On the Western Shore of the Bay
Bayside Baptist Church sits at 3009 Chesapeake Beach Road in Chesapeake Beach, the small Calvert County town on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Its motto, "Love God - Love People," drawn from Mark 12:30-31, frames everything that happens inside the Worship Center and out into the surrounding neighborhoods. The church runs a Saturday food pantry that draws families from Chesapeake Beach and North Beach, opens its sanctuary Monday through Thursday for personal prayer, and sends mission teams into the community, the state, and overseas throughout the year.
The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention through the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) and the Potomac Baptist Association. Senior Pastor Glenn Swanson, who joined Bayside in 2008, served a two-term term as president of the BCM/D. Under his leadership, the church has expanded its food pantry, launched a disabilities ministry, and built an active summer outreach on the North Beach boardwalk.
Sunday at Bayside
Sunday at Bayside begins at 9:00 AM with a Prayer Gathering, followed at 9:30 AM by the worship service. Pastors usually preach through Scripture verse by verse, drawing primarily from the English Standard Version and Holman Christian Standard Bible. Worship music mixes modern songs and timeless hymns, and the service includes prayer and preaching along with a dedicated time for children.
Children in kindergarten through fifth grade stay with their parents for the opening prayer and praise portion of the service and then move to Kids Club, where age-specific lessons, music, and small groups are offered from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Babies through preschoolers are cared for in the Nursery/Preschool area from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
At 11:15 AM, the congregation disperses into Family Bible Study Groups. Two adult electives meet at this hour. "Bible Studies for Life," led by Pastor Rick Gaither with assistant teachers Pastor Paul Dennis, Bob Lohr, Craig Stillwell, and Justin Vogtsburger, works through a comprehensive, in-depth curriculum each year that addresses the eight spiritual markers of a maturing believer. "Deepen: Worship Follow-Up," led by Pastor Glenn Swanson, opens up the morning sermon for questions and deeper discussion. The 12nine Adult Abilities Sunday Edition class meets at the same hour, providing a relaxed setting for adults with developmental disabilities to review the morning message and apply it to their lives.
Wednesday Nights
Wednesday evenings have the feel of a family returning home. The Prayer Gathering at 5:30 PM opens the night, and from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM the church runs three programs in parallel. TeamKID gathers four-year-olds through fifth graders for high-energy discipleship that combines scripture, prayer, missions, and games. Bayside Students MidWeek brings middle and high schoolers together for large-group worship and teaching followed by small-group community. The 12nine Adult Abilities Class meets in the Transformation Life Center, Room 102, for Bible study, crafts, and games.
At 6:15 PM, MidWeek ReCharge provides an in-depth Bible study for adults led by Bob Lohr and Glenn Swanson. The night closes with the Worship Choir rehearsal from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM, a multi-generational ensemble of students and adults that sings throughout the year and presents special programs at Easter and Christmas.
Bayside Kids and TeamKID
Bayside treats children as part of the church today, not the church of tomorrow. The philosophy underlying the children's ministry is that adults must enter a child's world, speak the language of fun, and relate biblical truth on a child's level. To that end, Kids Club on Sunday mornings serves K-5th graders with age-specific lessons, activities, music, and small groups, while TeamKID on Wednesdays targets the same age range for a more intensive discipleship experience.
Safety is taken seriously. Every child is checked in through a computerized system that prints a name tag with the room number and any allergy alert, and parents receive two matching security tags. No child is released without the security tag in hand. Every volunteer who works with children submits to a thorough background investigation and is approved by the church's leadership before being trained to serve.
Bayside Students
The student ministry serves middle and high schoolers with a four-fold vision: to reach non-believing students, connect them with other Christians, help them grow in their faith, and challenge them to discover their ministry. MidWeek on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM anchors the ministry with large-group gatherings, small-group community, and individual discipleship. Special events and retreats, including trips to Skycroft Conference Center in Middletown, Maryland, are scheduled throughout the year.
For students who want a deeper commitment, the Bayside Student Travel Team offers eligibility for overnight trips, camps, and mission trips, along with resources such as scholarships, t-shirts, and Bible study materials. Students are selected based on an earnings system that recognizes their commitment to Christ and to Bayside, and they are encouraged to serve as Ambassadors for Christ. Applications are available through the student ministry team.
