First Baptist Church of Laurel sits at the end of First Baptist Lane, a short turn off Cherry Lane east of US-1 in Laurel, Maryland. The congregation has been on this stretch of road for more than a century, and the 2026 Legacy Fund appeal marks 134 years since its founding, an anniversary the church body has chosen to commemorate with a simple extra gift of $134 per family, a dollar for each year of ministry. The story that has unfolded over those decades is unusual: FBCL is now a multi-cultural, multi-generational body where people from more than fifty nations call the same church home, and where the same Sunday morning includes worship in English and in Spanish under one roof.
Sundays at 10:30 in Two Languages
The weekly rhythm of First Baptist Church of Laurel centers on two Sunday worship services that begin at 10:30 AM. The English service meets in the Family Life Center, the room that fills with chairs each weekend through the work of the Chair Ministry team. The Spanish service, led under the oversight of Iris Garcia, the Hispanic Church Administrator, gathers at the same hour and offers a parallel space for worship in the language of many longtime Laurel families and newcomers from across Latin America. Both services are part of the same church family, sharing the same elders, budget, and mission vision.
Guests who arrive for the first time are welcomed into reserved parking close to the front entrance along First Baptist Lane. Ushers help with seating, and a welcome team is on hand to answer questions. On the second Sunday of each month at 5:00 PM, a pastor hosts Pastor's Coffee at the Panera Bread in Towne Centre Laurel, an informal setting where newcomers can ask anything about the church and its vision over a meal that the church does not run but the pastor attends.
For those who want a head start, a Plan Your Visit form is available through the church's online connection card, and the same form helps families register children for the streamlined Sunday morning check-in at the Child Check-in counter.
Children and Students Across the Campus
First Baptist Church of Laurel takes seriously the welcome it extends to families. Sunday School for children from birth through fifth grade meets at 9:00 AM, giving parents an hour of adult Bible study before the worship service begins. During the 10:30 AM worship hour, the children's ministry splits by age: First Kids serves infants through kindergarten, and Power Up gathers first through fifth graders in Room C101 for interactive, Gospel-centered lessons. Melanie Gill, the Children's Ministry Administrator, plans each week's curriculum and coordinates volunteers, all of whom carry current background checks on file with the church.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, JOY Club (Jesus Over Yourself) meets for first through fifth graders with Bible lessons, games, and activities designed to help children grow in faith and learn to share what they believe. The Wednesday schedule also makes room for Diverse City, the student ministry for sixth through twelfth graders. Diverse City meets in the Student Life Center for games, worship, teaching, and small groups from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, and on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM for separate Middle School and High School Bible studies. Noah Gartland serves as the Director of Family Ministries and oversees the children's and student work, with Chris Clement as the Associate Director focused on Diverse City.
Sports play a part in reaching the community too. Through a partnership with Upward Sports, FBCL hosts flag football, basketball, soccer, and cheerleading leagues that bring families onto the church grounds during the season. The Sports and Recreation Team, one of the church's ministry teams, supports these programs alongside Karate offerings.
The Discipleship Path: Sunday Morning Bible Fellowships and Missional Communities
Adult discipleship at FBCL is built around two complementary rhythms. The first is the 9:00 AM Adult Bible Fellowship hour, where adults gather in classes organized by life stage, interest, and sometimes gender. Current offerings include Theology Unleashed (a chapter-by-chapter walk through 2 Samuel, led by Jason Lamar in Room A203), Livin' the Word (studying the commands of Jesus, led by Bob Lewis), Faith Builders and "His" Class (both working through Romans, led by Lin Wallberg and Jim Surguine), L2 (a Systematic Theology study led by Russ Spikes for adults 18 to 60), and Bible Studies by the Book led by Emmanuel Ephraim through the Pastoral Epistles. Men's and women's classes run alongside, including Journey With Jesus (led by Daryl George), Women of the Word, Pathfinder, and Rooted (each working through Romans or Colossians).
Outside the Sunday hour, Missional Communities gather in homes across Prince George's, Howard, and Anne Arundel counties. These groups meet for food, fellowship, Bible study, and prayer, and they are challenged to live missionally in their neighborhoods. Current groups include a women's group in Laurel that meets on the second and fourth Fridays at 6:00 PM, a multi-generational group in North Laurel and Jessup meeting on Sundays at 4:30 PM, a young-adult-leaning group that meets Thursday evenings in Laurel, and a South Laurel group designed for those newer to FBCL that gathers on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Rob Curry, the Executive Pastor, can connect newcomers to the right group.
Beyond Bible study, the church offers an extensive library of free online messages through its Messages page and YouTube channel, plus a podcast called The Messages available on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher. Sermon series have ranged from book-by-book studies through Genesis, Romans, Daniel, and Habakkuk to thematic series on spiritual warfare, prayer, and the Disciplines of a Godly Church.
