In Southwest Louisville on Greenwood Road, Ridgewood Baptist Church is known as a progressive, open, affirming congregation where people worship, study, form relationships, and serve the surrounding community. Founded in 1952, it gathers for Sunday worship at 11:00 a.m. and small groups at 9:45 a.m. Its identity is evident in a blended service with a weekly sermon and Communion, children and youth who participate as leaders, justice work that reaches beyond the church, and the Ridgewood Child Development Center. The congregation describes itself as open, affirming, and still learning, with healing, inclusion, transparency, justice, play, and peace at the center of its common life.
From Beechland Chapel to Greenwood Road
Ridgewood began in 1952 as a plant of Beechland Baptist Church's chapel service. For many years it lived on the edge of the Southern Baptist Convention before leaving it completely a few decades ago. The church then aligned with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, whose more moderate stance supports women in leadership and LGBTQIA+ acceptance. In 2009, Ridgewood partnered with Highland Baptist Church after several years of searching for its identity. Staff and financial support continued for nine years, but the partnership ended before 2018. The two churches remained supportive of each other.
In December 2019, the congregation called its first female pastor, Rev. Molly Shoulta Tucker, who started January 1, 2020. In January 2026, Ridgewood officially entered a relationship with the Alliance of Baptists. Alongside this history, Ridgewood says that all genders are equally called to leadership and that all people are beloved children of God.
God Is Love at the Center
Ridgewood's starting point is God is Love, grounded in the Genesis creation story and 1 John 4:8. The church worships the Trinitarian God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer: God created the world, became flesh in Jesus, and sends the Holy Spirit to sustain and change the church. Its language for God is intentionally inclusive rather than limited to male or female constructs. Because the Spirit continues at work in the church, the congregation describes itself as learning and developing, not as having arrived.
All human beings reflect the diverse image of God, and no race, gender, or sexuality stands superior to another. Ridgewood is open and affirming of people across sexual orientation and gender expression, explicitly answers yes to a church that believes a daughter can preach, and says all genders are equally called to leadership. The church regards racial justice as an unfinished and accountable part of faith, not as a topic set aside after services. Its commitments include creating a refuge and a safe place for healing, caring for people who have been excluded or harmed, and using the gifts of the congregation to meet a hurting world.
Ridgewood holds that Scripture is inspired by God, was written by human hands, and contains truth, beauty, and guidance without being free of error. The Holy Spirit leads the church in reading, interpreting, and living out Scripture. As a local church, Ridgewood practices autonomy: it prays, worships, reads Scripture, eats, and seeks to use the gifts of its members in service to the world. Baptism and Communion are its two ordinances. It practices believer's baptism while welcoming people who were baptized as infants, children, or adults in any tradition. Its Communion table is open to anyone, whether or not they belong to Ridgewood or another church.
A Blended Sunday Service with an Open Table
Sunday worship begins at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Each week includes a 15-20 minute prepared sermon that asks how Scripture applies to life spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. The service is deliberately blended: the congregation sings a hymn together, and a band leads modern worship music. Rev. Derek Chilton serves as worship leader, and musicians may volunteer. A responsive Call to Justice precedes the offering and brings a specific need or opportunity into shared prayer. The service also includes Communion each week and a children's moment. People may come forward and be greeted by a pastor if they wish to talk about membership, ministry, baptism, or prayer.
The welcome extends beyond the people already connected to the church. Communion is remembered as Jesus sharing a final meal with disciples who would betray, deny, or abandon him, yet he offered grace without qualification. Ridgewood therefore practices an open table for all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The church also says that no one, regardless of past or future, falls short of the grace offered in Jesus Christ.
The Facebook livestream begins around 10:55 a.m. on Sundays for people worshiping at home. Audio sermons and other recordings are available through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean. Ridgewood also produces Ten Minutes at the Table, a conversation series with community members about faith, life, justice, and how they interact. The series is offered as a podcast for and from Ridgewood, with invitations for others to listen.
Formation for Every Generation
Adults at 9:45 and Beyond
Adults have several recurring ways to grow at Ridgewood. Small groups and adult formation begin at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays. Adult Bible Study is led by Rev. Dr. Bill Green and combines an in-depth look at Scripture with theological texts. Topics & Conversation brings rotating leaders into the conversation, and seasonal Pastor's Book Studies meet at 6:30 p.m. in Chapel Hall. The congregation invites people to listen, study, question, and explore faith rather than simply receive information.
Young adults also have a book study on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Couch Room, and an all-are-welcome Tuesday Night Book Study meets at 7:00 p.m. All Ministry Groups use a common Zoom link for remote meetings. These groups connect Scripture with ordinary life and strengthen relationships among church members and others who join them.
Children and Youth Take Part
Children are treated as participants in the church's worship, not only as audience. Nursery care for children six weeks through four years begins at 9:45 a.m. and closes at 12:15 p.m. in the second-floor education building. Pastor Hollis and trained volunteers use the Godly Play curriculum, inviting children to wonder about Bible stories through play. Children age five and older join Children's Church during worship for conversation, a Bible story, crafts, games, and other creative ways of engaging the lesson. Families may pick children up after small group or worship.
Youth Group meets at 11:15 a.m., or immediately after worship, in the lower-level education building. It welcomes students from sixth through twelfth grade, with occasional exceptions based on maturity or need. Scripture and conversation help them connect faith with daily life. Youth can serve as acolytes, read Scripture, lead the Call to Worship, prepare slides, or work the sound board. Retreats, summer camps, and Passport Camps are part of the youth pathway when interest and availability make them possible.
Justice as the Heartbeat of Ridgewood
A Call to Justice Every Sunday
Justice & Missions is described as the heartbeat of Ridgewood, with justice echoed in worship, programming, and the church's weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms. Each Sunday's Call to Justice draws on Matthew 25 and keeps the congregation close to people experiencing hunger, homelessness, exclusion, prejudice, and injustice. The financial offering is framed not only as keeping the lights on, but as participation in a greater mission.
Food for Neighbors
A concrete expression is the snack ministry. On the first and second Sundays of each month, Ridgewood collects nonperishable snacks. On the third Sunday, volunteers pack snack bags for houseless people in South Louisville. Suggested items include Pop-Tarts, cookies, chips, granola bars, snack crackers, fruit snacks, and canned meat with pop-top lids. The church also needs gallon-size zip bags and plastic utensils. Donations may be placed in the rolling basket at the back of the Sanctuary.
Outside to the right of the Sanctuary entry doors, the Blessing Box operates on a take what you need, leave what you can basis. Ridgewood does not supervise who takes food; its stated principle is that people who need to eat should eat. If the box is full, donors can place nonperishable food in the rolling basket inside. Across from it, a Good Dog Box offers treats for visiting dogs and honors Stark, a therapy dog who belonged to a former staff member.
Partnerships Near and Far
Ridgewood's work for inclusion and racial justice is both local and visible in its partnerships. In June 2020, members formed a public Commitment to Racial Justice to hold themselves accountable. Reading The Cross and the Lynching Tree led the primarily white congregation in a diverse community to assess how it was functioning, and Ridgewood continues to name that learning as unfinished. Each June, the church recognizes PRIDE in worship and programming, describing itself as a place of healing and acceptance for LGBTQIA people and allies.
The church's neighbors include Amazing Grace Community of Faith, a United Methodist congregation nearby. Ridgewood and Amazing Grace have joined for an ecumenical service of Baptism and worship together on Juneteenth. The church's work with the Food Literacy Project has included packing seed bags, watering a greenhouse, planting seed trays, weeding gardens, and holding worship and Communion with Creation. The child care ministry has also participated in the Food Literacy Project's Farm to Fork learning about gardening from planting through preparing and eating what was grown.
At PRP High School, Ridgewood gathers basic items each quarter and has written encouragement notes for more than 150 staff and faculty members, placing the notes in small goody bags for delivery. Missions partners also include Southwest Community Ministries, Jesus Mobile Outreach, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, CBF Kentucky, EmpowerWest Louisville, the Louisville PRIDE Foundation, Sweet Evening Breeze, and the Food Literacy Project. Justice here is framed not only as donation but as shared presence, worship, relationships, and work carried out together.
A Child Development Center Built into Church Life
The Ridgewood Child Development Center is a ministry of the church and is open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Directed by April Baker, it serves children six weeks through 12 years old in age-appropriate classrooms. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are provided through its food program, and the center works with families seeking daycare, CCAP, or Childcare Assistance Program support in Kentucky. Its building is inspected annually for health code compliance, and its participation in Kentucky All STARS goes beyond state licensing standards.
The center's care staff complete at least 15 hours of training each year, with some continuing toward Child Development Associate credentials and higher education. The church also uses the center's family communication tools for check-ins, billing, and daily reports, while a private Facebook presence lets the center community share photos, resources, and events. In this way, Ridgewood connects its child care ministry with the families, staff, and neighborhood it serves.
Finding the Building and Making Space for Others
Arriving and Parking
Visitors enter through the front glass doors facing Greenwood Road, then reach the Foyer and a greeter. The Sanctuary is at the back of the Foyer. Its doors typically close at the start of worship, but anyone may come in at any time. There are plenty of parking spaces in front and more behind the church. Wheelchair users can use a ramp at the back entrance, which leads through a gray door and hallway to the Sanctuary, and the front Foyer has gender-neutral restrooms.
Attire at Ridgewood is deliberately informal in practice rather than uniform. Some worshippers wear blazers, others wear T-shirts, and the church says to choose whatever feels right. The church is at 6209 Greenwood Road, near Greenwood Road and Terry Road and close to the PRP Post Office. The main church number is 502-935-1952. A livestream extends the Sunday service to people joining from home.
Sanctuary, Chapel Hall, and Fellowship Hall
Ridgewood also rents its Sanctuary, Chapel Hall, and Fellowship Hall. The Sanctuary includes a middle aisle for wedding processions, dressing spaces for both parties, and a grand piano. Chapel Hall seats 100 comfortably with round tables, has a prep kitchen, television and connection options, Wi-Fi, and an eight-hour rental block. The smaller Fellowship Hall below it suits smaller meetings and includes tables, chairs, and a television monitor. Rental contracts establish cleanliness expectations, additional audio-visual fees may apply, and alcohol is not allowed on the campus.
For Sunday rentals, Ridgewood keeps priority for church use and generally makes them available after 2:00 p.m. unless staff approve another arrangement. A damage deposit holds a space, and the balance is due one week before the event. The building can host weddings combining the Sanctuary, Chapel Hall, and dressing spaces, along with receptions, meetings, showers, graduations, and smaller gatherings. Tax-deductible gifts can be made through the online giving portal or through Venmo, with one-time or recurring gifts.
These practices form a distinct local expression of Baptist life: Scripture and sermon, an open Communion table, intergenerational formation, welcome without uniform dress codes, service to neighbors, and a church that names both its progress and its continuing work. Ridgewood Baptist Church remains a progressive, open, affirming, and learning congregation on Greenwood Road, rooted in Southwest Louisville and concerned with healing, justice, and the everyday work of welcome.