Geyer Road Baptist Church sits on South Geyer Road in Kirkwood, Missouri, where its members often describe themselves as "a praying church." The congregation's purpose statement, drawn from Matthew 5:13-16, reads simply: "Share the light of Christ so that all may know God, and grow in love and in service." That sentence shapes everything from Sunday morning worship to Wednesday night dinners and the church's reach into the wider St. Louis region. Senior Pastor Ed Plants has shepherded the church for more than twenty-five years, and the rhythms he has nurtured - Bible study before the service, a blended worship gathering, a bustling children's ministry, and a long table after the monthly business meeting - have become part of who GRBC is.
Sunday Mornings on Geyer Road
The Sunday schedule at GRBC follows a familiar Baptist rhythm, with Bible study preceding worship. Doors open early enough for the 9:30 a.m. Sunday school hour, where classes for adults, children, and youth meet across the building. The morning worship service begins at 10:45 a.m. and is offered both in person and through a YouTube livestream, so members who are traveling or homebound can join from anywhere. The church is also open for evening activities, with Bible study, Youth Group, and Kids Club all meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday evenings run until about 7:00 p.m., and the office is open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday mornings and again from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
The church office is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Visitors approaching the campus for the first time will find the address listed as 504 South Geyer Road, Kirkwood, Missouri 63122. The phone rings at 314-821-3651, and an email to the church office reaches the staff at office@geyerroad.com.
What Visitors Find When They Arrive
The church has put serious thought into making first-time guests comfortable. Friendly greeters meet people at the door, and the dress code is intentionally casual. Some arrive in their Sunday best, others in jeans and a polo. The church's own description of the atmosphere is "warm and welcoming," with a stated belief that "God is more concerned with the condition of our hearts than the style of our clothing."
Worship itself is described as a blend of contemporary and traditional elements, with uplifting music, prayer, Scripture reading, and expository teaching at the center. The praise team, led by Minister of Music Gina Bailey, guides congregational singing each week, and instrumentalists like Jeff Russom anchor the sound. Communion, called the Lord's Supper at GRBC, is celebrated six times a year, and the church teaches that baptism is by immersion of a believer as a public witness to faith.
Pastor Ed Plants: Twenty-Five Years in the Kirkwood Pulpit
Ed Plants came to Geyer Road Baptist Church in 1997, after serving two congregations on the Texas plains. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he double-majored in English and Religious Studies, and he holds a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. His first pastorate was Claytonville Baptist Church in Kress, Texas, from 1988 to 1993, followed by First Baptist Church in Claude from 1993 to 1997. He and his wife Elizabeth married in 1983; together they have raised six children and now enjoy one granddaughter.
The Plants family has put down deep roots in Kirkwood. Pastor Ed serves as a volunteer police chaplain with the Kirkwood Police Department and as President of the Kirkwood Ministerial Alliance. Within the broader Baptist family, he has served as Moderator and President of the Executive Team of the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association. He also sits on the trustee boards of Missouri Baptist Medical Center, where he serves on the Medical Ethics Committee, and Missouri Baptist University, where he holds the position of Vice-Chair. Together, Ed and Elizabeth lead marriage enrichment conferences for couples.
Worship and the Lord's Table
The music ministry at GRBC has long been one of the church's defining features. Gina Bailey joined the staff as Minister of Music in the fall of 1992, having earned a Music Education degree from Central Methodist University and a master's from Webster University. She later added administrative duties in 2011 but continues to direct the praise team. Under her leadership, GRBC has built a worship experience that the church describes as "a mix of traditional and contemporary, a little something for everyone." Special music from soloists and ensembles is a regular part of Sunday worship.
The Lord's Supper is observed roughly every other month, six times throughout the year, and is treated as a symbolic memorial of Christ's death and a hopeful anticipation of His return. The teaching on baptism follows the traditional Baptist pattern: a believer is immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as an outward sign of inward faith, and baptism is a prerequisite for church membership and participation in the Lord's Supper.
Small Groups for Every Stage of Life
GRBC runs one of the most layered small-group ministries among Baptist churches in the Kirkwood area. Eight separate Bible study groups meet throughout the week, with a heavy concentration of options on Sunday mornings.
