Riverside Chapel began as a unique ministry sponsored by West End Baptist and First Baptist churches in West Point. In the spring of 1996, a small group of members from these two churches started holding informal worship services on the front porch of JW and Shirley Partin in River Oaks subdivision. Unchurched and formerly-churched area residents were encouraged to attend this informal gathering, which began at 12:30pm.
As attendance grew, the Golden Triangle Baptist Association, through the Margaret Lackey Mission Fund of the MIssissippi Baptist Convention, purchased 11 acres on Old Highway 50 and furnished a double-wide trailer for meetings. The first worship service in this faciltiy was held in January of 1998. Attendance grew, soon worshippers began to join Riverside Chapel Baptist Mission as members. Decisions for Jesus Christ also began to be made, and baptisms wer held at a boat ramp on the Tombigbee River.
In June, 1998, Brother Terry Partin accepted a call by the Mission members to become Riverside's first Pastor. He had been leading the worship sevices since the beginning of the ministry on his parents' front porch.
In September of 1999, Riverside accepted the donation of an 80 X 100-foot metal building from the James Pridmore family in Columbus. The building was erected on the property, and the interior was completed by volunteer labor from Riverside and other area churches. The fist worship service was held in this facilty on the first Sunday in January, 2001.
On January 16, 2002, Riverside was formally chartered as Riverside Chapel Baptist Church, aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Mississippi Baptist Convention and the Golden Triangle Baptist Association. These associations contimue today,
Riverside Chapel continues to utilize a casual worship style, and our Sunday worship service is now held at 10:30 a.m. We invite you to join us this Sunday!
