Waterloo Road Baptist Church sits on East Waterloo Road on the east side of Edmond, Oklahoma, just minutes from the University of Central Oklahoma and the neighborhoods that have grown up around it. The congregation gathers under a single sentence that is repeated in nearly every ministry description: "Connecting all people to Jesus: His truth, His family, His mission." Everything from the Sunday morning schedule to the Wednesday night programming to the mission-trip calendar is built around those three pursuits.
Worship, Connect Groups, and Missions at the Center
The church describes itself as inter-generational and makes a deliberate effort to keep every age group together. On Sunday mornings, the two worship services and the Connect Groups that meet alongside them are the heartbeat of that effort. The Connect Groups ministry is treated with a near-doctrinal seriousness: "We believe the relationships and spiritual development that are nurtured in Connect Groups are priceless, so we maintain thriving and growing Connect Groups for all ages." Anyone looking to join a group is invited to stop by the Welcome Desk in the Family Life Center at 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m., where a volunteer will help match them with a class that fits.
Missions is the third pillar and a longstanding passion. The church teaches that every Christian is called to minister locally, throughout the nation, and "to the ends of the earth." That conviction shows up in three places: organized short-term trips, regular giving through the SBC Cooperative Program, and ongoing service to the homeless, the orphaned, and the hungry in the greater Oklahoma City area.
Two Sunday Morning Services, One Family
Sunday worship services and Connect Groups meet at both 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and the two hours are intentionally identical in shape so that families and friends can attend the one that fits their week. The worship services are led by the church's Praise Team, Band, and Worship Choir. The order each Sunday follows a four-fold rhythm: the congregation Gathers in response to God's call, interacts with God's Word through prayer and preaching, Responds through prayer, song, or Communion, and is Sent out into the week to live on purpose.
Music at WRBC is a deliberate blend. The worship staff describe their song selection as "Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from all ages," and visitors will hear contemporary worship songs sitting next to older hymns in the same service. Sermons are expositional and walk through books of the Bible in series - the current preaching calendar (the "In Focus" series) is moving through the Gospel of Luke. Services are also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person.
First-time visitors should know the dress code is wide open. The church's own description is "come as you are casual," with people wearing everything from jeans to three-piece suits. Guest parking spots marked with red signs are placed in the north, west, and south parking lots; families with children or students are pointed to the south lot. A Connections Team volunteer will be at the door to greet anyone who identifies as new and help them find their way.
Wednesday Night Midweek
Midweek programming has the feel of a second Sunday. On Wednesday evenings, the church runs three parallel tracks from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: childhood ministry for children ages three through fifth grade, adult Bible studies, and prayer groups. The childhood track uses Lifeway's Hyfi curriculum and rotates in six to eight-week sessions with breaks in the summer and around major holidays.
Students in sixth through twelfth grade have their own program called MDWK, running from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The MDWK Gathering is described as "the heartbeat of our student ministry." Each week features games, worship through music, teaching from Scripture, and small-group time designed to help students follow Jesus in everyday life. A separate GriefShare group also meets at the same time for adults walking through loss.
Worship arts rehearsals overlap with the Wednesday programming. The Worship Choir, Drama Team, and Handbell Choir all rehearse on selected Wednesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., so musicians, actors, and ringers are often on campus alongside the Bible studies.
Childhood Ministries: Infants Through Fifth Grade
Emily Townley oversees the childhood ministry with Shelly Johnston as her associate, and the team takes seriously the conviction that "parents are the primary disciple makers of their children." The ministry aims to partner with and equip parents rather than replace them. The anchor programs are:
- Connect Groups at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., using Lifeway's Gospel Project curriculum. Children are placed in age-appropriate classes for Bible study, games, and music. Second through fifth graders attend Connect Groups for one service and sit with their parents in worship for the other.
- KID Worship at both service hours for infants through first grade. Kindergarten and first grade sessions are designed as a stepping-stone toward joining the rest of the family in corporate worship.
- MIDWEEK on Wednesday nights for children who are three years old by September 1 and potty-trained through fifth grade.
