A Family of Disciples on North Frontage Road
Parkway Baptist Church gathers on North Frontage Road in Clinton, Mississippi, where it has served the community for nearly a century. The church describes itself as a family of disciples called to glorify God, grow in Christ, give to His mission, and go to the world with the gospel. That four-fold motto, Glorify, Grow, Give, Go, runs through everything from Sunday morning worship to senior adult hymn singing to mission trips to Boston and Nairobi.
The congregation is autonomous and elder-led, and aligns itself with the Southern Baptist Convention through the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The building houses worship spaces, preschool and children's halls on the main floor, and a second-floor youth area, and the church offers livestreamed services for those who cannot attend in person.
What a First Sunday Looks Like
Visitors who arrive before 9:00 a.m. will find donuts and coffee in the back hall and greeters at the Welcome Center, located near the West entrance. Sunday School begins at 9:00 a.m. for every age, from preschool through adult classes. The Children's and Preschool Halls sit directly behind the sanctuary, and volunteers are ready to walk families through check-in.
Worship begins at 10:15 a.m. Parkway prioritizes this gathering above all other church activities. Each service includes the public reading of Scripture, congregational singing of gospel-centered songs both old and new, prayer, and the preaching of God's Word. All ages are welcome in the sanctuary, though optional childcare is provided for children from birth through age four.
The church livestreams the service every Sunday morning, with a countdown starting at 10:00 and the service going live at 10:15. For those who want to dig deeper, the sermons podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Parkway app, and past series are archived on Vimeo.
Leadership and Governance
Scott Lucky serves as Senior Pastor. He came to Parkway more than a decade ago as the College and Young Adult Pastor, later served as Associate Pastor and Interim Senior Pastor, and in August 2022 was called as the sixth Senior Pastor in the church's history. He holds a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson and is pursuing a PhD in Preaching from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Josh Poore serves as Associate and Worship Pastor, leading the worship and production teams each Sunday and preaching and teaching throughout the year. Zack Riley, the Discipleship and Congregational Care Pastor, teaches regularly, cares for members, and leads several of the church's discipleship ministries. Davis Snyder oversees Student and College ministry after several years as a Pastoral Intern at Parkway.
Tammy Smith has directed Children's Ministry since 2019 and is also deeply involved in missions and the Women's Ministry. Bill Sabbatini serves as Director of Activities and Senior Adults, organizing fellowship opportunities and coordinating Wednesday Night Supper.
The congregation is governed by a body of Elders, with Doug Winstead as Chairman, alongside Mitchell Blount, Curtis Ferrell, Matt Fulton, and Ed Henson. A board of Deacons, chaired by Clinton Pemberton, assists with ministry to the congregation. Both offices are filled by men who are elected by the church.
Children: Birth Through Sixth Grade
Parkway's Children's Ministry exists to build relationships with families and disciple children to know, love, and follow Christ. Three commitments shape the work: responsibility to evangelize and disciple the next generation, partnership with parents, and the safety of every child entrusted to the church's care.
On Sunday mornings, children attend Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. using The Gospel Story curriculum, a three-year walk through the Bible that begins with creation and ends with Revelation. Parents receive a corresponding family devotional so that the week's lessons can continue at home. During the 10:15 worship service, optional childcare is offered for preschoolers from birth through age four.
Sunday evenings include Bible Drill for third through sixth graders, Bible Buddies for kindergarten through second graders, and Discipleship Training for older children. On Wednesday nights during the school year, children meet from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. for Music and Missions, learning about missionaries around the world and singing in the kids choir.
Safety procedures are detailed and rigorous. Staff and volunteers are trained through MinistrySafe, every family receives a numbered parent tag for pickup that changes weekly, two adults are always present in the preschool area, and the children's ministry publishes a written policy handbook available on the church's site.
Students: Youth Ministry
Parkway's youth ministry exists to help families disciple, equip, and send out healthy church members who love Christ, love His church, and grow in godliness. The ministry is gospel-centered, family-focused, church-integrated, disciple-minded, and outreach-oriented.
Students meet for Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. upstairs, divided by grade and gender. Sojourners meets Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with food, games, and time in God's Word. Smaller Discipleship Groups gather weekly at 6:30 a.m., creating space for accountability and deeper study. Throughout the year, special events such as Friendsgiving, Nerf Nights, dodgeball tournaments, and parent roundtables bring students and families together.
Pastor Davis Snyder oversees the ministry. A student ministry policy handbook is available for parents who want to review the procedures.
College and Young Adults
Parkway invests heavily in the college students who live in and around Clinton. The college ministry is shaped by five commitments: Christ-centered formation, local church commitment, relational discipleship, grace-filled accountability, and lifelong transformation.