Adults at Bayside
Adults at Bayside find their primary weekly connection in Bible Fellowship Groups. The two Sunday morning electives described above are supplemented by a Monday afternoon Bible study for seniors at the North Beach Senior Center, led by Frank and Linda Collinson. A Young Adult Singles ministry for college and career adults ages 18-35 meets on Sundays under the leadership of Pastors Glenn Swanson and Bob Lohr, modeling itself on the Acts 2 church.
Women's ministry at Bayside gathers around Sister to Sister meetings and a Women's Conference, led by a team that includes Michelle Ehrmantraut and Karen Bartram. Men's ministry, directed by Bob Lohr, includes a monthly men's breakfast. Both groups exist to encourage fellowship and discipleship outside the larger Sunday gathering.
The 12nine Abilities Ministry
The 12nine Abilities Ministry is one of the distinctives of Bayside Baptist Church. Launched in 2021 under the leadership of Pastor Glenn Swanson and his wife Sherri, the ministry takes its name from 2 Corinthians 12:9, where Paul writes, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." The Swansons' daughter Anna, who has disabilities, is an active part of the ministry.
12nine exists to equip and disciple children, students, and adults with disabilities into the life and community of Bayside. The adult class meets on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM in TLC Building Room 102 for Bible study, crafts, and games, and a relaxed Sunday edition meets at 11:00 AM following the worship service. Bayside Buddies are available for children and teens who need personal assistance to participate in a class. The ministry has expanded to include a James ONE-27 Orphan and Foster Care emphasis and human trafficking awareness.
The Deaf Ministry
Long before 12nine, Bayside had already built a Deaf Ministry that reaches into the Deaf community of the region. The ministry is a community of Christian Deaf and hearing people who connect through Jesus and a shared language. ASL interpretation is provided at the 9:30 AM Sunday worship service, and an interpreted Bible fellowship for adults meets at 11:00 AM on Sundays. Diane Bachek serves as the Deaf Ministry Coordinator, and a weekly Sign Language Class is offered on Thursdays to introduce more church members to the language.
Worship Choir, Worship Team, and Production
The music ministry at Bayside is led by Worship Choir Director Sherri Swanson. The Worship Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM and sings in services throughout the year, with special musical presentations at Easter and Christmas. The Worship Team, made up of vocalists and instrumentalists, rehearses on Thursdays from 6:15 PM to 7:30 PM and leads congregational worship each Sunday. All Worship Team members must be members of Bayside, committed Christ-followers, and active in the life of the church.
Behind the scenes, a Production/AV Team handles audio, visual, social media, and videography. Volunteers help deliver a distraction-free service environment, and the church notes that there are spots to serve at every service for those with creative, technical, or detail-oriented gifts.
The Saturday Food Pantry
The Bayside Community Food Pantry is the most visible arm of the church's community ministry. Open every Saturday from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, it provides food to hungry people in the Chesapeake Beach and North Beach community. A short Bible study at 9:15 AM precedes the pantry opening, and the overall goal is described as helping the hungry and building relationships, sharing the love of Christ in a warm and welcoming environment.
Food collection baskets are located in the Bayside Welcome Center, and the pantry depends on weekly donations of food and financial gifts. The cupboards sometimes run bare because of tremendous demand, particularly around the holidays, when the church also hosts a Thanksgiving Dinner for clients of the pantry and distributes Thanksgiving baskets. Janeen Collinson directs the ministry, and a team of volunteers keeps it running week after week.
Missions and Outreach
Bayside organizes its missions around the Acts 1:8 framework of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Local outreach includes the Saturday food pantry, a summer Bible study at the Plaza Mexico in North Beach, the annual Backpacks for Students drive that benefits Beach Elementary School, the Angel Tree program at Christmas, and the North Beach Christmas Parade. Each February, Bayside partners with other local churches to serve at Night to Shine, a prom-type event for special-needs youth and young adults. A Vacation Bible School is held for a week each July with its own annual theme.
At the state level, Bayside supports the work of the BCM/D. Nationally, the church has sent mission teams to California, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, and supports church plants in Baltimore City, Bath, Maine, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Internationally, Bayside is involved with the Hope of Life Ministry in Guatemala. An International Missions Trip is organized most Octobers, and an August Family Mission Trip is offered each year.