The calendar also includes several annual events: a ROOTED preteen retreat at Falls Creek, the Mission Ignition one-day hands-on missions experience, CrossTimbers Children's Camp (an overnight camp for third through fifth graders held through the Oklahoma Baptists), Vacation Bible School the first week of June, Fall Frolic for families, and an Easter outreach on Palm Sunday. The KDO (Kids' Day Out) program is the preschool arm of the childhood ministry and is treated separately below.
Kids' Day Out: A Preschool Ministry on Campus
Olivia Gaylord directs Kids' Day Out, with Caylie Admire as assistant director. KDO meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during the school year, serving children from three months old through prekindergarten. Tuition is $210 a month, with a sibling discount of $190 for each additional child.
The classrooms use the WeeLearn curriculum, which combines Biblical truth with age-appropriate language, math, and social-skills milestones. The program is described as "dedicated to providing a loving, educational, and safe Christian environment" for the children of the church and the broader community.
Students and Young Adults
Tristan Russell serves as the Worship and High School Minister, Isaiah Roddam is the Middle School Minister, and Riley Jacobson is the Student Girls' Minister. The student ministry is built around three weekly touchpoints. On Sunday mornings, students gather for Connect Groups at either 9:00 a.m. or 10:30 a.m., with discussion topics that range from following Christ to applying Scripture to daily life. They also worship with the whole church on Sunday mornings - the ministry deliberately resists the pull to separate teenagers from the rest of the body. Wednesday nights are the MDWK Gathering described above. Special events include an annual Fall Retreat at Camp Lela in Pawnee, Oklahoma, and periodic fellowship events such as movie nights.
Young Adults is a separate ministry for the college and twenties crowd, led by Tyson Hill with Katelynn Jacobson serving as Interim Young Adult Women's Minister. During the school year, young adults meet for Connect Groups at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays with coffee and discussion, attend the 10:30 a.m. worship service together, and then gather again at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings to work through the current sermon series and, once a month, learn from older adults in the church. Open Gym basketball on the second Friday of every month at 7 p.m. is a regular outreach to friends who do not yet attend.
Women's and Men's Ministries
The women's ministry at WRBC aims for multigenerational community. The flagship gathering is a Wednesday morning Bible study at 9:30 a.m. during the school year (no childcare is provided). Annual events include a Women's Retreat held as either a simulcast at WRBC or an on-site weekend at Falls Creek, a Painting Night, and Soup-a-palooza, a fellowship meal in the Family Life Center with a recipe exchange. The ministry also partners with Hope Pregnancy Center in hosting Forgiven & Set Free, a post-abortion recovery program.
The men's ministry offers two weekly Bible studies: a fellowship breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday mornings and an evening Bible study at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays with childcare provided at the church. The ministry runs a Quarterly Men's Breakfast on Saturday mornings and has launched a Next Step Initiative that pairs men for one-on-one discipleship relationships.
Worship Ministries: Choir, Band, Praise Team, Bells, and Drama
The worship staff at WRBC treat music and the arts as a ministry, not a performance. The current worship pastor is Tristan Russell, who also oversees high school ministry. The volunteer teams include:
- Worship Choir - an adult choir with no audition required; rehearses certain Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Choir Room.
- Praise Team - auditioned vocalists who lead from the front; coached by Jerilyn Carey.
- Band - auditioned instrumentalists for guitar, keyboard, piano, drums, and percussion.
- Handbell Choir - a four-octave ensemble directed by Jerilyn Carey, performing in services and at local nursing homes.
- Drama Team - a group of actors led by Joetta Beauchene, enhancing special services and seasonal productions.
- Tech Teams - sound, lighting, camera, and graphics technicians coordinated by Andrew Thorpe, the A/V Director.
- Soloists - vocal or instrumental soloists who are also committed to another group in the Worship Ministries.
Children who love to sing can join the Kids' Choir as an entry point into the broader worship ministry.
