul Scott serves as Minister of Music.
Alongside the choirs, the Praise Dance Ministry uses the art of dance to praise and worship God, interpreting selected songs to express the message of God's love. "The PPBC Dance Ministry does not 'perform,'" the ministry writes. "Our prayer is that all in attendance will experience a deeper communion with God." Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. under Angela Mooney. The Drama Ministry rounds out the arts, training and staging Christian plays, revealing the Word through performance, and presenting on special days like Resurrection Sunday and Christmas under the direction of Glenn Branch.
The Youth Department and Youth Excellence
The Pilgrim Progress Youth Department describes itself as a place where "we do things God's way." Its mission is to prepare young people ages 3 to 18 to live life according to the Word of God, with programming that fosters spiritual growth and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Youth Department runs a packed calendar: the Dance Ministry on Tuesdays, the Sounds of Praise youth choir on Wednesdays before the fourth Sunday at 7 p.m., Wednesday Bible Study classes for ages 3 to 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Junior Deacons on Saturdays before the fourth Sunday at noon, Junior Ushers for females on Saturdays before the fourth Sunday at noon, and Junior Ushers for males on Saturdays before the third Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Youth Excellence program highlights academic achievement within the youth ministry. Recent graduates include Danyel White (University of Central Arkansas, Bachelor's in Dietetics), Michel Young (Lisa Academy North High School and University of Central Arkansas), Tiandra Mooney (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Bachelor of Nursing), and William Bryant (Lisa Academy West High School and University of Arkansas at Little Rock, studying cyber security). The page also lists Honor Roll students and special recognitions, such as a 2019 UCA Axciom IT Careers Camp acceptance and a character award, and links to youth-friendly Bible tools including True Love Waits, Youth For Christ, and study sites like Precept Austin, Bible.org, and Bible Gateway.
Feed My Sheep and the Mission Ministry
The Feed My Sheep Ministry is the church's outreach arm to people experiencing need in North Little Rock. Its mission is to ensure that every physical need is met "in the feeding of those in need" and every spiritual need is met "by bringing the Word of God to those who attend." Doors open Monday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. (closed at noon on Monday and 11 a.m. on Wednesday), and the day begins with a devotional followed by a hot lunch at 12:15 p.m. The program gives away monthly food boxes on the third Wednesday of each month, with a separate monthly giveaway for senior citizen church members. The Reverend Leroy Williams directs the ministry.
The Mission Ministry complements that work. Its purpose is to go forth as representatives of God, spreading His message with words and works. Members visit the sick in homes, hospitals, and nursing homes; make themselves available when community needs arise; provide leadership for the relief of the poor locally and abroad; and participate in study, seminars, and institutes to prepare for the work. Carol Jackson leads the ministry.
Becoming a Member: New Members, Baptism, and Christian Education
Newcomers are welcomed through a five-week New Members Orientation, held on Saturdays at 4 p.m. The curriculum covers the meaning of church membership, the church covenant, Christian growth, Baptist history, Baptist doctrine, Baptists and other denominations, God's plan of church finance, and the Baptist church at work. The orientation also gathers demographic information and helps identify the God-given gifts of each new member. Doris Brodie leads the ministry.
Baptism at Pilgrim Progress is by complete immersion, administered on the fourth Sunday of each month. Candidates receive counseling over a two- to three-week period that meets on Saturdays from 4 to 5 p.m., the same hours as the New Members Orientation. The Baptismal Committee meets with the parents of child candidates and walks adults through the scriptural basis for the ordinance. In keeping with the doctrinal statement, baptism is understood to picture "in graphic form the burial to an old life of sin and the resurrection to a new life in Christ."
Christian Education, founded in 1993 by Pastor Parker, oversees the total educational program of the church. Its stated purpose is to provide a thorough program of biblical education, lead people to a commitment to God, encourage a Biblical relationship with other Christians through the local church, and develop in members a Biblical commitment to personal growth and ministry. Rodney Evans leads the ministry. "To SEEK God's will is life's greatest adventure. To FIND God's will is life's greatest discovery. To DO God's will is life's greatest achievement."
Caring for the Whole Person
Several smaller ministries round out the church's care for its people. The Health Ministry, led by Yvonne L. Sims, takes a holistic approach to congregational well-being, focusing on Mind, Body, and Spirit. It promotes healthy choices and practices, provides first aid when needed, and increases knowledge and awareness of health among the membership. The team does not administer medications; instead, it directs members to the appropriate health-care facility, provider, or resource.
The Greeters welcome everyone at the door with a warm smile and a friendly handshake, dispense visitation cards, compile a list of visitors each Sunday, and follow up with letters to all who attended. The R.S.V.P. Ministry - Reaching Souls Visiting Pilgrim Progress - meets visitors in a prep room where the pastor offers a personal welcome and each guest is asked to fill out a card; visitors later receive a personal thank-you note. The Transportation Ministry, made up of "dedicated Christian men and women," provides rides to services for those who might otherwise be unable to attend, with at least twenty-four hours' advance notice. The Birthday and Anniversary Ministry recognizes members on a quarterly schedule - the third or fourth Sunday in March, the fourth Sunday in June, the fourth Sunday in September, and the second or third Sunday in December.
The C.O.C. - Circle of Compassion - is a grief-support ministry for members who have lost a loved one. Its format, as described on the site, is for members to gather and hear one another express feelings of loss and how they are coping.
What Pilgrim Progress Believes
The church has published an extensive statement of faith. Pilgrim Progress accepts the Old and New Testaments as "the inerrant, infallible, verbally inspired word of God" and the supreme authority for faith and practice. The church teaches the Tri-unity of God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - eternally existing as three persons who are one God but distinct in personality and work. Man, the church teaches, was created innocent but fell into sin through Satan's temptation, and is "unchangeably bad apart from divine grace," with "the man Christ Jesus alone being excepted."
Salvation is through Christ alone, "by the blood of Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin and was made a curse for us, dying in our place." Once saved, the church teaches eternal security: believers "once saved shall be kept saved forever," though God chastens persistent sin in love. Heaven and hell are both taught as literal places, and the New Testament church observes two ordinances: baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, which pictures a crucified life and depicts the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
Among contemporary issues, Pilgrim Progress does not endorse the modern tongue-speaking movement, advocates a pro-life position beginning at conception, holds that the office of bishop or pastor is reserved for men "with nothing to do with superiority or inferiority rather with positional leadership and authority," and rejects the prosperity doctrine as "an extreme misrepresentation of sound doctrine." On church finance, the church holds to tithes and offerings as God's only plan, rejecting sales, dinners, raffles, and bazaars as fundraisers.
Reaching Beyond the Walls
The Media Ministry describes itself as dedicated to uplifting the name of Jesus Christ "through audio and visual aid," and its leadership includes Darryl Mooney, Tamika Parker, and Gaylon Branch. Worship services are broadcast on Fox 16 every Sunday and Wednesday at 5:30 a.m., and are also livestreamed on the Pilgrim Progress YouTube channel and Facebook page. Online giving is available through CashApp at $Pilgrimprogress1912, and the church notes that it is a 501(c)(3) organization.
For visitors, the church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an emergency contact line at 501-375-2390. The address is 1301 North Magnolia Street, North Little Rock, AR 72114. Pilgrim Progress describes itself as a place where "people can recognize the way Christians love others. It's different than what is experienced in the world," and where, as the body of Christ, the church exists to "Exalt Christ, Edify the Saints, and Evangelize the Sinners." The door is open on Magnolia Street, and the motto that runs through every page of the site remains the simplest summary of the place: "Let's Do It God's Way."