- Faith Followers meets Sundays from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the church and is open to all adults.
- Class of Joy is a senior ladies' group meeting Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church.
- Life Learners meets Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church and is open to adults of any age.
- Truth Seekers has two meeting times: a Sunday morning co-ed group at the church (9:30 to 10:30 a.m.) and a Tuesday evening co-ed group at the Sears' home (7:00 to 8:00 p.m.).
- Golden Agers gathers Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church for senior men.
- Timeless Truths meets Sundays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Plants' home, running alongside Kids Club.
- Keyfinders is the young adult Bible study, gathering Thursdays from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Plants' home.
- Senior Scriptures meets on the second and fourth Mondays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Bethesda Orchard meeting room.
Enrollment is handled through Church Center, where prospective members can browse groups and sign up online.
Children, Youth, and Family Rhythms
Children are woven into the life of the church at every level. Sunday Morning Bible Study classes run during the 9:30 a.m. Sunday school hour, and Kids Club meets at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday evenings with its own Bible lessons and activities. Children's Church is offered during the morning worship service, and Vacation Bible School is a recurring part of the summer calendar. Children's Ministry events round out the year with seasonal gatherings for families.
Youth Group gathers at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays, providing middle and high school students with their own time of Bible study, fellowship, and games. The church currently lists both its Youth Pastor and Children's Coordinator positions as open, signaling a season of intentional recruitment and growth.
Food, Fellowship, and a Wednesday Table
If there is one thread that runs through GRBC life, it may be food. The church's own description, "We are Baptist - food is in our DNA!," accompanies a long list of shared meals. The Hostess committee prepares a "home-cooked" dinner before each monthly business meeting. Picnics bring the congregation together for potluck meals and time on the playground. On the first Sunday of every month, donut fellowship follows the worship service, giving members a casual reason to linger over coffee and conversation. Wednesday dinners, lunches through the women's Lunch Bunch, and seasonal events round out a calendar that often revolves around a table.
A Heart for Missions Near and Far
GRBC supports a wide range of missions through the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention, channeling a portion of giving to SBC church-planting and theological education. Local mission work centers on KirkCare, a community ministry that serves neighbors in need. During the Christmas season, the church participates in Operation Christmas Child and Angel Tree, and it takes up two special offerings each year: the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions. Members also have the opportunity to join SBC Disaster Relief deployments and to go on mission trips beyond St. Louis.
A Deacon Family Ministry assigns each member to a deacon who provides ongoing care, prayer, and support. An active prayer list is circulated each week, and the church considers prayer central to its identity. Giving is available online through the church's giving portal.
What GRBC Believes
GRBC aligns itself with the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, the confession adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. The church teaches belief in one true God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is confessed as the eternal Son of God, fully divine and fully human, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, rose again, ascended to heaven, and will return in glory. The Holy Spirit is described as the one who inspired Scripture, convicts of sin, regenerates the believer, and empowers the church for worship and service.
Salvation is understood through the framework of repentance and faith, with believers experiencing regeneration, justification, sanctification, and ultimately glorification. Baptism is reserved for those who have personally trusted Christ and is administered by immersion. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience observed by church members.
The church teaches that a New Testament congregation is autonomous and self-governing under the lordship of Christ, with pastors and deacons as its scriptural officers. While both men and women serve in many capacities, the office of pastor is reserved for men as qualified by Scripture.
Serving Beyond the Walls
Outreach is woven into the church's regular rhythm. Pastor Ed's work as a Kirkwood Police Department chaplain places the church alongside first responders in moments of crisis. His role as President of the Kirkwood Ministerial Alliance connects GRBC with other churches and faith leaders across the city, and his service on the boards of Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Missouri Baptist University extends the congregation's influence into healthcare and higher education. Elizabeth Plants, who teaches math full-time with Missouri Virtual Academy and tutors high school and college students, brings a similar commitment to serving the wider community.
Whether through a Sunday morning sermon, a Wednesday dinner, a Tuesday night Bible study in someone's living room, or a shoebox packed for a child overseas, Geyer Road Baptist Church keeps circling back to its stated purpose: sharing the light of Christ so that all may know God and grow in love and in service.