A Church on Red Lane for Nearly Two Centuries
Tucked along Red Lane Road in rural Powhatan County, Virginia, Red Lane Baptist Church has been a steady presence in its community for 180 years. The first mention of a worshiping body in the location came in 1796, when a group of believers called the "Red Lane Meeting House" began gathering for Sunday services. At that time a circuit-riding pastor would rotate between a "field" of three or four nearby churches to preach. In 1846 the group organized itself as Red Lane Baptist Church, taking its name from the historic Red Lane Plantation where the meeting house stood. The Reverend Joseph Jenkins served as the first pastor, and 31 names appeared on the original roll. By 1851 membership had grown to 135, and the church has continued to expand and multiply ever since, even planting daughter churches of its own.
Today Red Lane Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist congregation affiliated with the SBC of Virginia and working alongside the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board. Its mission statement is simple and focused: "To glorify God by making disciples of our neighbors and the nations." That two-part vision, local and global, drives everything from firewood ministry in Powhatan to church planting in Puerto Rico.
From the Red Lane Meeting House to Today's Campus
Red Lane's first building was the meeting house on the plantation grounds. A second building was erected in 1886, and a pulpit area was added in 1908. By 1892 the membership had grown to 157, and in 1907 seven Red Lane members joined with sixteen others to plant May Memorial Baptist Church, one of many gospel ripples that have flowed out of this small congregation over the decades. The longest pastorate in the church's history belonged to James W. Reynolds, who shepherded the congregation from 1894 to 1928.
Through the middle of the twentieth century Red Lane shared pastoral leadership with neighboring Old Powhatan, Fine Creek, and May Memorial churches. The Reverend H.D. Anderson was the last pastor to serve all four fields, from 1938 to 1956. Pastors Robert Gallier and John Garrett then pastored Red Lane and Old Powhatan together from 1957 to 1966, before the two churches separated and became independent congregations. In 2021 the church celebrated its 175th anniversary, and in October 2026 members and friends gathered at Powhatan High School for a 180th anniversary homecoming service and meal.
What Sundays Look Like at Red Lane
Sunday is the heart of the week at Red Lane. Two identical worship services are held at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM in the Worship Center, each lasting roughly 75 minutes. A service begins with congregational worship led by the church's worship team and choir, followed by a Bible and relevant message from the pastor. Between services, at 9:30 AM, an hour of small group classes meets across the campus for adults, students, and children.
Evening worship at Red Lane belongs to the students. ELEVATE Student Ministry meets at 6:00 PM for sixth through twelfth graders, with games, teaching, and connect groups broken down by grade. Most people dress in business casual attire, though guests are welcome to wear whatever makes them comfortable.
Beliefs and Values
Red Lane affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as its doctrinal confession. The church teaches that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the final authority for faith and practice. The two ordinances observed are believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, which is practiced as a closed communion: all believers who have been baptized by immersion are welcome to partake, whether or not they are members of Red Lane.
Six values shape the church's life together:
- Engaging Worship - a dialogue between God and his gathered people in which he initiates through his words and the church responds in faith, song, prayer, giving, and service.
- Biblical Proclamation - faithful preaching, teaching, and application of Scripture, with the Bible taking precedence over opinions, emotions, and preferences.
- Biblical Community - lives knit together in Christ, drawing from Acts 2:42-47 and Ephesians 2:19-22.
- Vibrant Prayer - both corporate and private prayer as essential to the health of the body.
- Covenant Church Membership - a formal commitment to worship, serve, and care for one another within a local body.
- Biblical Discipleship - the work of evangelism, instruction, and mentoring across every generation and people group.
Worship That Engages the Heart
The Worship Ministry at Red Lane describes worship as "worthship" - ascribing worth to the One who is most worthy. "Our worship is a response to who God is and what He is doing," the church explains. "We believe that worship stands at the center of our faith and that a life without worshipping God, in all things and at all times, will be empty and devoid of purpose."
Worship is led by a blend of band, choir, and vocal team, with rehearsals on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:45 PM. Worship at Red Lane draws on music, media, and drama to create a setting where Jesus is experienced as well as taught. The vision is a gathered community that not only knows about him but genuinely knows him.
Red Lane Kids: From Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministry is a centerpiece of the church's life. Red Lane Kids offers a nursery from birth through two years during all three Sunday morning hours (8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:00 AM), staffed by screened volunteers in rooms 102 and 104. Children ages three through fifth grade begin the 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM services with their parents and are dismissed after the singing for Kids Church, a high-energy program with music, a Bible lesson, and reinforcement activities.
At 9:30 AM, children join age-divided small groups. PreK and K meet in Room 107, first and second grade in Room 101, and third through fifth grade in the Fellowship Hall. The same teachers work with the children week after week, helping them learn Bible stories, memorize Scripture, and build friendships.
Mid-week, the IMPACT Kids program runs from 6:30 to 7:45 PM on Wednesdays during the school year for nursery through fifth grade. Activities include Bible learning, Scripture memory, and recreation. The program is built around 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and aims to give children foundational Bible truths and the confidence that comes from knowing why the Bible is true. Childcare is provided every week for children under three whose parents are serving or attending adult groups.
ELEVATE Student Ministry
Students in sixth through twelfth grade have a ministry of their own: ELEVATE. The name stands for Encouraging Living (for Jesus) Through Authentic Teaching and Encouragement, and the goal is for young people to share Jesus with their classmates, learn to make disciples, and live on mission.
