Dear Church Family,

Due to the heavy snowfall predicted in our area, we have made the decision to close our campus on Sunday, January 25.

We invite you to join us online for worship during our regular service times at 9:30am and 11:00am. Pastor Chip will be continuing his sermon series "Fruit Takes Time" with a new message "We are Better Together" (the irony is not lost on us). We look forward to worshiping together from wherever you are.

Please note that campus updates for the coming week will be shared on our website and social media, so be sure to check there for the latest information.

If you don't already have the WRBC APP - now would be a great time to download it so you can stream the service and keep up to date!

Hi, I'm Tish Kelsey, and this is my story.

Well, I did come to Westport Road Baptist Church through my parents, and I was 12 years old. And this was back when it was the house, and the church was only a couple of years old, and there was a small group of youth, I mean, we were very small in number. But there were some terrific adults here. So, I think very early on I connected with some of the mentors in church. Chester, as well as, I have to say, the Sunday school teachers just gave me the self-assurance that I was on the right track, you know, I was doing the things I needed to do. But for those adults to have, to see something in you, to say you're good at this or you can do this or let me show you how to do this—it meant everything. It meant everything that someone outside of your family role, you know, really took time to invest in you as well as to help you develop skills and learning beyond what you would normally do. Not only them, but later in life, I realized what they did for me and helped pave the way for me.

And it just is just that ongoing kind of influence, that kind of encouragement that is saying, I know you, God knows you. I know you're trying your best. Just to say that to someone can be changing. It can be spirit-changing. The joy of having my own children and grandchildren here is I'm hoping that they too can connect and gain from the influences here, but also having the friendships and relationships here. So that's one thing, is I want to give that back in some way. But also, just being one of the desk people on Sunday mornings, I choose to do that during my Sunday school time. And even though I miss my Sunday school class, I get an opportunity to meet people that come to the second service that I never would have met otherwise.

I love some of the youth that I'm getting to meet out there. What great people. I mean, they really are. And starting up conversations with them, as well as just other adults I had never seen before because I go to the first service. So now, meeting them, really enjoying that. I like seeing how other people view things and hearing it. I really do. I try to value other people's strengths and talents and try to learn from that. I just think it's fun for me. Hand in hand is saying God has instructed us to love our neighbor. The best way of demonstrating that love for others to see is to be there for others.

That to me, is hand in hand. I'm Tish, and this is my story. Walking hand in hand.

Hi, I'm Phillip, and this is my story.

A significant memory from college is when someone told me they didn't believe Christianity was true, but enjoyed going to church for the community and tradition. At the time, I thought that was strange. Waking up early on Sundays, singing songs that weren't on my playlist, listening to a sermon about someone who died 2,000 years ago—it didn’t make sense to me.

There are two verses that became really important in my journey. One of them is 1 Corinthians 15:19, which says that if Christianity isn’t true, then Christians are to be pitied above all. To me, this verse highlights that Christianity can’t just be a hobby. It’s not like playing mini golf—if it’s not true, then it’s a terrible lie. In that passage, Paul argues that Christianity is actually evil if it’s not true, because we’d be lying about God. But Jesus did rise from the dead. And because of that, everything changes. Jesus' resurrection means that we have a soul, that there is an afterlife, and that we can have peace, hope, meaning, and purpose in life.

Jesus’ resurrection also shows us that God is personal. We can know Him, He loves us, and He is preparing a place for us. All of this means that the things that seem mundane—like reading the Bible, going to church, praying, and giving—are actually life-affirming for me.
That’s why I read my Bible, go to church, worship, listen to sermons, pray regularly, and give when I can.

I was reminded of this by a podcast I listened to about the Armor of God. It mentioned that armor isn’t helpful if you wait until you’re in battle. You need to prepare ahead of time. That’s why I make it a point to read my Bible daily and attend church on Sundays, even when it’s tough. Whether in person or online, you can’t be a disciple without discipline.
If you truly want to know Jesus, you can’t do it without engaging with Scripture. The Bible is God’s love letter to us, showing how much we mean to Him. If you're not in it, how will you have the strength to navigate this broken world?

On Sundays, we gather to remind ourselves and each other of God’s love and power. Worship is our opportunity to join with the angels in heaven to celebrate the greatness of our Savior. Without that focus, none of this makes sense. But we do have a great Savior who loves us, fought for us, died for us, and gives us hope and life that can transform our daily lives. You won’t experience that unless you are praying, reading your Bible, and gathering for worship.

