A Place of Spiritual Hospitality on Ridgewood Road
Northminster Baptist Church sits on the corner of Eastover Drive and Ridgewood Road in northeast Jackson, Mississippi, a building whose tall windows and open, communal rooms were designed to make the sanctuary and its surroundings feel like a single, welcoming space. The congregation that gathers there calls itself a place of spiritual hospitality, open by mission and design, and emphasizes that the church is most itself when its members are engaged in the life of the wider Jackson community.
Founded in 1967, Northminster has grown into one of Jackson's most visible Cooperative Baptist congregations. It is known for its lectionary-based worship, its lay-led style of ministry, its extensive work with mission partners throughout the capital city, and a deep commitment to forming faith across every stage of life, from infancy through senior adulthood. Its identity is captured in the motto that has shaped the church since the very first worship service: We agree to differ. We resolve to love. We unite to serve.
"We Agree to Differ. We Resolve to Love. We Unite to Serve."
The motto was drawn from a sermon preached by Dr. Harvey T. Whaley at the very first worship service on May 7, 1967, when the Northeast Jackson Baptist Mission gathered at the Hinds County Baptist Association chapel. From that single sermon, the congregation claimed a three-part call that has shaped nearly six decades of common life.
The first part, "we agree to differ," reflects Northminster's commitment to freedom in biblical interpretation and congregational governance. The second, "we resolve to love," names the congregation's earnest respect for all perspectives and its expectation that members will hold one another in Christian affection across disagreement. The third, "we unite to serve," is the engine behind the church's reputation for missions and outreach: at least twenty percent of the annual operating budget is committed to mission work in Jackson, across Mississippi, and around the world.
Northminster describes itself as a living church in which every member plays a vital role in both spirit and commitment. Most church responsibilities are handled by laypeople rather than paid staff, and members are frequently described as becoming a part of one another rather than simply joining a roster. The church's understanding of Baptist faith and practice emphasizes freedom in biblical interpretation, congregational governance, the full participation of women and men in all aspects of church leadership, and religious liberty for all people.
Sunday Mornings at Northminster
Sunday Morning Worship is described by the congregation as the heartbeat of its common life, and the rhythm of a typical Sunday at Northminster unfolds in three parts. The day begins with Chapel Communion at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel, an intimate service of Holy Communion that offers a quieter alternative to the main service. At 9:15 a.m., the entire church family gathers for Sunday School, with classes for children in the children's wing, students in the Youth House, and adults in rooms across the Adult Education Building and Main Building. At 10:30 a.m., the congregation assembles in the sanctuary for Sunday Worship, an hour-long service that includes congregational singing, prayers, a sermon, occasional baptisms, child dedications, and monthly celebration of the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month.
Worship at Northminster is intentionally liturgical. The church follows the seasons of the Christian Year - Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter, and a second stretch of Ordinary Time - and the colors of the paraments shift accordingly: purple for preparation, white for the great feasts, and green for the long season of growth. Scripture readings are drawn from the Revised Common Lectionary, which connects Northminster to Christians the world over who read the same passages each week.
The service is also lay-led. A liturgist offers the meditations and litany, a lay reader leads the responsive prayers, and members of the congregation help shape the weekly liturgy. Hymn writers within the congregation frequently contribute to the liturgy itself. Communal worship is the constant: voices join in the hymns of the Baptist tradition, and the people of God participate rather than simply watch.
The Narthex, the foyer of the sanctuary, is the church's place of welcome, with a quiet smile before the service and a hearty handshake and warm welcome afterward. Because the service begins in silence, the congregation often lingers in the Narthex after worship to greet guests more fully.
What to Expect as a Visitor
Visitors are welcome at every level of Northminster's life. Sunday morning worship is more traditional in style: the congregation sings hymns from hymn books accompanied by the pipe organ, the choir and pastors wear robes, and the sanctuary has no screens. This produces a meditative service that is also deeply communal through responsive readings, common prayer, and the steady presence of the chancel choir.