Sunday morning small groups meet at 9:30 AM in the 3rd Floor Elevate Room, with teaching from Pastor Taylor Hodgins and the Greshams. Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 PM gather in the 3rd Floor Youth Room for hanging out, games, fellowship, worship, and grade-specific Connect Groups. A Student Leadership Team gives teens a structured way to grow as leaders, and the church keeps a Student Leader Packet available for those interested in applying.
Adults in Community
Red Lane's adult ministry exists because "growing in your relationship with Christ happens best in community." Sunday morning small groups meet on campus at 9:30 AM and are organized by age and stage of life:
- Hankins (18-30s co-ed) - Room 300
- Taylor (30s-40s co-ed) - Room 304
- Collazo (30s-40s men) - Room 308
- Cox (50s-60s women) - Room 204
- Learned/Pugh (50s-60s women) - Room 200
- Williams (60s+ women) - Room 207
- Duffer (60s+ men) - Room 201
Two off-campus groups also meet during the week: Bradshaw (40s+) gathers on Monday evenings at Mill Quarter, and a Young Adults group (18-25) meets on Tuesday evenings at Pastor Taylor's house.
Men's ministry gathers around monthly Bible studies and breakfasts; contact Keith Castelamare. Women's ministry, led by Hannah Gilman, includes book clubs, breakfasts, and the TITUS TOGETHER Summer Mentorship Program. The Young at Heart group plans regular outings for seniors, including trips to James Monroe's Highland, riverfront canal cruises, and an annual ice cream social.
Missions Close to Home
Red Lane takes seriously the call to be missionaries to its own community. Several ongoing ministries put that into practice.
The Firewood Ministry is one of the church's signature outreaches. Volunteers haul, split, stack, and deliver firewood to households in need throughout Powhatan. The church notes that the demand is significant enough that pickups of unsplit wood have to be dropped at the church, while split wood is still collected. Pine wood unsuitable for home heating is given away each spring for campfires and bonfires.
The Homeless Ministry sends volunteers into downtown Richmond on the second Saturday of each month to serve those without housing. The Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center receives monthly visits from men in the church who share the Gospel with incarcerated young men. Red Lane also sponsors a Good News Club at Pocahontas Elementary School through Child Evangelism Fellowship, with teachers who lead kids in Bible lessons each week.
The FAMily Ministry, run by the Peters family, advocates for vulnerable children and families, foster and adoptive families, and biological families in crisis. The ministry prays, provides material and financial support, encourages local child welfare workers, and meets the emotional and spiritual needs of those it serves.
A benevolence fund, funded through special offerings taken on every fifth Sunday in connection with the Lord's Supper (and through online giving), allows the elder board to help families and individuals facing financial difficulty.
And to the Nations
Beyond Powhatan, Red Lane partners in gospel work across the Caribbean and Asia. The church supports Pastor Luis Rodriguez and Iglesia Bautista Raham Aibonito, a church plant in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. Teams from Red Lane travel to assist with Vacation Bible School, neighborhood evangelism, and construction projects. A second frontier partnership operates in South Asia, supporting workers bringing the gospel to places where Christ has not yet been named.
Red Lane also partners with NAMB and the SBCV in church planting across under-reached areas of North America and the Caribbean. The church's current church plant is The Vine Church in Blacksburg, Virginia, led by Vince Oliveri. The Vine Church officially launched on October 9, 2022, and lives out its name by seeking to abide in God's love, grow as a family, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and pursue the flourishing of those around them.
The Pastoral Team
Dr. James Taylor has served as Senior Pastor since July 2015. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, he earned both his Master of Divinity and his Doctor of Ministry in Evangelism and Church Growth from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Kara have three daughters, and his deep desire is to see far-from-God people come to Christ, grow in Christ, and go with Christ in service of others.
Trevor Collazo, Associate Pastor of Worship and Administration, joined the Red Lane staff in 2009 after serving as a missionary in Brazil with his wife Janelle. A graduate of the University of North Florida and Liberty University, Trevor is completing a Master of Arts in Theology at Southern Seminary. He oversees the worship ministry and serves as an elder.
Taylor Hodgins, Associate Pastor of Students, grew up in Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay as the son of IMB missionaries. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Intercultural Studies from William Carey University and is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Jennifer Moffat has served as Discipleship Director for Children since September 2014. She and her husband Josh have three children, and her passion is to see children accept Jesus as their Savior and grow in their relationship with him.
Steve Bradshaw, Alan Learned, and James Ambrose round out the elder team. Bradshaw serves the SBC of Virginia as Regional Strategist for the Central Region and statewide Director of Evangelism and Ministry Resources. Learned, a retired DuPont chemist, is active in music, firewood, prison, and children's ministry. Ambrose and his wife Kristine have been members of Red Lane since 2018 and have served in children's ministry and as deacon.
A Next Step for Anyone
For newcomers who want to learn more about Red Lane and the path to membership, a Connection Class is offered several times a year - sometimes as a one-day Saturday class, sometimes as a six-week Sunday class during the 9:30 AM small group hour. A 2026 church-wide Bible reading plan walks the congregation through the Biblical Storyline reading plan from Bible Project, following the Old Testament in the TaNaK order followed by the New Testament. Sermons are archived online, livestreamed each Sunday, and posted as a podcast on Apple and Spotify.
Generations have worshipped on Red Lane Road since the days of the Red Lane Meeting House, and that long faithfulness continues today through Sunday worship, mid-week ministries, kids and student programs, and a steady stream of ministries aimed at neighbors near and far.