Hi, I’m Chip Pendleton, and this is my story.

I was fortunate to grow up with loving, caring parents who did everything they could to take care of me. We weren’t at church every Sunday, but we did attend regularly. My grandfather, who was deeply devoted to the church, often shared Bible stories with me and as a young child, I loved hearing stories like Elijah and the prophets on Mount Carmel or David and Goliath.

When my family moved to Oldham County in fourth grade, we began attending church more regularly. I grew up believing in God, reading my Bible, and being interested in what it had to say. By ninth grade, I realized I needed to make a personal commitment to Christ. It wasn’t enough to just go to church or be involved in the youth group. It was about making a personal decision to follow Jesus.

One Sunday night, I walked down the aisle, professed my belief in Jesus, invited Him into my life, and decided to be baptized. That moment marked the beginning of my faith journey.

While I sometimes wished for a dramatic testimony, I realized my story was one we should hear more often—children raised by loving parents who led them to Christ. What really prompted my decision was Sunday school, where excellent teachers helped me understand salvation.

After my baptism, I didn’t feel any different, but I gained a deep confidence that I was saved and heading to heaven. I became more involved in church. In college, things began to shift further. The pastor asked me to join a small group to learn how to lead Bible studies, and eventually, I began teaching the high school Bible class. That experience was life-changing and led me toward ministry.

When our youth minister resigned, I was asked to lead the youth group for the summer. I also taught the high school Sunday school class. As I got more involved, I felt a clear calling to full-time ministry. By the time I graduated, I had no doubt that God was leading me in that direction. I went down front again to tell my church about my calling, and after graduation, I started seminary.

Looking back, I realize how much my life has been shaped by my godly parents who took me to church, supported me, and were deeply involved in my spiritual life. I encourage young parents to be active in their children’s lives, as their involvement in church has a tremendous impact. I also had great mentors and ministers who cared about me and pushed me to get involved, which was incredibly important.

I’ve been the lead pastor here at Westport Road Baptist Church for the last 20 years, and this is my story.

Westport Road Baptist Church laments the actions of the past in the SBC and pray for healing and justice for the victims.  We also pray for action to prevent further such abuses.
The following lament and repentance for sexual abuse was adopted at the most recent Southern Baptist Convention.

• Denounce in the strongest possible terms every instance of sexual abuse, those who perpetrate abuse, and those who seek to defend or protect these perpetrators;
• Affirm the Bible’s teaching to seek justice for those who have been harmed, protect the vulnerable, and honor the dignity and worth of survivors of sexual abuse (Genesis 1:26, Psalm 82:2-4, Isaiah 1:17, Micah 6:8);
• Publicly lament the harm our actions and inactions have caused to survivors of sexual abuse;
• Publicly apologize to and ask forgiveness from survivors of sexual abuse for our failure to care well for survivors, for our failure to hold perpetrators of sexual abuse adequately accountable in our churches and institutions, for our institutional responses which have prioritized the reputation of our institutions over protection and justice for survivors, and for the unspeakable harm this failure has caused to survivors through both our action and inaction;
• Publicly repent and acknowledge our need for comprehensive change in caring well for survivors of sexual abuse;
• Affirm that amid our failures, we express our hope in Christ, who never fails to care for those who have been harmed, that he watches over the vulnerable members of our churches, that he can bring healing to survivors of sexual abuse, and that he can bring both retributive justice to perpetrators of sexual abuse and restorative justice to survivors of sexual abuse;
• Affirm we will prayerfully endeavor to eliminate all instances of sexual abuse among our churches;
• Commit to the ongoing moral demands of the gospel in relation to sexual abuse, observing the command of our Lord to “teach everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), including the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27, 34-35);
• Call for churches to teach the importance of honoring one another and treating one another virtuously in the area of sexuality so
• Call for Southern Baptists to give of our time and resources to bind the wounds of the broken, hold accountable perpetrators of sexual abuse and those who seek to defend them, and care well for survivors of sexual abuse; and be it finally

As a church, we have sought and will continue to strive to create a safe environment for all people. We additionally have a rigorous policy to protect minors. A few of those protections include:

• Background checks of all volunteers.
• Sex abuse prevention training for all staff and volunteers.
• Cameras throughout our building.
• A security guard during main worship services.
• A special church committee to handle potential allegations against staff or individuals within the church.