ABOUT BIBLE BAPTIST
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About Bible Baptist
Since its founding in 1969, Bible Baptist Church in Matthews, North Carolina, has been a lighthouse of the Gospel in the Charlotte area, faithfully making and maturing true disciples of Jesus Christ. In striving to live out the Bible’s pattern of what a church ought to be, we make the following core values the basis of everything we do. We believe glorifying God as a church will involve each of the following activities:
WORSHIP
WORSHIP | WE ARE PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
At Bible Baptist Church, we believe that worship is the central theme around which everything else revolves, individually and corporately. It is our privilege to gather several times a week for the expressed purpose of exalting God. Our services are designed to allow the corporate body to praise, honor and exalt God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. We worship God corporately through God-exalted singing, Christ-centered preaching, sacrificial giving and dependent praying.
CONNECT
FELLOWSHIP | WE ARE ENLISTED TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS
Fellowship is the mutual relationship of care, support, and encouragement we have as a result of our common belief in Christ and membership in Bible Baptist Church. Everybody needs a friend. We believe developing strong relationships in the church is vital to the health of the local body of Christ.
SERVICE | WE ARE MADE TO MINISTER
One mark of an effective church is the degree to which believers are engaging in ministry. Service is the outworking of our love for God and others. God has gifted every believer with a spiritual gift(s) which He desires to be used for His glory and the good of His church. Each gift is a divine endowment through which the Holy spirit ministers to the body of Christ.
GROW
EDIFICATION | WE ARE CALLED TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST
We believe our mandate as a church is to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ. The teaching/preaching ministry of the church is central to this task, and is the primary means by which God saves, sanctifies and strengthens His church. Therefore we emphasize the systematic exposition of the Scripture. Discipleship involves putting off the old man (the flesh), renewing the mind (learning to think like Christ), and putting on the new man. The one indispensible requirement for discipleship is obedience.
PRAYER | WE ARE DEPENDENT TO DO HIS WORK
We believe God alone is the self-existent One who has need of nothing. God has designed the entire universe around Himself so that all things are dependent upon Him. Prayer enables us to line ourselves up under the plan and purpose of God.
REACH
EVANGELISM | WE ARE SOUGHT BY GOD TO SEEK OTHERS
We believe the healthy church grows not only by receiving believers who move into our community (Matthews and the Charlotte area) and transfer their membership from other churches, but also by reaching the unchurched in the Charlotte area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What We Believe
About the Bible
The Holy Spirit directly influenced certain human authors to write in such a way that their writings are the very words of God (2 Peter 1:20-21). Inspiration applies to the totality of Scripture (plenary), and each individual word of Scripture (verbal), not just the thoughts these words communicate. The result of this divine-human process is a Bible that is inerrant in every respect, authoritative (binding upon what we believe and do; 2 Tim. 3:15), and sufficient for salvation and service (2 Tim. 3:17).
About God
God eternally exists in three persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—who are one in essence, yet distinct in being (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:1, 18; Acts 5:3-4) . God is holy, which means that He is in a category of his very own, unparalleled in splendor and incomparable in glory (Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 57:15).
About Humans
As bearers of God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), humans are vested with inherent worth, and are distinctly elevated from the rest of creation (Psalm 139:14-16). Yet when Adam, as the representative head of humandkind, chose to disobey God, he plunged the human race into guilt (Romans 5:12, 14). Because of this, all people have inherited a natural bent to sin which corrupts every part of a person’s being and makes him or her incapable of pleasing God (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:8). Since all humans are born sinners, we are condemned to eternal death–the unending separation from God, ultimately in the literal Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:34-46; Revelation 20:12-15).
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is fully God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5) and fully man (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25). Born to a virgin woman, Jesus united himself to human nature without inheriting a sin nature (Isaiah 7:14;Luke 1:35). In the ultimate expression of love for humans and obedience to God (1 John 4:10, 17; Philippians 2:8), Jesus allowed himself to be executed on a cross meant for the vilest criminals (John 19:17-18). In so doing, Christ was standing in the place of sinners, receiving in himself the full outpouring of God’s wrath against their sin (Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24).
Yet, Jesus did not remain dead. Having been buried for three days (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), he rose from the dead, not merely spiritually, but in his physical body (John 20:24-28; Luke 24:39-43). By raising him from the dead, God the Father was validating the person and accomplishment of God the Son (Romans 1:3), and demonstrating that what he had done on the cross was effective for salvation (Romans 4:25). Having presented himself for forty days to certain people after his resurrection (I Corinthians 15:3-8; Acts 1:3), Jesus returned to heaven (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:6-11), and there he continues in his role as human mediator between God and humans (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:24-28).