Students attend a Sunday School class at 9:00 a.m. by the choir room. Two Community Groups meet during the week, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:00 p.m., in homes around the area, sharing a meal, studying Scripture, and building friendships. College Lunch takes place on select Sundays after the worship service, with a home-cooked meal in a Parkway member's home. Students can text PARKWAY to 601-533-5788 to get connected.
Special events like College Field Day and Senior Adult and College Fellowship events create intergenerational connection. The church also sends a college team each year to CrossCon, a three-day conference centered on the gospel, the church, and the nations.
Senior Adults
Parkway describes its senior adults as a vital part of the church's life, and the ministry offers several rhythms to keep them engaged. A Senior Adult Bible Study meets on the last Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. under the teaching of Pastor Scott Lucky. A Men's Bible Study gathers Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. Joyful Singers, a small group of senior adults, meets on select Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. to sing hymns and visit shut-ins around Clinton.
Bill Sabbatini, the Director of Activities and Senior Adults, organizes these opportunities and coordinates the Wednesday Night Supper that brings the wider church together.
Music and Worship
Music ministry is central to Parkway's worship life. The church believes God made human beings as musical creatures so that they might make music to glorify and enjoy Him, and that congregational singing teaches, admonishes, and builds up the body.
Worship is led by a praise team of four rotating vocalists and a worship band. They practice at 8:45 a.m. on Sundays before the service. The choir rehearses each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. after Bible Study, and is open to anyone twelve and older. A production team runs the livestream, sound, and screens each Sunday morning.
Worship songs draw from older hymns and newer gospel-centered music. The church maintains Spotify playlists of songs used in services, and Pastor Josh Poore oversees the music ministry.
Missions: Local, National, and International
Missions shape Parkway's identity. The church partners with the International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, and the Mississippi State Convention of Baptists through the Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, and Margaret Lackey offerings. It also supports Operation Christmas Child.
A long list of international partners includes Sammy and Winnie Ndumu with Life Ministry Kenya, Robert Kamau with Africa Transformational Leadership, Zicky Chanda with Lighthouse Christian School in Zambia, Paul Njuguna with Divine Providence Training Center in Kajiado, Ramesh and Sabita in South Asia, Vimal in Germany, Tiago Oliveira in Portugal, Jonathan and Bethany Derbyshire in Thailand, and Lauren in South America. Domestically, Parkway supports church plants through City on a Hill Church in Somerville, Massachusetts, and Church of the Heights in Starkville, Mississippi.
Locally, the church partners with five ministries. Through CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Parkway members are matched with a specific child in foster care to advocate for their best interests. Through Southern Christian Services, the church supports group homes, counseling, and respite care for vulnerable children and youth. Parkway also encourages and supplies social workers at the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services and the Hinds County Courthouse. Shower Power in Jackson receives regular donations, breakfast service, and volunteers to serve those experiencing homelessness. Friends of Alcoholics finds the church walking alongside men overcoming addiction, inviting them into the life of the congregation. The Center for Pregnancy Choices receives prayer support and encouragement.
Mission Monday meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. to learn about missionaries, pray for their work, and participate in service projects. An International Fellowship gathers weekly for dinner and Bible study with international students and Clinton residents, offering hospitality and the basics of the Christian faith.
What Parkway Believes
Parkway's doctrine follows the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The church holds that the Holy Bible, written by men divinely inspired, is God's revelation of Himself, totally true and trustworthy, and the supreme standard for faith and life. There is one living and true God, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Human beings are made in the image of God but fell into sin through the free choice of the first man. Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Election is the gracious purpose of God, and true believers are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
The church is understood as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and governed by pastors and deacons. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act in which members memorialize the death of the Redeemer by partaking of bread and the fruit of the vine.
Marriage is defined as the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, and children are described as a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parkway believes that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory, that the dead will be raised, and that Christ will judge all men in righteousness.
Wednesday Nights and Sunday Evenings
Midweek programming gathers several generations in the same building. At 5:00 p.m., a Wednesday Night Supper is served in the fellowship area. From 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., adults attend a Bible study and prayer meeting while children take part in Music and Missions. Choir rehearsal follows at 7:00 p.m.
On Sunday evenings during the fall and spring semesters, Submerge meets at 5:00 p.m. as a multi-generational Bible study with men and women gathering around roundtables. Sojourners, the youth gathering, runs from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Children's activities run from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday nights as well, including Bible Buddies, Bible Drill, and Discipleship Training.
Getting Connected and Giving
For those ready to explore membership, Parkway hosts periodic Membership Matters evenings with dinner included and no obligation to join. Visitors can fill out a visitor form on the church's site to connect with a Sunday School class. The Discipleship and Congregational Care Pastor personally helps people find the right small group.
The Parkway app is available on the App Store and Google Play. Giving is available online through Pushpay, through the app, at a giving station by the front entrance, or by mail to P.O. Box 65, Clinton, MS 39060.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The phone number is 601-924-9912, and the general email is parkway@pbcclinton.org.