A Brief History Ridge Baptist Church

Beginnings  

  1948 brought a great movement of God withing the Ridge Mill Community. God gave Reverend Thomas A. Skipper and Burl (Buck) Ellis had a vision for a church in the Ridge Mill Village. A tent revival conducted by Rev. Skipper sparked a fire that is still burning down Old York Road. 

   Ridge was officially constituted as a church on October 3, 1948 in an old store building. There were fourteen charter members. Rev. and Mrs. Thomas A. Skipper, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Davis, Mr. and Mrs. John Lingerfelt, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Coleman and their daughters, Edna and Joyce, Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Moss, Mrs. Mattie Phillips, Mr. Tommy Gibby and Mr. Burl Ellis. 

Buildings and Property

      In 1951, Rev. Skipper led the people to build a new sanctuary and an educational building. In 1961, an Educational Building was completed. A parsonage was built in 1966 and additional land was purchased. That facility served the people well until May 1975.

     In 1975, a beautiful sanctuary with a Fellowship Hall, Nursery, Pastor’s Study, and Office space were completed. More property was purchased afterwards for expansion and parking in front of, beside, and behind the church.  The church was also able to purchase 122 acres of land on Crowder’s Creek, two miles from the church. This property was purchased for future plans. The church later sold the property to help pay off the church debt.

     On Homecoming Sunday, September 8, 1991, the church celebrated its new debt-free status by burning church bonds totaling $325,000. 

     On February, 1993, the members voted to install a lighted message sign for the front parking lot; to enlarge and elevate the areas of piano and organ; to install new carpet and upholstery for the sanctuary; to purchase a new organ; to remodel the old sanctuary. To finance these projects, a Church Improvement Fund was initiated. The debt was quickly paid off by the church. 

In 2017, money was raised for a digital signboard and the sign was installed. 

Pastors

Rev. Skipper served the church from October 3, 1948 until August 29, 1956 when God called him home. 

The church called Rev. Alfred Scoggins as Pastor on January 1, 1957 to continue the growth. Rev. Scoggins served until March 1, 1959. 

In May of 1959, The Lord led the congregation to call then Interim Pastor Westle S. Johnson to be the Pastor. Westle S. Johnson was saved, licensed to preach and ordained under the Ministry of Rev. Skipper.

Rev. Johnson was used greatly by the Lord Jesus Christ. Through soul-winning the church grew to overflowing which led to the need for a new building which was completed in 1975. The sanctuary cost $325,000 and held 600 people.

Additional staff was also added for the first time as God continued to bless. In 1975 alone, 101 new members were added. Fifty-six were baptized and forty-five by transfer of letter.

Reverend Johnson served as Pastor until 1987 when He retired.

Dr. M.O. Owens served as the Interim Pastor from 1987 until 1989.  

     1989 brought a new Pastor and leader. In May, the church voted to call Reverend Chester Waters from Forest City, NC. He began serving in June of 1989. God blessed as old debt was retired, remodeling completed and souls were being saved. Waters and his family had a great ministry during the thirty years of service. It was an honor to see the Lord Jesus Christ use the family to help with the sound and projection, the leading in worship, and help in administration of the church. Reverend Waters was used greatly to make sure the church remained doctrinally pure and held to conservative biblical values. He was also instrumental in having Judgment House that brought many people to the reality of heaven and hell. Rev. Waters served until December 2019.  

     In February 2020, Rev. Todd Terry was called to be the Interim Pastor. He was called to be the Pastor on March 14, 2021. Rev. Terry grew up at Ridge Baptist Church until his junior year of high school. At that time, he went to Parkwood Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC. It was at the age of 23 that he was saved at the Bailey Smith Crusade in Gastonia, NC. Rev. Terry responded to the called to the ministry in 1992 and served as Youth Pastor at Sandy Plains Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC as he attended Seminary at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained on May 16, 1993 by Sandy Plains Baptist Church. Rev. Terry has served as Youth Pastor at Sandy Plains Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC, Evangelist with the Gary Gregg Evangelistic Association in Gastonia, NC, Youth Evangelist with Rock Solid Ministries in Gastonia, NC, Pastor at West Franklin Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC, Pastor at Central Baptist Church in York, SC, and now serves as Pastor of Ridge Baptist Church. 

     We are looking forward to how the Lord continues to bless Ridge Baptist church in the future.