About Salvation
Because we all are sinners, we need salvation that frees us from our sin against God and its consequences. Since God will not accept the efforts of humans to be reconciled to him (Ephesians 2:8-9), salvation is a forensic act of God whereby he declares a sinner to be righteous based on what Christ did on the cross (Romans 8:33-34; Luke 7:29). This forensic act, called justification, causes Christ’s righteousness to be credited to a believers’ account, so that in a real way, that believer is righteous. Neither the believer nor God need pretend it is so. Justification is a gift from God (Romans 6:23) received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 3:6, 10-11). Although good works do not produce salvation, salvation produces good works (Ephesians 2:10). In fact, the genuineness of faith becomes apparent by the works that come from that faith (James 2:17, 26).
About Spiritual Growth
After a person has received salvation, God continues to work in a believer’s life to bring him or her to increasingly greater likeness to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18. This process, called sanctification, is a supernatural work, specifically of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 22-23, 25; Romans 8), and not a result of self-reform (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 13:20-21). It takes place over time (Philippians 1:6;1 Corinthians 1:18; Colossians 3:9-10) and its goal is likeness to Christ himself (Romans 8:29). Yet, the believer must work out this sanctification in his or her own life by seeking to abstain from sin and pursue righteousness (Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 12:1-2).
One key component of sanctification is personal separation from sin, including the sinful influences in the world (James 1:27). Believers are constantly faced with myriads of choices with regard to possessions, entertainment, and associations. These choices are complicated by the indwelling flesh that craves sinful gratification. Thus, Christians must be sure that their minds are able to make choices guided by Scripture, and not their own desires. There are areas in which Scripture does not directly speak to, and even these must be approached with consistently applied and practiced Scriptural principles.
Why Baptist?
The term “Baptists” provides an acrostic that summarizes the Baptist distinctions that we follow:
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
We believe the Bible is the only authority for faith and practice.
AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe the local church, with God’s help, is capable of and responsible for handling its own affairs.
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
We believe every believer is an individual priest before God.
TWO ORDINANCES
We believe that the local church observes the two ordinances (practices) of baptism and the Lord’s supper.
INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY
We believe every individual has the liberty to choose what he believes is right in the religious realm.
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
We believe the church and the government, though both are ordained by God, are separate institutions.
TWO OFFICES
We believe that church leadership is designated by two offices: pastor and deacon
SAVED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
We believe church membership is for believers only.
Our History
- June 2, 1969
- June 3, 1969
- August 1, 1969
- August 1, 1969 (week)
- January 1972
- June 1975
- August 1976
- June 1978
- 1980
- 1984
- 1988
- 1997
- August 8, 1999
- 1999
- 2005
- 2008
- 2014
First service was held in a rented apartment of Charles Arrowood (founding pastor). Fourteen people attended.
Church was offered free use of a building on Independence Blvd.
The church was officially organized with 19 charter members. The next week the church was led its present property on Margaret Wallace Road. At that time, situated on four acres was a six-room house, which was used as a temporary meeting place until January of 1972.
Church was led to it’s present location on Margaret Wallace Road and met in a white house until January 1972.
After the church was given the land, it moved into a brand new 250 seat auditorium (present day C-wing with School office, nurseries, classrooms).
A larger auditorium with educational space beneath was completed and dedicated on the 6th anniversary of the church.
Bible Baptist Christian School was formed with 41 students.
Bible Baptist Church called Dr. James M. Phillips as pastor.
Four additional acres of property were purchased, a ball field was constructed, and a full size gymnasium was erected.
Present two-story lobby was built to join the two educational buildings and the auditorium was enlarged.
Old auditorium converted to classroom space and present 1,000 seat auditorium was added to the facility.
Additional acre adjacent to property purchased to provide space for parking buses.
Dr. Ron Allen was called by Bible Baptist to serve as Co-Pastor of the ministry.
Pastor Phillips retired and became Pastor Emeritus. Pastor Allen became Senior Pastor.
Church added a wing adjacent to the gymnasium that included a full commercial kitchen, storage room and laundry facilities.
Ministry purchased another home behind the church to serve as housing for our missionary families while on furlough.
Iglesia Bautista Biblica, Bible Baptist’s Hispanic ministry began under the leadership of missionary pastor, Mervin Fox. Today, the ministry is led by Pastor Keiser.
Four-classroom building was constructed to minister to the needs of our growing preschool. This ministry provides great opportunities to serve the Matthews community and reach them with the gospel of Christ.
Our Staff

