Christ Centered, Bible Based, Family Focused on Arena Road
Temple Baptist Church sits on Arena Road in south Richland, Washington, just off Keene Road in the Tri-Cities. The congregation describes itself with three phrases that show up everywhere - on the signage, the sermons page, and the staff bios. Christ Centered. Bible Based. Family Focused. Inside the building, those words shape everything from the preaching schedule to the Wednesday night lineup, with classes and services running for everyone from a parent holding an infant to a grandparent looking for a place to serve.
What a Sunday at TBC Looks Like
Three services fill the day at Temple Baptist. Sunday School begins at 10:00 a.m., with classes for every age group taught by church members following a coordinated curriculum so families can review the same passage together during the week. The Morning Service follows at 11:00 a.m., and an Evening Service closes the day at 5:00 p.m. Ushers and greeters are stationed to help first-time families find the right rooms and to explain how the nursery and junior church operate during the main worship time.
During the Morning Service, children in kindergarten through fourth grade are dismissed right before the sermon and head to Junior Church, which is split into a group for ages four and five and a group for first through fourth graders. Junior Church includes singing, trivia, and an age-appropriate Bible lesson taught by volunteer teachers using a pre-selected curriculum. Parents pick children up from their classrooms after the service ends.
Wednesday Nights: Three Tracks Under One Roof
Wednesday night at Temple Baptist runs three programs at once, each designed for a different stage of life. KidsQuest, for children in K4 through sixth grade, runs from 7:00 to 8:20 p.m. during the school year and includes games, verse memory, Bible study projects, and age-appropriate teaching. The Youth Group, for junior high and senior high students, meets from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. and follows a rhythm of games, an icebreaker, a worship time, then a split into the two age groups for specialized Bible instruction and small-group discussion. Adult Bible Study and Prayer runs from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., giving parents a place to study while their children are in their own programs down the hall.
Kids Ministry from Nursery Through Sixth Grade
The Kids Ministry is built around four stages. The nursery cares for babies and children up to three years old in a clean, secure environment staffed by vetted volunteers working under a Nursery Supervisor; only approved adults can pick up a child, and parents are paged if there is a concern during a service. Sunday School offers classes for two- and three-year-olds through fifth and sixth graders, all following the same curriculum. Junior Church meets during the Morning Service, and KidsQuest continues the teaching each Wednesday night. Liz Dunn, the church secretary, also leads several aspects of the kids ministries, providing another consistent adult presence for the children's programs.
Youth Group and the Impact Team
The Youth Ministry gathers teenagers in two Sunday School Bible study groups - Junior High for seventh and eighth graders, and Senior High for ninth through twelfth - both using the same curriculum as the elementary classes but digging into the passages with more depth and real-life application. Wednesday night Youth Group adds a social layer with games, worship, and small-group discussion. For teenagers who want more, the Impact Team meets monthly for in-depth Bible study, discipleship, and practical ministry training, with regular opportunities to serve in church ministries and on service projects for church members.
College and Career, and Young Marrieds
Single young adults meet during the Sunday School hour in the College and Career class, a Bible study focused on Christian fellowship and in-depth study. The group also plans activities a few times a year and serves in other ministries around the church. Pastor Caleb Farmer leads the youth and young adult ministries and brings a counseling background to that work.
Young marrieds gather for a Sunday School hour Bible study and additional activities throughout the year. The group is made up of younger couples who are starting or growing families, and the teachers guide conversations about applying what they studied during the week to their homes and relationships.
Men, Women, and Senior Saints
The Adult Ministry runs specialized groups for each season of life. Ladies' Ministries encourages women in their walk with Christ through yearly Bible studies, retreats, and service opportunities; members often coordinate meals and other aid for families in need. Men's Ministries centers on Men's Alliance, a gathering where men of all ages share a meal, swap testimonies, and study leadership through Biblical examples, with additional workdays, campouts, an annual retreat, and other trips.
Senior Saints, for adults 55 and older, focuses on fellowship, mutual encouragement, and continued service. Activities are organized by Liz Dunn, who also leads portions of the kids ministry and serves as the office secretary.
What Temple Baptist Believes
Temple Baptist holds to a historic Baptist statement of faith centered on the authority of Scripture. The congregation affirms the complete verbal inspiration of the Bible, the Triune Godhead, the full deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, the Genesis account of creation in six literal twenty-four-hour days, and the personality of Satan. They confess the virgin birth and full deity of Jesus Christ, His substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and ascension.
Salvation is by faith alone, apart from works or self-merit, grounded in the total depravity of humanity and the eternal security of the believer. Water baptism by immersion is reserved for true believers and is understood as symbolic, with no saving merit. The church affirms the complete independence of the local church under Christ as its only Head, the pre-millennial return of Christ to reign on earth for a thousand years, and the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
The stated mission gathers four commitments: love God, be like Jesus, win the lost, and defend the faith. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 frames the church's purpose, with an emphasis on preaching the gospel, public worship, Christian education, and discipleship.
Music, Sound, and Special-Needs Care
Pastor Andrew Holloway joined the staff in 2022 to oversee both the music and kids ministries, bringing a master's in organizational leadership and a passion for mentoring young people. He also serves as an assistant coach with the Liberty Christian Patriots football program.
Visiting Temple Baptist: Practical Details
First-time visitors can expect a warm welcome from the moment they walk in. Greeters and ushers help families locate classrooms, and the building is fully wheelchair accessible, including handicap-accessible restrooms and reserved handicap parking by the front entrance, with additional reserved spots near the front for elderly attendees. Hearing assistance devices are available at a table in the lobby or by asking a greeter. Dress is whatever feels comfortable, and the services are designed to give practical instruction from God's Word for daily life.
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A Family Information Form is available for download. The church's YouTube channel, Temple Baptist - Richland, carries recorded sermons from the Sunday morning services, and the Facebook page, TBC Richland WA, shares weekly updates.
The Pastoral Team
Lead Pastor Randy Barnes has attended Temple Baptist for more than forty years and was called to the pastorate in 2010 after retiring from a career in law enforcement as a Division Commander. He preaches, teaches, counsels, and mentors, and his training in ministry and leadership shapes that work. Pastor Caleb Farmer joined the staff in the summer of 2017 after completing a master's degree in biblical counseling. He oversees the youth and young adult ministries and serves as a chaplain for local fire and police departments and as a team member with Columbia Basin Dive Rescue. Pastor Andrew Holloway joined in the fall of 2022 and oversees the music and kids ministries. Liz Dunn serves as secretary, leads parts of the kids ministry, and organizes Senior Saints activities.
Temple Baptist Church gathers at 4555 Arena Road in Richland, and the doors are open each Sunday morning and Wednesday evening for anyone who wants to study the Bible and grow in faith alongside a congregation that has been rooted in the Tri-Cities for decades.