Our History

River Oaks Baptist Church has been a part of the River Oaks Community for almost 50 years, and like the city, itself, we’ve been through a lot of changes.  From the very beginning of the church’s history, we’ve had a burning desire to share the gospel with people across the street and around the world.  Bible studies, mission trips, musical programs, and everything else have always had the purpose of helping people find Jesus as Savior and follow Him as Lord.  

Dark Night of the Soul

A Poem from the 16th Century speaks about the “Dark Night of the Soul” as a difficult and significant stage that people go through on their way to discovering a deeper understanding of life.  I think many churches go through something similar. ROBC has been through its own difficulties as people moved away from the area, passed on to heaven, or just found a church that met their needs in a more fulfilling way.  While there are many reasons for it, the reality is that ROBC has experienced a decline in membership over the last few years that has been challenging.  It’s forced us to re-think, “What is the Lord’s will for us?”

A House of Hope

Over the last few months, the Lord has answered a number of our prayers in unique ways.  This has given us renewed hope that the Lord wants to use us to bless our neighbors in the city and beyond.  New people have started to attend the worship services each week, and we believe that ROBC is being called by God to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with this neighborhood and beyond. Our deep desire is that the neighborhood would say about us “That’s a House of Hope—because the Lord is in the house.”  We want people with checkered pasts and hard lives to know that there is always hope in the Lord.  We want to be one more voice urging all people to follow the Lord with all their hearts.

An Open Door 

In 1 Corinthians 16:9 Paul says, “There is a wide-open door for a great work here…” That’s the way we feel.  At ROBC there’s a wide-open door for people who want to minister in the name of the Lord. We often say, “We need you!  You need us! And we all need Jesus!”  If you are looking for a place to serve, this just might be the place for you.  At ROBC, you’ll find a small, but growing family of believers, who are striving to love God and love people.  We’re not perfect–we’re not even close.  But we are His, and He is Lord, and He’s not finished with us, yet.