There is no prescribed dress code, and attire across the congregation varies widely, with most people choosing a business-casual look. All are welcome at the Lord's table for communion on the first Sunday of every month; those who prefer not to receive the bread may come forward and receive a blessing from one of the deacons. A gluten-free option is available in place of the common loaf.
Childcare is provided every Sunday for children in kindergarten and younger. In first grade, children are presented with their Bibles during worship and formally join their families in the sanctuary. Children younger than first grade may also remain in the sanctuary with their families if that is preferred. Parents visiting with children will find the Children's Ministry entrance at the south end of the church building, off the rear parking lot, where a greeter will welcome the family and accompany the children to a graded Sunday school class.
Parking is available both in front of and behind the church, with on-street parking on Ridgewood Road on Sunday mornings. The main lot sits behind the building and can be reached from either Ridgewood Road or Eastover Drive. Accessible parking is available at all entrances, and a wheelchair ramp is located at the Sanctuary entrance on the front of the church. Ushers and greeters assist at each entrance. The Adult Education building on the north end of the campus is accessible through the side door off the rear parking lot, and an elevator inside the Children's Ministries entrance allows access to every space in the main church building.
The Building on Ridgewood Road
The current sanctuary at the corner of Eastover Drive and Ridgewood Road was dedicated in 1974, four years after the church moved from the Mississippi School for the Blind. Over the years, the building has grown alongside the congregation. The Great Hall was dedicated in 1990 and serves as the church's large gathering space for Wednesday Night Suppers, Sunday evening programming, potlucks, Bible studies, and fellowship events. The balcony, the columbarium, and the Adult Education Building were completed in stages through the early 2000s as part of Northminster's Wider Net building project. A small chapel adjacent to the sanctuary hosts the early Sunday Chapel Communion service and is also used for in-home communion visits brought to home-centered members.
The Youth House sits at the heart of Northminster's ministry to teenagers, and the Children's wing at the south end of the main building houses graded Sunday school classes for the church's youngest members. The chancel choir and the pulpit are deliberately off-center in the sanctuary, leaving the table of communion as the central focus during worship.
Six Decades of Faith and Change
The story of Northminster Baptist Church begins in 1967, when five founding members - Leland Speed, John Palmer, Bob Guyton, Rubel Phillips, and Atley Kitchings - held an organizational meeting for a church they intended to be distinctive, but orthodox; different, but nevertheless Baptist. From the beginning, the congregation was bound together by the trio of commitments that became its motto.
The Northeast Jackson Baptist Mission held its first service in the chapel of the Hinds County Baptist Association on May 7, 1967, then moved to Temple Beth Israel later that year. In March 1968, the mission adopted the name Northminster Baptist Church, was incorporated as a nonprofit, adopted a church covenant, and organized its first Deacons. Dudley Wilson served as the first pastor from 1967 to 1975, presiding over a long string of firsts: the first baptism, the move to the Mississippi School for Blind, the first Vacation Bible School, the launch of a long partnership with Operation Shoestring, the adoption of an "open baptism" policy that welcomes Christians from other traditions, the dedication of the new sanctuary, the first child dedication, and the ordination of the first female Deacon, Jan Purvis.
Subsequent pastors shaped the congregation in their own idioms. John Claypool pastored from 1977 to 1981 and saw the ordination of Morris Thompson and the dedication of the Austin Pipe Organ. John Thomason served from 1983 to 1988, during which Jan Purvis became the first female elected to lead the Deacon Board. Roger Paynter pastored from 1989 to 1996, and his tenure brought the introduction of the church symbol designed by Steve Cook, the addition of the phrase Every Member a Minister to the worship bulletin, Northminster's adoption of the lectionary, the dedication of the Great Hall, an increase in the missions percentage of the budget to twenty percent, the first Easter flowering of the cross, the gift of the first three church bells, the first Good Friday Tenebrae service, and the congregation's support for the formation of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The first female associate pastor, Barbara Oliver, was called to serve during these years as Associate Pastor for Childhood and Adult Education.