Baptism and Parent/Child Dedication
Baptism at Bayside is by immersion and is reserved for those who have personally professed faith in Jesus Christ. The church practices believer's baptism, meaning that anyone who has placed their trust in Jesus and can affirm that He is the only one who can forgive their sins, that He has forgiven them, and that they intend to live for His glory may be baptized. Baptisms take place in a baptismal pool in the Worship Center, though baptisms have also occurred in the ocean during mission trips. Pastors, elders, parents, and spiritual mentors are invited to participate in the baptism itself. A photographer captures the moment, and the church makes photos and video available to families.
For parents of infants and young children, Bayside offers a Parent/Child Dedication rather than infant baptism. The dedication is a public commitment by parents to raise their child in a God-honoring way, modeling what following Jesus looks like and committing to teach their children that they are saved by grace through faith. Dedication is not a sacrament and does not impart salvation; it is a covenant moment in which the church family commits to walk alongside the parents. The ceremony is held a couple of times a year, or as needed.
What We Believe
Bayside holds a confessional statement of faith that is closely aligned with the Southern Baptist tradition. The church affirms that the Holy Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the perfect treasure of divine instruction. There is one living and true God, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church confesses the deity and humanity of Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and promised return. The Holy Spirit is affirmed as the One who inspired Scripture, convicts of sin, regenerates, indwells believers, and distributes spiritual gifts.
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and involves regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The church practices the two ordinances Christ left His church: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. A New Testament church is described as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, governed by Christ's laws, with pastors and deacons as its scriptural officers.
The church also confesses God's purpose of grace in election, the priesthood of all believers, the importance of evangelism and missions, and the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship. Marriage is defined as the lifelong covenant union of one man and one woman. The statement affirms religious liberty, the separation of church and state, and the call to work for peace and righteousness in society.
Pastoral Leadership
Glenn Swanson serves as Senior/Lead Pastor. A native of the Washington, D.C. area who accepted Christ at seven and the call to ministry at seventeen, Swanson served as a bi-vocational youth minister at First Baptist Church of Upper Marlboro for twenty-five years before coming to Bayside in 2008. He holds an Associate's Degree in Business Management from Prince Georges Community College, a Bachelor's in Accounting from Bowie State University, and a Master's in Theology from Liberty University. He has led the church through the BCM/D Cooperative Program and into international missions work, and serves on the Board of Directors of the SSG Christopher W. Swanson Foundation, established in memory of his nephew, a Staff Sergeant killed in action in Iraq in 2006.
Rick Gaither serves as Associate Pastor of Evangelism and teaches the Bible Studies for Life adult elective. Robert (Bob) Lohr serves as Associate Pastor of Missions & Education and also directs the Adult Ministry, the Men's Ministry, and the Student Travel Team. Pastor Lohr and Rick Gaither co-lead the summer Bible study outreach in North Beach. Brittany Powers serves as Student Ministry Director and helps lead the Student Travel Team program.
Michelle Ehrmantraut directs the Preschool Ministry and serves on the Women's Ministry team. Karen Bartram directs the Kid's Ministry and serves on the Women's Ministry team. Blake and Kristi Pauley direct the Student Ministry. Sherri Swanson directs the Music Ministry and the 12nine Abilities Ministry. Janeen Collinson directs the Food Pantry Ministry and leads the Thanksgiving outreach to pantry clients. Diane Bachek coordinates the Deaf Ministry.
Becoming a Member
Membership at Bayside begins with Starting Point: Discover Bayside, a two-session class held on Sundays in the Transformation Life Center, Room 102. The class covers the church's mission, strategy, vision, values, statement of faith, and ministry opportunities. After completing Starting Point, new members can join by one of three means: professing faith in Christ and being baptized, transferring a letter from another Southern Baptist church, or, for believers from other denominations who have experienced biblical believer's baptism, coming by statement of faith.
A First Visit
Visitors to Bayside will find a church that intentionally welcomes them. The worship service begins at 9:30 AM, but guests are encouraged to come early to check children into Kids Club or grab a cup of coffee. From jeans and flip-flops to suits and ties, the dress code runs the full range. Wheelchair access and seating are available in the Worship Center, and the Hospitality Team will help locate seating. The 9:30 AM worship service is interpreted in American Sign Language.
Children from babies through fifth grade have their own age-appropriate programming during the service, and the 12nine Abilities Ministry welcomes children and adults with disabilities. A Connect Card is available for visitors who want to receive church communications, and Starting Point is offered for those who want to take the next step. Services are livestreamed on Vimeo for those who cannot attend in person, and sermon audio and video are kept in an online archive. Giving is available online, by text, in person through offering boxes in the Worship Center, or by mail.