About
Rooted in Truth. Growing in Grace. Reaching Our Community for Christ.
Rooted in Truth.
Growing in Grace.
Reaching Our Community
for Christ.
At Lexington Baptist Church, our mission is simple - to glorify God through faithful teaching, heartfelt worship, and genuine community. We desire to make disciples who know, love, and live the Word of God... both here in Lexington and around the world.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:19–20
What We Believe
Our doctrine, grounded in Scripture, defines what we teach, how we worship, and how we live.
Core Beliefs (per the constitution)
The foundation of this church is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11), and its sole and final authority for faith, practice, and guidance is the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17); and this church does here affirm its faith that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inerrant Word of Almighty God (Mark 13:31).
The object of this church shall be to worship God according to the teaching of His Word, to practice the precepts and examples of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in the New Testament, to sustain its ordinances and doctrines and to preach and propagate among all peoples the Gospel of Salvation which is by personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Matt 28:18-20).
The priorities of the ministry of this church flow from the vision of God's glory revealed in Jesus Christ. We exist to savor this vision in worship (John 4:23), strengthen the vision in nurture and education (1 Cor 14:26; 2 Pet 3:18), and spread the vision in evangelism, missions, and loving deeds (1 Pet 2:9; 3:15; Matt 5:16).
The eternal truths professed by all our members is that (1) there is one God in three persons [Father, Son, and Spirit], with each person equally possessing all the attributes of deity and personality (Eph 1:3-14); (2) that Jesus Christ is the unique God-man, was born of a virgin, and possesses full humanity with undiminished deity (Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Matt 1:23; Phil 2:5-11); (3) that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death, resurrected bodily from death, and will one day personally return to the earth to rule and judge (Lk 1:32-33; 1 Cor15:1-7; Rev 20:1-6); (4) that the Bible is the God-breathed, inerrant Word of God, preserved for God’s people, and sufficient for all Christian life (2 Tim 3:15-16); (5) Human beings, made male and female in the image of God, are inherently sinful and are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Gen 1:26; 3:13-19; Rom 3:10-23; Eph 2:8-9).
Scripture
We believe and teach that the Bible (consisting of sixty-six books in the Old and New Testament) is without error in its original manuscripts (Ps. 19:7-9; Jn. 17:17). All Scripture is God breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit guiding the human authors using their intellect, personality and literary style to record a perfectly written revelation from God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2Pet. 1:20-21).
The Scriptures are the eternal Word of God preserved for God’s people today (Mt. 5:18; Jn.10:35; 2 Tim. 2:9). We believe the Bible is the sole and final authority for faith and practice. (2Tim. 3:15-17; Eph. 6:17; 1 Jn. 4:1). It is sufficient for every spiritual need (Ps. 119:1-12; Jam.1:21; 1 Pet. 1:23).
Creation & Fall of Man
We believe and teach that man was originally created by God, in the image of God and without sin (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7). By willful transgression man sinned by disobeying God’s Word and yielding to the deception of Satan (Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Tim. 2:13-14). Consequently, all mankind are sinners by nature and by choice (Ps. 51:5; Isa. 53:6, Hos. 6:7; Rom. 3:23; Col.2:13), and justly subject to God’s judgment (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 1:20; Eph. 2:1, 5).
The Trinity
We believe and teach that there is one God eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:5-6). These three are coequal in essence, distinct in personhood and ministry (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; Jn. 10:30; 2Cor. 13:14).
God the Father
We believe and teach that the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and administrates all things according to his purpose (Ps. 115:1-3; Rev. 4:11). The Father is the ruler of the universe (Deut. 10:14). He is sovereign in creation, history and redemption. The Father decrees that all things come to pass for his glory (Isa. 6:1-3; Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:33-36).
God the Son
We believe and teach that the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is the eternal Son of God. At his incarnation Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, becoming the God-man, both fully God and fully human (Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-28; Jn. 1:1-2; Rom. 1:2-4). We believe and teach that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death and resurrected bodily from death. His death is sufficient for the purchase of redemption, and his resurrection guarantees the offer of eternal life (1 Cor.15:1-7; Lk. 24:1-6; 1 Pet. 2:21-24). We believe and teach that Jesus Christ is presently seated at the right hand of the Father. He is the Head of the church (Eph.1:20-22). He will reign forever over all things as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:14-16). Jesus Christ will soon return to rapture his church, and later return at his Second Coming to establish the Millennial Kingdom (Jn. 14:1-4; 1 Thes. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52;Rev. 19:11-21).
