Edgewood Baptist Church sits at 3604 Ringgold Road, right where Ringgold meets Germantown Road in Chattanooga's East Ridge neighborhood. The Independent Baptist congregation has been working its way around this stretch of southeast Tennessee for a full century, and the warm welcome that greets visitors at the door is something the church takes seriously enough to name a ministry after it.
A Mission That Began at the Edge of the Woods
The story of Edgewood begins in 1923, when a small mission congregation was started in a one-room frame building along 27th Street in East Lake. The street was, at the time, literally at the edge of the woods, and Pastor A. A. Pruett led the flock through its earliest years. By the early 1950s the building had been enlarged twice and bricked over, and a Sunday School addition went up to keep pace with a swelling membership. After 1954, under Fred Gregg's leadership, the first mixed couples class formed, and more than a hundred people came together around the Word each week.
Fire, Flood, and a Fresh Start as an Independent Church
In 1972 a new chapter opened with Pastor Paul Norris at the helm. Under his leadership the congregation voted to leave the Southern Baptist Association and become an Independent Baptist Church. The change was almost immediately tested. On September 30, 1973, a four-alarm fire tore through the building shortly after the morning service. While the structure was being rebuilt, floodwaters damaged the fellowship hall the church was using as a sanctuary. Pastor Norris, a licensed contractor, personally oversaw the reconstruction, and the rebuilt church was dedicated on September 29, 1974, an event the congregation still recalls as walking triumphantly through trials of fire and flood.
A Radio Ministry, a Cross-Town Move, and a New Slogan
The late 1980s brought another growth spurt under Pastor Ron Bankson, who launched a radio ministry that carried the gospel beyond the church walls. By September 2007, in the final year of Pastor Champ Agan's tenure, the East Lake property was sold and the congregation moved to a temporary home on Benton Drive off Highway 58 at Highway 153. In December 2008, Edgewood purchased the building at 3604 Ringgold Road, a structure that had previously housed Kingwood Baptist and, most recently, Stanley Heights Baptist. After a thorough reconditioning, the congregation settled into its current East Ridge home and adopted a fitting slogan: "Where God Guides, He Provides," drawn from Isaiah 58:11.
Dr. Dale Kidd, Pastor Since 2016
Dr. Dale Kidd became Edgewood's pastor in March 2016. A Virginia native saved at the age of eleven, he surrendered to full-time ministry at seventeen during a revival meeting preached by Bro. Sammy Allen of Resaca, Georgia. He went on to study at Lynchburg Baptist College (now Liberty University) and later earned an M.A., an M.Div. from Luther Rice Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Bethany Theological Seminary. Before Chattanooga he served seventeen and a half years on the staff of the Church of the Open Door in Westminster, Maryland, in roles including youth pastor, single adults pastor, and Christian school administrator. He then pastored Victory Baptist Church in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, for six and a half years, followed by ten years at Deep Springs Baptist Church in Dalton, Georgia. He and his wife Robin have two married daughters and five grandchildren.
A Sunday Built Around the Word
Sunday School opens the day at 9:45 a.m., with classes for every age and a teaching staff ready to help newcomers find a fit. Sunday Morning Worship follows at 10:45 a.m., with Sunday Evening Worship at 6:00 p.m. A children's program runs alongside the evening service during the school year. Wednesday evenings bring another gathering at 7:00 p.m. Sunday morning and evening services are livestreamed on the church's Facebook page so members who are traveling or unwell can still worship with the congregation.
The People of God
Edgewood's vision is summed up in a series of eight traits the people of God are meant to embody: a Holy People, a Hungry People, a Helping People, a Happy People, a Healing People, a Hearty People, a Harmonic People, and a Hopeful People. Each trait is anchored to a passage of Scripture, from 1 Peter 1:15-16 through Psalm 144:15 and Romans 15:13. The whole vision closes with a simple line: "At Edgewood Baptist Church, being the people of God is our vision."
From the Nursery to the Twelfth Grade
Children are a clear focus. Junior Junction is the Sunday morning class where young kids hear the Bible taught by teachers with a passion for instilling faith. The Sunday-evening Children's Ministry (sometimes called Master Club-style) runs from 6:00 p.m. and exists to evangelize, disciple, teach, train, and give children real opportunities to serve God now. Walking Worthy Teens gathers students in grades 7 through 12 who want to give their best in service and worship. Each summer the church hosts Vacation Bible School, a multi-evening program for ages three through teen, complete with rotation leaders, support staff, and a family-night closing ceremony in the main sanctuary.
Ladies, Seniors, and a Heart for Honduras
Joy Circle, the women's ministry, meets on the fourth Thursday of every month to encourage missionaries and build friendship among the ladies of the church. One of its standing mission projects partners with Good Samaritan to ship crates of supplies to Honduras, with a focus on Spanish Bibles and good, used summer clothing for children and adults. Golden Sixties, the seniors' fellowship, meets on the third Thursday of each month for food, fellowship, and a fresh challenge from God's Word, with the reminder that God is not through with His people yet.
First Impressions and the Front Door
Edgewood takes its welcome seriously enough to give it a name. The First Impressions ministry is staffed by people whose job is to greet guests, help them feel at home, and connect them with the rest of the congregation. The team's guiding proverb is simple: a first impression is a lasting impression.
Four Steps to Heaven
For anyone curious about the gospel, the church teaches a clear four-step path: realize that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23), realize that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), realize that Christ paid the penalty on the cross (Romans 5:8), and accept Him as your Savior by confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart (Romans 10:9-10). The King James Version is the Bible the church points people toward, with a free online reader available.
Missions Beyond the Neighborhood
Edgewood supports missionaries in multiple states and countries, holding to the conviction that the Great Commission sends the church outward to every nation, tribe, and language group. Giving is handled through Tithe.ly, and a mobile app for iOS and Android makes recurring support available from anywhere. Visitors who want to stop by in person can find the church at 3604 Ringgold Road in Chattanooga, or call the office at 423-629-5821.