Men's, Women's, and Family Ministries
The Women's Ministry at First Baptist Church of Laurel is led by a team of four women. Julie Curry, who has been married to Executive Pastor Rob Curry for more than thirty years and holds a Bachelor's in Bible and a Master's in Education, leads the group with a vision for women in every season of life. She is joined by Lissette Smith, a twenty-year member whose long HR career and FBCL service across childcare, ESL, Connections, and the school board shape her work with women; Christine Likoko, who joined by baptism in 2024 and brings her experience as a wife, mother, and professional meeting planner; and Leslie Denton, who co-leads Grace Marriage with her husband Paul. The team organizes prayer breakfasts, Ladies Night Out gatherings, and connection to the Southern Baptist Women's Convention, and supports three Sunday morning women's Bible studies.
The Men's Ministry is led by Russ Spikes, who brings more than thirty years of ministry experience to the role. The ministry exists to honor Jesus Christ, equip men for their biblically mandated roles, and provide fellowship both inside and outside the church building. The men's ministry leader, together with the elders, hosts an active Facebook group where men can keep up with events and conversations.
Family ministry reaches beyond children and students. Grace Marriage, a ministry led by Paul and Leslie Denton, walks couples through a curriculum that helps them grow spiritually and relationally. It is one of several marriage and family touch points woven into the broader church calendar.
Beliefs and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000
First Baptist Church of Laurel affirms the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM 2000), the confession shared across the Southern Baptist Convention. The church's online statement of faith summarizes the full document and adds two supplementary statements written and affirmed by the elders: a paper on the Role of Elders and Deacons and the church's Constitution and By-Laws.
The statement affirms the Bible as God's revelation, written by men divinely inspired and wholly trustworthy, with Christ as its focal point. It confesses one God in three persons: God the Father, who reigns with providential care; God the Son, the eternal Son who by His incarnation, life, and substitutionary death made provision for redemption; and God the Holy Spirit, who convicts, regenerates, and empowers the church. Human beings are created in God's image, marred by sin, and yet of equal dignity before God regardless of race.
Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and is described as including regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The church practices baptism by immersion of believers and observes the Lord's Supper as a memorial of Christ's death. Local church government is autonomous, governed democratically under the lordship of Christ through pastors and deacons. Two ordinances (baptism and the Lord's Supper), believer's baptism by immersion, the priesthood of all believers, and the autonomy of the local congregation mark the church's practice.
The statement also addresses marriage as the covenant union of one man and one woman for a lifetime, the value of human life from conception to natural death, the importance of Christian education, the believer's call to stewardship and cooperation with other churches and denominations, and religious liberty as the separation of church and state.
Core Values: A High View of Scripture, the Gospel, and Discipleship
Three convictions shape the teaching and ministry of FBCL. The first is a High View of Scripture: the Bible is treated as the final authority for faith and practice, and the pulpit and classrooms aim to let the text stand over the church rather than the church standing over the text.
The second is being Gospel-Centered. Citing Jesus's words that all of Scripture bears witness to Him (John 5:39) and Paul's claim that the central point of his preaching is "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2), the church teaches that the Gospel is not only the door into the Christian life but also the continuing power for Christian living and ministry.
The third is a commitment to equip disciples who make disciples. Discipleship is defined as the transformation of the believer's heart, mind, affections, will, relationships, and purpose, with the goal that every area of life is ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9). The aim is mature disciples who themselves know and share the Gospel so that the church keeps growing.
Missions: Laurel, the Region, and the World
Missions shape much of what FBCL does. The church partners with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCMD), the International Mission Board (IMB), the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the Pillar Network, and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). FBCL participates annually in the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (supporting North American missions, church planting, mercy ministries, and disaster relief) and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (supporting international missionaries).
Locally, the Ready Church Ministry partners with the City of Laurel to serve as the lead Volunteer Donation and Distribution Center in the event of a disaster or major incident in the area. The team mobilizes volunteer drives and coordinates the collection, processing, and distribution of needed items when crises occur in the region.
FBCL also supports the Salaam Center in Baltimore, an outreach to Arabic-speaking refugees staffed by an Arabic-speaking couple and English-speaking volunteers. The center serves roughly 120 families from Syria, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Eritrea, and other countries, offering English classes, help with mail and paperwork, special events, and the distribution of clothes, household items, and school supplies. Books for Nigeria is a long-running collection effort to fill elementary and secondary school libraries, with a collection basket in Room B106 and free shipping arranged by a church member involved in the nonprofit behind the project. Periodically the church also collects lightweight clothing, shoes, and other items for shipment to villages in Nigeria.