God the Holy Spirit
We believe and teach that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:8). The Holy Spirit regenerates those who believe in Jesus Christ baptizing them into the Body of Christ and indwelling them permanently. He ministers to each believer by sanctifying, empowering and gifting them for the glory of God (2 Cor. 3:18; Gal.5:16-25; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 1:13-14).
Salvation
We believe and teach that salvation is an act of God by which he rescues a sinner from the penalty and bondage of sin and gives them eternal life (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 1:16). Salvation is a gift of God’s grace (Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9). Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the debt of sin and purchase redemption for those who believe (Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 2:9; 1 Jn. 2:2). God offers salvation to all who repent of sin, confess Jesus Christ as Savior and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ – his substitutionary death and resurrection (Jn. 1:12; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9- 10).Believers are eternally secured by God the Father (Jn. 10:29; Jude 24-25) and assured by God the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16).
Our Mission & Vision
Mission:
The purpose of Lexington Baptist Church is to glorify God by helping people love God and others (Matt 22:37; John 13:34), serve God and others (Matt 4:10; 1 Pet 4:10), and share God with others (Matt 28:19-20).
Vision:
To see every generation in Lexington (and beyond) transformed by the truth of the Gospel.
Our History
Decades of God’s Faithfulness
A New Church (1957)
Lexington Baptist Church was organized on October 11, 1957, at the Rockbridge County Courthouse. Two days later, the first worship service was held in the Odd Fellows Lodge Hall on Nelson Street.
LBC was founded as a small gathering of believers committed to the teaching of God's Word. Rev. C. Marvin Brads served as interim pastor while continuing his duties at Kerr’s Creek Baptist Church.
On October 29, 1957, the congregation voted to purchase a former Catholic church building on Henry Street and, the following month, accepted Kerr’s Creek Baptist’s endorsement to obtain a $6,500 loan for the purchase.
By January 1959, Robert Leonard accepted the church’s call to be lead pastor, and his home church, Colonial Baptist Church of Blue Ridge, Virginia, ordained him that April.
Faithful Growth (1959–2011)
Beginning with twenty-six original members, Lexington Baptist Church spent the next decades remaining faithful to God’s Word, fulfilling the Great Commission, and caring for one another.
Pastor Leonard often summarized the church’s focus with his well-known reminder:
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing, and the main thing is the Word of God.”
He completed his ministry in the spring of 2003 after 45 years of service.
During his later years of ministry, Michael Wilburn began preaching on Sundays in August 2002. The church called him as its second lead pastor in February 2003, and under his leadership the congregation continued to grow.
A New Building and God’s Provision (2011–2019)
Growth soon required a larger space. In 2011, the church broke ground for its current worship center. After 12 years of ministry, Pastor Wilburn accepted a call to another ministry, and the church sought new leadership.
On September 25, 2016, Michael Saunders was installed as lead pastor. Early in his ministry the church faced the burden of debt from Generations Hall, which limited giving to worldwide missions.
God graciously provided. On October 15, 2018, an anonymous donor challenged the church to pay off the nearly one-million-dollar debt by matching every dollar given during a 45-day period. In that time over $394,000 was given and matched—nearly $800,000 total. Then, on January 9, 2019, someone came to the church office and paid the remaining balance.
In all, $924,982.76 was given in 74 days to eliminate the debt. Stones placed around a Generations Hall support beam commemorate this miracle, marked with “74” on one side and “924 982 76” on the other.
Team Ministry and Continuing Mission (2020–Present)
The church continues to be led by a team of pastors, lay elders, and faithful members.
On February 9, 2020 – Ethan Appell was called as Associate Pastor of Family Ministries. More recently, October 1, 2025, James Sullen was called as Associate Pastor of Evangelism and Engagement. These additions reflect the congregation’s desire to share ministry responsibilities and care for the body of Christ together.
Our Story Is Still Being Written
From our beginnings in 1957 to today, Lexington Baptist Church remains committed to preaching God’s Word, equipping believers, and reaching our community with the Gospel.
We invite you to be part of what God is doing here, for His glory and our joy.