A Pathway of His Kingdom on McMullen Booth Road
Countryside Baptist Church is a conservative Baptist congregation situated along N. McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater, Florida. The church describes its calling in unusually direct terms: to serve as a pathway of His kingdom to families, friends, associates, communities, the nation, and the world. Members and regular attenders are invited into a community shaped by faith, prayer, and a desire to see lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Two Sunday Gatherings and a Wednesday Hour
Worship services are held on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM, with a midweek Bible study hour on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. The church keeps its schedule visible and consistent so that newcomers and long-time members can plan around the same weekly rhythm. The address, 2525 N. McMullen Booth Road, is easy to reach from anywhere in the Clearwater area, and the church office can be reached at 727-726-2550 for anyone wanting to ask a practical question before their first visit.
Expository Preaching Through Mark and Hebrews
Recent sermon series reflect an expository approach that walks through books of the Bible one passage at a time. A spring series through the Gospel of Mark has covered familiar scenes in fresh depth: More In Abundance on the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:33-44), Treading Heavily on Jesus walking on the water (Mark 6:45-56), and Unclean Hands on the Pharisees and the tradition of hand-washing (Mark 7:1-13). The series has also paused in Hebrews 9 for a message titled Destined to Die, which traced the insufficiency of Old Testament animal sacrifices and the once-for-all nature of Christ's atoning death. Each message points the congregation back to the person and work of Jesus and to the call for believers to examine their own hearts.
What We Believe
Countryside Baptist describes itself as conservative in theology and lists a set of non-negotiable scriptural truths: the divine inspiration and supreme authority of Scripture, the virgin conception of Jesus Christ, the necessity of His substitutionary blood atonement, the reality of Christ's resurrection, the literal return of Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer, and the energetic involvement of the believer in the local church.
These convictions are worked out in a longer doctrinal statement. Scripture is held to be the plenary, inerrant revelation of God and the supreme authority for faith and life. God is confessed as Creator, Sustainer, and Controller of the universe, revealing Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Human beings are described as the crowning glory of creation, made for fellowship with God, broken by sin, and restored only through God's unmerited favor in Jesus Christ. Salvation is explained as justification, sanctification, and glorification - a present right-standing with God, a lifelong process of becoming like Christ, and a future perfected state.
Baptism is practiced as a symbolic act of identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, performed by immersion. The Lord's Supper is observed as an act of worship in which Christ is present at the table though not in the elements, calling each believer to remember His broken body and shed blood and to renew sacrificial commitment. The church also affirms the eternal security of true believers, trusting that Jesus will neither abandon His followers nor cast them out.
Partners in Ministry
The church shares its facilities and ministry vision with three partner ministries that broaden the reach of the campus well beyond a single English-speaking congregation. The Clearwater Christian Chinese Church and the Christian Arabic Evangelical Church both meet under the Countryside Baptist roof, extending the property's reach to Chinese-speaking and Arabic-speaking believers in the Tampa Bay area. NorthBay Christian Academy, a Christian school, is also connected to the church's ministry family.
Meet the Team
Nick Shalna serves as Senior Pastor, providing the teaching and shepherding leadership of the church. Steve Hartog leads the music ministry as Music Director, shaping the congregational worship each Sunday. Olivia Spurlock serves as Media & Production Director, overseeing the audio, video, and communication work that supports the services and broadcasts the sermons online. The day-to-day operations of the church are supported by Debbie Kohnle (Financial Secretary), Jenny Parry (Ministry Assistant), and Scot Conrad (Head of Maintenance).
Get Connected and Give
Visitors looking for a next step can explore the Get Connected page to learn more about the church's ministries and partner congregations. Online giving is available through the Give page, allowing members and supporters to give regularly whether they are present in the service or traveling. Recordings of recent sermons remain accessible on the Sermons page, and regular gatherings of the church appear on an events calendar. Anyone new to the area or curious about what the church teaches can request a copy of the doctrinal statement or simply walk in on a Sunday morning at 9:00 AM and join the congregation as it gathers to worship.