On the home front, ESL classes meet on Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, September through May, following the Prince George's County school holiday schedule. The classes are open to anyone in the Laurel community and serve both as a language-learning opportunity and as a place where volunteers share the Christian faith. Norma Slaugh coordinates the program, and registration begins each September.
Leadership: Pastors, Elders, Deacons, and Staff
Randall Breland serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Laurel. He is supported by Rob Curry, the Executive Pastor, who oversees ministry teams and the Missional Communities, and by a body of nine elders: Randall Breland, Jack Bailey, Rob Curry, Nathan Lee, Russ Spikes, Jose Jimenez, Thomas Jordan, Jason Lamar, and Jonathan Rehn. Elders can be contacted confidentially at elders@fbclaurel.com. The elders also oversee Titus Obafemi, the church planter of First Baptist Church Bamajo Nigeria, supported through FBCL.
Twelve deacons serve the congregation in specific ministry areas. Rick Marshall handles benevolence and budget, Felix Odeniran benevolence, Paul Denton ordinances and Grace Marriage, Caleb Mauk audio and visual, Emmanuel Smith missions, Ryan Reed parking, Joseph Ngugi the school board and chair ministry, Wonder Williams welcoming, Forrest Riddle seniors, Jeremy Ephraim children, and Noah Smith students. Deacons can be reached confidentially at deacons@fbclaurel.com.
Staff ministry leaders include Loren Wilson as Director of Music, Noah Gartland as Director of Family Ministries, Chris Clement as Associate Director overseeing Diverse City Student Ministry, Melanie Gill as Children's Ministry Administrator, Iris Garcia as Hispanic Church Administrator, Jason Cowperthwaite as Technical Director, and Russ Spikes as Head of School for Christian Academy of Laurel. Russ Spikes also chairs the L2 Adult Bible Fellowship and oversees the men's ministry.
Christian Academy of Laurel
Alongside the church, Christian Academy of Laurel operates on the same campus. As a Southern Baptist school, it shares space and mission with FBCL and offers a Christian education option for families in the Laurel area.
Giving, Legacy Fund, and the Church Office
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Giving is taught as an act of worship based on the biblical principle of tithing, with the cheerful-giver language of 2 Corinthians 9:7 as a frequent reference point. Guests are not expected to give when the offering is received; giving is described as the privilege of members and regular attenders.
Four ways to give are available. Online giving is offered through a secure portal connected to PushPay, with options for one-time or recurring gifts. Mobile giving works by texting FBCL to 833-245-8242. Cash, checks, money orders, and envelopes can be placed in the offering boxes in the lobby. Donors may also use their bank's Bill Pay service to send recurring or one-time gifts to the church's mailing address. Envelopes are available on request and on-site in the lobby, and annual giving statements are issued on request.
The Legacy Fund was established to ensure that ministries focused on spreading the Gospel receive funding for both present and future needs. Each year the church invites members to give an extra gift equal to the church's anniversary year, a practice that began with $134 for the 134th anniversary in 2026 and will grow by a dollar each year thereafter. Interest from the fund supports qualifying ministries while the principal remains untouched.
Worship and Music on the Campus
Music is central to FBCL's weekend worship. A worship choir supports the 9:00 AM service and typically rehearses on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. The Praise Team, made up of singers and instrumentalists, leads congregational singing during services and at special events, with auditions required for those who want to serve. The Director of Music, Loren Wilson, oversees both the choir and the wider music ministry. The Audio/Visual Team supports the technical side of the services, while the Technical Director, Jason Cowperthwaite, maintains the broader media environment.
For those who cannot attend in person, services are livestreamed through the church's YouTube channel and on Facebook Live at 10:30 AM on Sundays, powered by Restream. Past messages are archived on the Messages page, organized by series, speaker, topic, and book of the Bible, and many are available as podcasts.
Getting to First Baptist Church
From I-95, drivers take exit 33A (Highway 198 East), with the new northbound exit shared with exits 31 and 32. A right turn onto Van Dusen, a right onto Cherry Lane, and a right at the "First Baptist Church and School" sign leads to First Baptist Lane, with the church at the end of the road. From the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Highway 295), drivers take Highway 198 West, continue through US-1, turn left onto Van Dusen, then right onto Cherry Lane, and follow the same sign onto First Baptist Lane. The address, 15000 First Baptist Lane, Laurel, MD 20707, sits inside a campus that includes the church, the Family Life Center, the Student Life Center, and the school.
Two Sunday services, a strong children's ministry, a multilingual student ministry, a full slate of Adult Bible Fellowships, a home-based Missional Community network, and decades-long partnerships with the SBC and its mission boards all converge on one purpose here: to gather a remarkably diverse family under one Lord and to send that family back out to serve their neighbors and the nations.