Charles E. Poole served as pastor twice, first from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2022, a tenure that included the dedication of the chapel, the Wider Net building project, the completion of the balcony, the introduction of blessing as an option during communion, the dedication of the completed organ, the dedication of the columbarium and Adult Education Building, the planting of the first memorial dogwood on All Saints' Sunday, and the publication of Echoes of Grace by the Senior Adults. Brian C. Brewer pastored from 2005 to 2007. In 2008, Northminster Baptist Church was officially released by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, and the congregation formally reorganized its relationship to the wider Baptist world.
Scott Dickison became Senior Pastor in the summer of 2023 after eleven years of ministry at the First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon, Georgia. Recent years have brought roof replacement and courtyard renovations. Under his leadership, the pastoral team has been expanded and the church has welcomed a new Associate Pastor for Community and Missions, Masyn Evans-Clements, who began her work in August 2026.
A Cooperative Baptist Identity
Northminster's primary denominational affiliation is with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and its regional expression, the Great Rivers Fellowship, a network of individuals and churches working together to spread the hope of Christ. Through the Denominational Relations Committee, Northminster supports a wide range of Baptist identity institutions, from theological education to news and advocacy to long-term mission support.
Organizations supported through the general budget include the Alliance of Baptists, Baptist Health Foundation, Baptist Joint Committee, Baptist News Global, Baptist Women in Ministry, Baptist World Alliance, Blue Mountain College, CBF Global Missions, Central Baptist Seminary, Delta Hands for Hope, Duke Divinity School's Baptist House of Studies, Good Faith Media, the Great Rivers Fellowship Disaster Fund, McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, Mississippi College, Passport camp, Together for Hope, Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, Wake Forest University School of Divinity, and William Carey University.
Northminster also partners with the Alliance of Baptists. The congregation's stated understanding of Baptist faith and practice emphasizes freedom in biblical interpretation, congregational governance, the full participation of women and men in all aspects of church leadership and Christian ministry, and religious liberty for all people.
Music and the Sanctuary
Music has been central to Northminster's worship since the early 1980s. The Austin Pipe Organ was dedicated during John Claypool's pastorate in 1983, and the completed organ was dedicated during Charles E. Poole's second tenure. Five church bells were given to the congregation during Roger Paynter's years, with the first three arriving in 1991 and the final two in 1993. The five bells ring across the Ridgewood Road campus and are a familiar sound in northeast Jackson.
The chancel choir, accompanied by the pipe organ, is supported in worship by Minister of Music Tim Coker, Organist Sheila Hess, and Organist Emeritus Billy Trotter. The choir rehearses weekly, and special choir workshops are held periodically. Hymnals are used in the pew rather than projected screens, and the choir's contributions range from anthem settings to the singing of traditional Baptist hymns by the full congregation.
Children at Northminster
Children's Ministries at Northminster partners with families from birth through sixth grade to nurture a faith that is curious, growing, and real. Under the leadership of Lesley Ratcliff, Associate Pastor for Children and Adults, the ministry gathers children in play, prayer, story, and service, helping them discover that they are beloved by God and part of God's story.
Sunday morning offerings include Children's Sunday School for all ages at 9:15 a.m. in the children's wing, and a Children's Worship Hour for infants through kindergarten at 10:30 a.m. On Sunday evenings, three graded groups meet at 5:00 p.m. in the Children's Area: the Pre-School Atrium for ages three to six, the Elementary Atrium for first through third grade, and Four5Six for fourth through sixth grade. Monthly events include a Birthday Gathering, where children celebrate with a special treat during the month of their birthday, and Parents' Night Out, an evening of supervised fun that gives parents an evening to themselves.
Children are welcomed into the Northminster family of faith through dedication rather than baptism, which takes place during worship when the congregation affirms its commitment to nurture the child and support the family in their spiritual development. Northminster does not baptize infants or young children.
