Leading People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ
Old Plank Road Baptist Church sits on Old Plank Road on the west side of Jacksonville, Florida, in a neighborhood where the congregation has gathered for decades. The church's stated aim is simple and repeated throughout its own materials: to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. It describes itself as "a group of ordinary people following an extraordinary God," and everything from the Sunday schedule to the Wednesday night programs is built around that goal. The church agrees with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
A Word-Driven, Christ-Centered Identity
Old Plank Road Baptist identifies itself by three commitments woven into its ministry. First, a culture of grace, in which the congregation seeks to be a community that freely extends grace to one another and to neighbors. Second, a culture of vibrant corporate worship, where the gathered church offers wholehearted, Christ-exalting praise. Third, a culture of discipleship, since the mission of the church is understood to be making disciples of Jesus Christ. Each of those commitments shows up in the church's teaching, in the way its services are ordered, and in the way it talks about its members.
The church describes its preaching as expository and Christ-centered, alternating between the Old and New Testaments, with sermons usually around forty minutes. The written Word is treated as a reflection of the Living Word, and the Bible is held as the reliable and sufficient rule for faith and practice. A sermon archive and a livestream are available through the church's media page.
Sunday on the Campus
Sunday morning follows a steady rhythm. Sunday School classes for every age begin at 9:30 am, meeting in a small group format to study God's Word and its application to daily life. At 10:30 am, the gathered church moves into morning worship, which typically finishes around 12:00 noon. The order of service is deliberate but not formal: several songs, prayers to God, Scripture read and preached, the giving of tithes and offerings, and a benediction to close. An Evening Worship service gathers at 6:00 pm for those who want a second gathering in the day.
The worship team blends historic hymns and modern songs and works hard to keep congregational singing at the center. A typical morning includes a cross-section of dress from very casual jeans and t-shirts to polos and slacks to suits; newcomers are encouraged to come as they are. Anyone who wants to be contacted later can fill out a connection card, and visitors are told they will not be embarrassed or singled out.
Children, Students, and Young Adults
Children are treated as a blessing from the Lord, and the church works to equip parents to train their children to worship as part of the local church. A staffed nursery is provided for children up to age 2 for the entire worship service, and children's church is offered for ages 3 to 8. Some families prefer to keep their children in the service for the whole time, and that is welcomed. The children's ministry, called KIDZ, serves Pre-K through fourth grade and meets every Sunday during the service as well as on Wednesday nights at 6:30 pm.
On Wednesday nights the student ministries take over parts of the building. Merge is the middle school ministry for fifth and sixth graders, gathering at 6:00 pm. COR22 is the high school ministry for seventh through twelfth graders, also at 6:00 pm. Thrive is the young adult ministry for ages 18 to 25, meeting at 7:00 pm with community, intimate worship, and teaching on Jesus. A Kids Ministry gathering for K3 through fourth grade meets at 6:30 pm, and a Questions and Answers group meets at the same hour for adults who want a discussion-driven midweek option.
Senior Adults and the Wider Congregation
The Prime Timers ministry serves the senior adults of the church and the surrounding Jacksonville area. The group enjoys weekly Bible studies, monthly fellowships, quarterly trips, and a regular lunch on the second Monday of each month at noon. The lunches combine food, worship, and the Word of God, and are designed to encourage and challenge senior believers to keep serving the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Wednesday Nights at OPRBC
Wednesday evenings are a busy hub. The adult Mid-Week Bible Study meets at 7:00 pm, while student and children's ministries fill the earlier hour. Together the night gives families a reason to come to the campus together, drop students at their own rooms, and gather as adults around the Scriptures in the middle of the week.
Senior Pastor Lawrence McGinley
The senior pastor is Lawrence McGinley, known to his congregation as "Brother Larry." He has faithfully served Old Plank Road Baptist for over thirty-two years and shepherds with love and concern. He is married to Rebecca, known as "Sister Beck," for more than forty years, and they have a son David and his wife Kristi, plus two grandchildren. The pastor's heart is that his messages point hearers to Christ alone, whose sinless life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection have made the way to heaven ours to believe, receive, and declare to others. He is also the one to remind anyone who has not heard it that day: "Jesus Loves You!"
What the Church Believes
Old Plank Road Baptist sets out its beliefs in plain, doctrinal statements. The Bible is the Word of God, supernaturally inspired and inerrant in the original manuscripts. The Godhead exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and these three are one God. God is the absolute and sole Creator of the universe, and creation was by divine fiat. Jesus Christ in the flesh was both God and man; he was crucified, died as a penalty for our sins, and was raised from the dead bodily on the third day. His death by his shed blood made a perfect atonement for sin. Salvation, with its forgiveness of sins, impartation of a new nature, and hope for eternal life, is by faith apart from good works, and a true believer is eternally secure. The Holy Spirit indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers at the moment of salvation. The ordinances of the church are Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
The Good News
The church devotes a full section of its teaching to the gospel. It traces six truths: God created us for his glory; every human should live for God's glory; all of us have failed to glorify God as we should; all of us are subject to God's just condemnation; God sent his only Son Jesus to provide eternal life and joy; and the benefits purchased by the death of Christ belong to those who repent and trust him. The invitation at the end of that teaching is to turn from the deceitful promises of sin, call upon Jesus to save, and find a Bible-believing church to worship and grow in together.
Old Plank Christian Academy
Old Plank Christian Academy is a ministry of the church. Its purpose is to train students both spiritually and academically to recognize and to live out God's perfect plan for their lives. The school operates as a separate entity on the same campus and is connected to the life of the church.
Giving, Music, and Staying Connected
Members and visitors can give by cash or check during the weekly services, online through the church's giving portal, by setting up automatic bill pay through their bank, or by texting a gift amount to 84321. Sermons are livestreamed and archived online, and a church calendar of upcoming events is published through the church center. The worship team draws from both historic and modern songs to encourage congregational singing as the primary sound of the gathered church.
Visiting Old Plank Road Baptist
The church sits at 8964 Old Plank Road in Jacksonville. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and the phone number is (904) 783-6942. Sunday School begins at 9:30 am, morning worship at 10:30 am, and evening worship at 6:00 pm, with a full night of ministries for children, students, and adults on Wednesdays beginning at 6:00 pm. The congregation invites newcomers to come as they are, to worship alongside a community that is committed to Scripture, to grace, and to the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ.