A Church Born in a Vienna Parlor
The story of Robinhood Road Baptist Church begins on the evening of October 17, 1948, when a prayer meeting was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. C.D. Alexander in the Vienna community of Winston-Salem. Conducted by Rev. Alex Doby, the gathering had a single purpose: to establish a Bible-believing, faithful, and friendly church in the neighborhood. For several months afterward, weekly prayer meetings and Bible studies were held in Christian homes throughout the community. Eventually, Mr. J.F. Henning allowed a one-room frame building to be constructed on his property, and on Sunday morning, January 29, 1949, the first worship service was held.
The congregation quickly outgrew that small frame structure and built a new sanctuary. Less than three years after opening, the church received its present name and was officially accepted into the Pilot Mountain Association. Although the original frame building was torn down many years ago, a gazebo now stands on the campus where its front doors once stood, a quiet marker of the church's earliest days. In 1982, planning began for the present sanctuary, and a new fellowship hall has since been added to serve the growing body.
Unity, Discipleship, Missions
Three words appear beneath the church's name wherever it is printed: Unity, Discipleship, Missions. They are drawn directly from the Great Commission and given visual form in the church's logo. The circle represents unity: one faith, one family, members of a congregation marked by love and fellowship. The branch represents discipleship: the steady growth of believers into mature followers of Jesus through the preaching and teaching of Scripture. The road leading to the cross represents missions: the call to take the gospel beyond the walls of the building into the neighborhood and to the ends of the earth.
The church's stated mission is to be a church of faithful disciples making new disciples as we follow Christ in our daily lives. Whether members are sitting together in Sunday School, gathering for a women's Bible study, or loading a disaster relief trailer, everything at Robinhood Road Baptist Church is meant to support that calling.
Sunday Mornings Beneath the Steeple
Visitors enter through the sanctuary doors beneath the steeple, where greeters wait during both the Sunday School hour at 9:45 a.m. and the 11:00 a.m. worship service. From 9:25 to 9:50, Sunday School greeters help newcomers find a class for every member of the family. Those arriving for worship between 10:45 and 10:55 are welcomed by ushers who provide a bulletin, answer questions, locate restrooms, and assist with any specific needs.
Sunday School for adults offers a wide menu of classes. The Believers Class is a Bible study group for couples and singles over 60, working through the Standard Lesson Quarterly and the Open Windows Devotional. The Lydia Class gathers senior women on the same level as the sanctuary for study and prayer. The Dorcas Class is a group of women who study and share truths from God's Word. The Men's Class offers open, laid-back discussion among seasoned believers. Each quarter, two or three additional short-term classes are offered so that adults can pick the topic that interests them most. The first Sunday of each quarter, the whole group meets in the fellowship hall for class introductions, fellowship, and breakfast.
Worship is described by members as "the way it used to be," a traditional service with hymns, special music, and Bible-based preaching. The adult choir leads on Sunday mornings, drawing on traditional, Southern Gospel, and contemporary styles, while members of the congregation also share special music as gifted singers and instrumentalists. While many congregations have moved toward newer forms, the focus at Robinhood Road is on fellowship, unity, and making disciples; the style is in service to the worship experience, not the other way around.
Children and Youth
Children are welcomed from birth through high school graduation. In Sunday School, the Preschool Division cares for babies through Pre-K using Bible stories, music, and loving attention. Children's classes meet for grades K-2 and 3-5, helping students move from learning about God into a personal relationship with Jesus through age-appropriate lessons and crafts. Youth classes are split into middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12), with an emphasis on scripture memory, discussion, and daily faith practice.
On Wednesday evenings during the school year, the AWANA Club fills the church with energy. Cubbies (ages 3-5), Sparks (K-2), and Truth & Training (grades 3-5) combine music, games, handbook time, and lessons with a light snack. Children earn badges and pins as they complete handbook sections, collect AWANA Bucks for things like wearing their uniform, bringing their Bible and handbooks, good behavior, good sportsmanship, and serving others, and spend those bucks a few times a year at the AWANA General Store. The program runs from September through June, with themed Special Nights such as Crazy Hair night, Pajama night, and Bring a Friend night sprinkled throughout the year.
The youth ministry is built around seven checkpoints that leaders want every student to take with them into adulthood: Authentic Faith, Spiritual Disciplines, Moral Boundaries, Healthy Friendships, Wise Choices, Ultimate Authority, and Others First. In addition to weekly gatherings, the group attends a weeklong summer camp at Caswell and at least one weekend retreat, and they take part in fellowship activities and service projects with a God-centered purpose.
During worship, children ages two and younger may be taken to the nursery, where parents sign in and receive a pager in case they are needed. Children ages three through third grade are invited to Pastors Pals, a children's church led by the Minister to Families. They worship with their families until the midpoint of the service, when the pastor dismisses them to their classrooms. Ushers direct parents to the right pickup spot afterward. All children and youth workers read and sign a protection policy, complete training throughout the year, and submit to background checks.
Women's Ministry
Women at RRBC have several ways to grow together. Women on Mission is a group committed to equipping adult women as active disciples of Christ through mission action projects, prayer, giving, and Bible study. A women's Bible study or book discussion group meets weekly, either at the church or in a member's home, with time for roundtable sharing and prayer over the praises and needs of those in the group.
Every other month, ladies gather in the church kitchen to prepare a meal for shut-ins, including homebound friends, those caring for loved ones, or anyone needing a bit of extra care. Volunteer cooks prepare the meal, and volunteer drivers deliver it. Mission Crafters is a hands-on group that sews, crochets, glues, and stuffs pillows for individuals in need and for healthcare facilities; no special skills are required, only a willingness to help. An annual women's retreat offers a long weekend of refreshment around a specific focus or Bible study, and Ladies Fellowship is a monthly social gathering at a rotating local restaurant.
Men's Ministry and Primetimers
The men's ministry, Iron Sharpens Iron, meets weekly for lunch, fellowship, and spiritual growth. The group reads and discusses faith-based books together, with honest conversation about Christian living, discipleship, and how Scripture applies to daily life. Proverbs 27:17 - "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" - is the group's watchword.
Primetimers is the ministry for adults 55 and up. Once a month, the group gathers at a different local restaurant for a good meal, a devotion, and time together. It is built around Hebrews 10:24-25, encouraging one another toward acts of love and good works.
Beyond the Campus: Mission Partners and Disaster Relief
The people of the community matter deeply to RRBC, and the church maintains partnerships with a wide range of ministries. Locally, the church supports the Winston-Salem Street School, a private alternative high school serving at-risk youth, and the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission, a non-denominational Christian ministry serving the Triad region. Other partners include the Pregnancy Network, Oneida Baptist Institute (a K-12 Christian boarding and day school in Kentucky), and Feed the Hunger, which addresses both spiritual and physical needs.
The church also reaches beyond the region. David Parsons serves as a missionary with the North American Mission Board. Roger and Vicki Grossman work with Good Shepherd Ministries among indigenous communities in Guatemala. Wycliffe Bible Translators helps people bring Scripture into their own languages. RRBC also supports work among the Mamprusi people group of Northern Ghana and ministry in the Caucasus Mountain Region of Eastern Europe.
When disaster strikes, men and women of RRBC volunteer through NC Baptists on Mission, the disaster relief arm of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Volunteers respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other emergencies by preparing meals, cleaning up debris, repairing homes, and providing medical and child care. The work is described as a way of acting just as Jesus did to meet the needs of hurting people.
What RRBC Believes
The church holds to a traditional Baptist confession of faith. The Bible is the Word of God, written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, free from error, and is the foundation of the church along with the person of Christ. Salvation is by grace alone through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that faith is demonstrated through good works, obedience, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Those who have trusted Christ are eternally secure and can never lose their salvation, even when fellowship with God is interrupted by sin. Christ Himself is the believer's advocate and High Priest, so each Christian has direct access to God in confession, prayer, worship, and the reading of Scripture. Baptism is by immersion and is reserved for those who can express personal faith; it is not a means of salvation but a public profession of obedience and identification with the death and resurrection of Christ.
The Staff
Pastor Jason East has been part of Robinhood Road Baptist Church for 18 years, first serving as Minister to Families before becoming Lead Pastor. A native North Carolinian and a graduate of Gardner-Webb University (Master of Divinity), he preaches and teaches alongside his wife Melanie and their four children, Natalee and triplet sons Caleb, Colby, and Nathan.
Gabriel Frazier serves as Minister to Families, leading the next generation and organizing mission journeys. A Western Carolina University graduate in Parks and Recreation Management, he and his wife Sophia and daughter Stevie Joy see ministry as a family calling.
Michael Brazier, a Liberty University graduate with a B.S. in Religion concentrating in Biblical and Theological Studies, serves as Discipleship Director, leading the growth of the Sunday School program. Jerry Moore, a Piedmont Bible College graduate, directs the music ministry as worship leader and sanctuary choir director, balancing his work at Southeastern Freight with his call to lead congregational singing.
Robinhood Road Baptist Preschool
Sharing the church's campus is Robinhood Road Baptist Preschool, where Director Amy Gavin leads a staff of teachers in providing early education rooted in unconditional love. Gavin has directed the preschool since the 2016 school year, and families from the broader community are welcome to come visit, tour the school, and meet the teachers.