Youth in the Youth House
Sixth graders are welcomed into Northminster's Youth Ministry near the end of the school year, walking into a community where teenagers are given space to live out their faith now while being equipped for adult life. Under the leadership of Geoff Davidson, Associate Pastor for Students, the Youth House is described as a place of memories, fun, growth, and the pursuit of following Christ.
Youth meet for Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. in the Youth House and gather again on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. for a weekly time of fun, fellowship, and spiritual formation. Every other month, students cook and serve lunch at Stewpot Community Services, gathering at the church at 9:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month to prepare a meal for neighbors downtown. The Youth Ministry has its own Facebook and Instagram presence to keep families in touch.
Adults and Senior Adults
Adult Ministries at Northminster invite adults to study, reflect, and connect in ways that make faith real, through Sunday School, Bible studies, lecture series, and gatherings around art, worship, food, and conversation. Sunday evening Adult Studies meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Adult Education Building and explore what it means to follow Christ in community and in the world.
Senior adults are served by the Northminster Cares ministry under Marty Harper, Associate Pastor for Senior Adults. The church recognizes the collective wisdom found in this age group and seeks to keep senior adults connected to the church and its mission. Regular visits are made in residential facilities, in homes, and in hospitals. Educational programs address the needs and issues of senior adults, and spiritual enrichment and growth opportunities are offered throughout the year. For those who are home-centered, in-home communion is provided. Senior Studies meet on Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m., and senior adults share in Wednesday Night Suppers with the rest of the church.
Wednesday Nights Around the Tables
From early September through mid-November, Wednesday evenings at Northminster are a chance for the whole family of faith to share a meal and worship together. Members and visitors gather in the Great Hall at 5:30 p.m. for supper, then move to a brief Vespers service held around the tables. The semester closes with an annual Thanksgiving Potluck in November.
Wednesday nights draw together members of every age group, including children and youth who join their families at the tables, and the rhythm of supper followed by prayer has become one of the defining patterns of the church year.
Caregiving and Prayer
The Caregiving Committee meets each Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the church conference room for a brief, informal prayer time for the concerns of the church family. The committee considers it a privilege to pray for each concern that affects the congregation, and members of the Caregiving Committee are available to share prayer concerns with anyone who calls the church office.
Mission in the City
Northminster's identity is rooted in its work outside its own walls. The congregation maintains a long list of city and regional partnerships, organized through the Missions Committee, the Denominational Relations Committee, the Wider Net Committee, and the Adopt-A-School Committee. Mission partners and projects include:
- Spann Elementary School through Adopt-A-School, providing volunteers in cooperation with Partners in Education of the Jackson Public Schools.
- Billy Brumfield House, a men's shelter operated by Stewpot Community Services, with Northminster volunteers delivering breakfast late on Wednesday afternoons or early on Thursday mornings.
- Meals on Wheels, with weekly volunteers who either prepare or deliver meals to homebound seniors.
- Stewpot Community Services, with the church kitchen often used for meal prep.
- Operation Shoestring, a Northminster partner since the early 1970s.
- Boarding Homes Project, a tradition since 1978 in which the congregation gathers in the Great Hall on the first weekend of December to create care packages complete with homemade cookies for adult care facilities around the city.
- Angel Tree, an Advent ministry that partners with community parents to bring Christmas joy to their children.
- Pastors' Benevolence Fund, administered by the pastoral staff to provide direct assistance such as utility payments, rental assistance, food, transportation, funeral expenses, and disaster relief.
- Wider Net Ministries, organizing Northminster's decades-long ministry presence in the MidCity neighborhood, including capital improvements such as cameras for Gordon Park, demolition and cleanup of property, and consistent mowing of neighborhood spaces.
Mission partners supported through the general budget include His Heart at Calvary Baptist Church, Catholic Charities Shelter for Battered Families, Grace House, Magnolia Speech School, McClean Fletcher Center, Voice of Calvary Ministries, Young Life - Urban, Shower Power, Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Capital Area, and Deliver Me Senior Support. The church has also partnered with Canopy Children's Solutions to help families connect with state, local, and federal resources.