Missions: Edmond, the States, and the World
Missions is treated as a year-round, member-wide commitment at WRBC. The short-term calendar features four regular destinations. Each June, the church partners with First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, to send a team of medical professionals and support staff to provide medical and surgical care in and around San Raymundo, Guatemala. Each October, a team partners with Seminario Teológico Bautista del Sur (STBS) in Mexico to train ministry leaders, share the Gospel, and empower local churches. Summer and Winter trips go to Uganda, where the church partners with a school to lift families out of poverty and share the gospel. Throughout the year, additional trips partner with established churches and church plants in Oregon, Colorado, Missouri, and elsewhere for construction projects, service, and evangelism.
The local missions list is long and reads like a community-service directory. The Benevolence Team runs a Food Pantry and Clothing Closet for neighbors in need. A Homeless Ministry packs and passes out free lunches and clothing in downtown Oklahoma City. The Helping Hands team finishes household projects for those who cannot do them themselves. The Bereavement Team provides meals for families after memorial services. The Connected Hearts Ministry visits homebound members and people in local nursing homes. Connected Hearts and a Foster Care and Adoption Support group walk alongside families in those seasons. The church building is also a designated Red Cross shelter, equipped to provide showers, beds, food, and shelter when disaster strikes the area.
Members heading on a mission trip can apply for a Missions Scholarship that covers up to half of the trip cost in exchange for serving in other approved ministries like VBS or the Clothes Closet.
Care and Support: GriefShare, Celebrate Recovery, and the Food Pantry
For those walking through difficult seasons, the church runs three ongoing care ministries. GriefShare meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. and offers practical tools and encouragement for those grieving the loss of someone they love. Celebrate Recovery meets on Sunday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is described as "a safe, confidential, anonymous, and Christ-centered ministry for anyone struggling with hurts, hang-ups, and habits." Through biblical community and support, participants work toward hope, healing, and freedom through Jesus. The Food Pantry & Clothing Closet is open on the first Wednesday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and the third Monday of each month from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., providing food, clothing, and practical assistance to individuals and families in need within the community.
The Care & Support umbrella also includes Biblical Counseling for those seeking one-on-one help, and a Faith @ Home library of downloadable brochures covering more than thirty family topics from addiction and blending families to special-needs parenting, sexual identity, grief, military deployment, and launching young adults. The companion Faith Path program walks parents through age-specific milestones from a Parent Dedication in infancy to a Launch milestone in late adolescence.
Becoming a Christian and Becoming a Member
Becoming a follower of Jesus is taught in three steps: Admit that you are a sinner and turn from sin (Romans 3:23); Believe that God sent His Son to die on the cross for your sin (John 3:16); and Commit to making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life (Romans 10:9-10). Anyone who has made that decision is encouraged to talk with one of the pastors.
The church takes membership seriously and offers three paths to join: a profession of faith followed by believer's baptism by immersion at WRBC, transfer of membership from another Southern Baptist church, or a statement of a prior decision to follow Christ along with a prior believer's baptism. Prospective members are invited to come forward during an invitation time in one of the worship services or to attend the New Member Class.
What WRBC Believes
The church holds to the Baptist Faith and Message as a Southern Baptist congregation. Essential beliefs include the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the sinfulness of all humanity, the sacrificial death and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, the eternal security of the believer, and the future physical resurrection and return of Christ. The church frames its unity around the words "In essential beliefs - we have UNITY" (Ephesians 4:4-6), "In non-essential beliefs - we have LIBERTY" (Romans 14), and "In all our beliefs - we show LOVE" (1 Corinthians 13:2).
WRBC also cooperates with other Southern Baptist churches in Oklahoma through the Metro Baptist Network OKC, participates in the Cooperative Program, and partners with Oklahoma Baptists for camps and other statewide ministries. The staff team is led by Dr. Heath Tucker as Lead Pastor, with Kurt Jackson as Associate Pastor, Ron McGee as Executive Pastor, and Jerrad Richards as Connections Pastor. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the building is located at 3100 E. Waterloo Road in Edmond.