Ron Allen
Pastor for Preaching & Vision
About Pastor Ron
- Born and raised in Garner, NC
- Accepted the Lord as his personal Savior at the age of nine and was baptized shortly thereafter
- Earned Bachelor’s degree in Bible, Master of Arts in Theology, M.Div., and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC)
- Served as school administrator in Downers Grove, IL (1993-97)
- Served as co-pastor at Bible Baptist for two years (1997-99)
- Married (Janice) and has four children and nine grandchildren
“My goal for Bible Baptist Church is that we will glorify the Lord by exalting His name in our pulpit ministry, by singing His praise in our music ministry, by reaching the Charlotte community in our outreach ministry, and by emulating His Son in our daily lives. My prayer is that Bible Baptist Church will always be a lighthouse for proclaiming the Word to the world.”

Bob Brenneman
Pastor of Outreach
About Pastor Bob
- Born and raised in Marion, IN
- Accepted the Lord as his personal Savior at the age of nine and was baptized shortly thereafter
- Earned Bachelor’s and Masters degrees from Pensacola Christian College (Pensacola, FL)
- Taught high school Bible and college Speech and Bible (Pensacola, FL)
- Served in pastoral positions in New Hampshire, Indiana and North Carolina
- Married (Debbie) and has three children

David Keiser
Hispanic Pastor
About Pastor David
- Born and raised in Basque, Spain (son of missionaries Roy and Lou Ann Keiser)
- Accepted the Lord as his personal Savior as a child and was baptized shortly thereafter
- Earned Bachelor’s and Masters degrees from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) and Master degree in Translation from University of Puerto Rico
- Taught full time at Puerto Rico Baptist College (2010-17)
- Married (Roxana) and has two children

Drew Williquette
Youth Pastor
About Pastor Drew
- Grew up in the Huntsville, Alabama area
- Accepted Christ as his Savior at age ten
- At age twelve, confirmed God’s call on his life to preach
- Married his wife, Jenna, and began in ministry in June 2019 as a children’s pastor in Ohio
- Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible with a Concentration in Youth Ministries from Bob Jones University in 2020
- In July of 2021,began as youth pastor at Bible Baptist Church
- Earned a Master of Arts degree in Ministry from Carolina University in 2023

Ron DeGarde
Staff Evangelist
About Evangelist Ron
- Accepted the Lord as his personal Savior at the age of eight and was baptized shortly thereafter
- Earned Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in Bible from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC)
- Traveled with Minutemen Ministries conducting youth rallies for two years
- Traveling in evangelism independently since 2002
- Served on staff at the Wilds Christian camp (2 years full time and 9 summers)
- Married (Kristin) and has four children

Brad Parker
Administrative Pastor
About Pastor Brad
- Born and raised in Maryland
- Accepted the Lord as his personal Savior as a child
- Earned Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctoral degrees from Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC)
- Served as business manager and school administrator (Frederick Christian Academy) (2005-18)
- Served as assistant pastor (People’s Baptist Church) (2016-18)
- Served as Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Christian Schools and the Mid-Atlantic Regial Director for the American Association of Christian Schools
- Currently teaches counseling and educations classes at Bob Jones University and Veritas Baptist College
- Married (Amy) and has two children

Ruby Chambers
Church Office

Debbie Brenneman
Church Office

Jordan Brenneman
Business Office & Facilities Manager