about us

We are school teachers and nurses, attorneys and social workers, small business owners and development officers, administrators and engineers, retirees and students.  We come from diverse religious backgrounds, including Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, and unaffiliated.  We come together without regard to political preferences and social categories.  Together, we are First Baptist Church.  And we are eager to expand our family. 

a regional congregation

Our congregation lives in Radford, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Dublin, Hiwassee, Claytor Lake, Pearisburg, and Indian Valley.  The driving distance is worth it for the fellowship of supportive friends, classic worship, open-minded theology, and age group ministries.

We believe the Bible informs us about God's interaction with humanity. We take it seriously, without the expectation that it is meant to be taken literally in its entirety. We believe that every Christian is called to serve in some form of ministry with the gifts God has given them, and we recognize no preference between laity and clergy or male and female.  We select both women and men as our leaders, and we have ordained both to clergy ministry. 

Church Staff

Senior Pastor
Rev. Diana Farrell White

Minister of Music
Kay Ellerman

Church Accompanist
Dr. Matt Cataldi

Church Secretary
church@fbcradford.org

Church Hostess
Cindy Smith

AFFILIATIONS

We are a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church.  CBF is a "denomi-network," meaning like-minded moderate Baptist churches interact together at points of need around the world, and in linking to like-minded partner organizations such as seminaries and summer camps.

We partner with like-minded churches across Virginia, offering God’s love and our friendship to all persons, without regard to cultural and social distinctions.

We are a Baptist General Association of Virginia church.  We come together as partnering churches from every corner of the state to strengthen one another and to accomplish major projects together.

HISTORY

We formed in 1886 as a mission outpost of the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association. Over these many years, we have planted the seeds to start other churches, locally and around the world.  We have sent out from among us numerous persons who were called to full time Christian ministry and who now serve in other church and mission settings. We also have a long term commitment to our local community, providing budgeted and human resources to organizations including The Shelter (a college faith community), the Radford Clothing Bank, Radford/Fairlawn Daily Bread, and the Women's Resource Center of the New River Valley.