Deacons and Lay Leadership
From the very beginning of the church, Deacons have been those within the congregation called to the humble but holy work of caring for the needs of others. In the Baptist tradition, Deacons at Northminster are members called to servant leadership: administering Communion, preparing the church buildings for worship and fellowship, leading through governance and discernment, and supporting the church's ministries.
The Deacon Board consists of 18 Deacons elected by the congregation each September, serving a three-year term. The Order of Service of Ordination and Installation occurs during morning worship at the beginning of the year. The Board includes a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Church Clerk, and Church Treasurer. Northminster was the first Baptist church in Mississippi to ordain a woman as Deacon when Jan Purvis was ordained in the 1970s, and Jan Purvis later became the first woman elected Deacon Chair.
Generous Stewardship and Legacy Giving
Northminster has a long legacy of generous stewardship of resources to support the church's mission in Jackson and beyond. Gifts to the general budget underwrite the day-to-day work of the church and the budgeted yearly gifts to mission and denominational partners, which together always exceed twenty percent of the operating budget. Members are asked each year to make a pledge in support of the budget proposed by the Finance Committee.
In addition to the general budget, members may direct gifts to specific ministries, including youth, children's, and music. The Pastors' Benevolence Fund receives consistent support from the congregation and provides direct assistance to individuals within the community and beyond.
Members and supporters can give during worship, by mail, through automatic bank draft, or online. The church also accepts gifts of stock and other financial assets.
The Legacy Giving Ministry offers a pathway to share the hope of the gospel and the mission of the church through estate and planned gifts. Gifts may be directed to one of four funds:
- The Northminster Fund, which receives both present and legacy gifts, restricted and unrestricted, to support the Legacy Giving Ministry.
- The Campus Fund, which receives legacy gifts to create and maintain the grounds and facilities for worship, fellowship, and service.
- The Missions Fund, which acknowledges the church's commitment to the surrounding community by meeting needs outside the walls.
- The Worship and Music Fund, which receives legacy gifts to support the sounds and silences of worship and music.
A Shared Building Across Faith Traditions
One of the most unusual partnerships in Northminster's story is the long relationship with Beth Israel Congregation. The Northeast Jackson Baptist Mission held its first services in Temple Beth Israel in 1967, and decades later Beth Israel Congregation holds its Shabbat services in Northminster's sanctuary on Friday nights. Members of the two congregations have worshipped and gathered together across the years, and the partnership remains a living expression of the motto that has shaped the church since 1967.
The Pastoral Team
The pastoral team at Northminster includes Scott Dickison, Senior Pastor; Geoff Davidson, Associate Pastor for Students; Lesley Ratcliff, Associate Pastor for Children and Adults; Marty Harper, Associate Pastor for Senior Adults; and Masyn Evans-Clements, Associate Pastor for Community and Missions. Tim Coker serves as Minister of Music, with Sheila Hess as Organist and Billy Trotter as Organist Emeritus. The office is staffed by Office Manager Leslie Ward, Financial Secretary Sam South, and Receptionists/Secretaries Jan McDonnieal-Wilson and Neely Grimsley.
Becoming a Part of Northminster
Anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ may be baptized at Northminster by immersion. The church also welcomes members by reaffirmation of a previous profession of faith and Christian baptism. Baptisms performed in another Christian tradition or by a method other than immersion are honored and accepted. Those interested in joining are invited to speak with Scott Dickison or any member of the pastoral staff, or to call the church office at (601) 982-4703. Visitors with questions of any kind are warmly invited to reach out by phone or email at info@northminsterbaptist.org.
Worship services are livestreamed for those unable to attend in person, and a sermon archive is available for catch-up viewing. Sunday mornings at Northminster begin with Chapel Communion at 8:30 a.m., Sunday School at 9:15 a.m., and Worship at 10:30 a.m., followed by an hour of fellowship in the Narthex. Wednesdays bring the whole family of faith to the tables of the Great Hall for supper and Vespers. Sundays and Wednesdays alike end with the same conviction that has guided the congregation since 1967: that the most important work of the church takes place beyond its doors.