Bethesda Baptist Church stands on Woods Edge Road in South Chesterfield, Virginia, in the same ground where its first members gathered under a bush arbor in the summer of 1879. Twenty-two earnest disciples who had walked out of Gilfield Baptist Church in Petersburg organized the church on July 29 of that year, with the Reverend Henry Williams of Gilfield preaching the opening sermon. The Reverend Edward Jackson Bland became Bethesda's first pastor in 1879 and led the congregation until 1886, shepherding the start of the first building and the organization of a thirty-member Sunday School.
A church rebuilt, renamed, and re-envisioned
Fire destroyed the sanctuary on January 8, 1956, and a building committee of twelve men oversaw what rose in its place. The Deaconess Board had been organized in 1946. In June 1984 the Reverend Roscoe Jones, Jr. arrived as Interim Pastor and was placed at Bethesda as the under-shepherd that September, leading the congregation to rename its Boards as Ministries, ordain its first female deacons, and unify the Diaconate.
In September 2006 the Reverend Juanita Harrison was offered the pastorate of Bethesda Full Gospel Baptist Church, accepted, and was installed on October 29, 2006, the first woman to hold the office. On December 4, 2006 the body voted to restore the original name, Bethesda Baptist Church. Under her leadership the sanctuary has been renovated and several new ministries have been birthed, including REACH, the Whole Bread Ministry, Locking Arms in Hope, Congregational Care, Café Nuggets, and the Training and Enrichment Institute.
A pastor shaped by the Eastern Shore
Dr. Juanita A. W. Harrison was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where the bay and marsh grasses first turned her heart toward the Creator. The youngest of four daughters, she came to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University, where she met her husband Craig. They have been blessed with three daughters, a bonus son, and two granddaughters.
Before full-time ministry she spent more than twenty years in vocational rehabilitation through Supported Employment of Virginia, helping individuals find purpose, dignity, and independence. She later earned a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Christian Education from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, an Honorary Doctorate in Religious Studies from Tabernacle Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry degree. Before Bethesda, she served at Tabernacle Baptist Church as Minister of Worship and Minister of Christian Education, and she has now led Bethesda for more than nineteen years.
Her ministry is anchored in Proverbs 3:3-4: "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Her repeated refrain is, "He who began a good work in us is not through yet."
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday: the rhythm of the week
The Bethesda week opens at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday with Church School for all ages. At 10:00 a.m. the congregation gathers for Corporate Worship. Baby dedications are a regular part of the year, carrying forward the call of Psalm 78 to tell the next generation of God's praiseworthy deeds.
On Tuesday mornings at 11:00 a.m., Café Nuggets opens a Bible study designed with the Happy Young Hearted Seniors in mind, though anyone is welcome. Participants can join in the sanctuary or by phone through the prayer line at 1-202-926-1129, passcode 853869#.
Wednesday is the midweek gathering. At 6:00 p.m. the Lighthouse Intercessory Prayer Ministry leads a time of prayer and praise, followed at 7:00 p.m. by Bible Study, which meets on site and over Zoom (Meeting ID 876 0267 2442). For those who cannot come into the sanctuary, services are livestreamed on the church's Facebook page.
The church office is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and can be reached at (804) 526-6350. Giving is available online through Givelify.
Prayer that stands in the gap
The Lighthouse Intercessory Prayer Ministry gathers every Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., leaning on 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray "for all men, for kings and all who are in authority." The ministry considers it a privilege to stand in the gap for submitted prayer requests and welcomes new prayer partners. Beyond the Wednesday hour, a prayer line and Zoom link are open to anyone who cannot come in person, and a Prayer Partner Ministry, Special Prayer Campaigns, and a Spring Seminar round out the year.
Worship that draws the whole person in
The Worship Ministries give God glory "through service, words, music, songs, prayer, and actions of praise and adoration," leading the congregation into a corporate time of edification. The Music Ministry shares the gospel through instruments and song, with a Praise Team, Choir, and Musicians carrying the weekly offering. The Ushers Ministry serves as the front-line representative of Jesus before, during, and after each service. The Fine Arts Ministry expresses worship through dance, mime, and dramatization, anchoring itself in Psalm 149:3: "Let them praise His name with dancing."
Equipping the saints to live in purpose
The Christian Education Ministry walks out the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 through weekly Church School on Sunday, Café Nuggets on Tuesday, and Bible Study on Wednesday. The Scholarship Ministry underwrites two awards each year: the Lifelong Learner Scholarship for graduating high school seniors, named for Diaconate Andrew McClenney, and the Maude P Berry Scholarship for continuing education.
The Training and Enrichment Institute (T&EI) was birthed in 2010 around the charge "Equipping the Saints to Live in Purpose." Its first class had four facilitators, two finance representatives, two administrators, nine classes, and ten students. The Institute has since grown into multiple tracks, including a Young Adults track for those in the early stages of spiritual formation, and has graduated disciples from Bethesda and from communities of faith across other states.
A family of ministries across the generations
Family Life at Bethesda gathers five ministry streams under one banner. The Men of Bethesda (the MOB) minister to men through biblical application and prayer, partnering with men's ministries and organizations throughout the community. The Women's Ministry upholds mentoring, coaching, and leading women inside and outside Bethesda, displaying the fruit of the Spirit across the body and the community. The Married Couples Ministry strengthens and supports marriages through biblical teaching, fellowship, and resources. The Happy Young Hearted Seniors (HYHS) serves adults aged 55 and older with spiritual insight, education, and fellowship, reminding them that they still have purpose in the kingdom of God. The Youth and Young Adults ministry encourages the next generation to integrate faith into life's transitions and walk in the vision of the church.
Whole Bread for mind, body, and soul
The Whole Bread Ministry (WBM) promotes the Lord's desire that His people walk in wholeness: spirit, soul, and body. Building on 3 John 2, the WBM ministers holistically, spiritually, socially, economically, emotionally, and physically. Members meet people where they are, seek the Living Word first, and then facilitate referrals to persons, agencies, Bethesda ministries, and educational seminars. The ministry also offers fitness training through "Fit for the Kingdom" and conducts temperature checks at every worship and ministry gathering as an expression of love for one another.
REACH: bringing the good news outside the walls
REACH (Reaching Everybody by Adopting Christ's Heart) is the evangelism and outreach arm of the church. It carries out its purpose through Cell Bible Studies that meet off-site or virtually for those with non-traditional work schedules, Community Partnerships that worship and learn with other congregations and groups, and Locking Arms in Hope, which partners with those diagnosed with cancer and other critical health challenges, including their caregivers. The Outreach arm reveals the love of Christ outside the walls by preparing meals, packing snack bags, and serving alongside partner ministries in the local community.
Caring for one another
Under Galatians 6:10, "as we have opportunity to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers," the Congregational Care Ministry assists the Pastor in encouraging, loving, and caring for the congregation. The Diaconate Ministry serves through a Sheepfold model in which every disciple is assigned to one of three sheepfolds (Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob) by the first letter of their last name. Deacons in each sheepfold pray with members, encourage worship attendance, and help direct disciples to ministries in seasons of challenge, illness, grief, or other catastrophic concerns. The Hospitality Ministry prepares and serves meals during times of grief and special services, freeing pastors to focus on the family in front of them.
Bethesda Baptist Church gathers each week with the same charge that has animated the congregation since the bush arbor: to reveal the heart of Christ to everybody, everywhere, every time.