First African Baptist Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Dr. Rodney D. Waller (Senior Pastor)

Founded 1841

Denomination National Baptist Convention / Baptist General Association of Virginia

Service Times Sunday mornings (check website); (804) 329-7279

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.firstafricanbaptist.org

Pastor Credentials Doctorate (Dr.) — field unconfirmed; 16+ years at First African Baptist

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Trinitarian Baptist orthodoxy assumed; full 'Our Beliefs' page not accessible (404).

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

NBC/BGAV framework does not require inerrancy; local statement not displayed.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not visible in fetched content; Singles Ministry mentioned.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Traditional Black Baptist preaching style assumed; faith alone vs synergism not directly verified.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Dr. Rodney D. Waller (male) Senior Pastor; NBC and BGAV allow women pastors at denominational level.

Male Senior Pastor (Dr. Rodney Waller) but NBC/BGAV permits women pastors denominationally

WARNING!

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Dr. Rodney D. Waller confirmed as 10th Senior Pastor of this historic (1841) church — third oldest African American church in the United States.

WARNING!

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Dr. Waller described as 'anointed' preacher; methodology not specified.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

'Passionate worship and engaging in purposeful outreach' — community-engaged.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Deep civil rights legacy; social justice emphasis typical of historically Black mainline churches.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Homepage does not explicitly state NBC or BGAV affiliation; prior denominational notes retained as working assumption — red rating based on moderate-Baptist framework allowing women pastors denominationally.

Caution

Assessment

First African Baptist Church of Richmond is one of the most historically significant Black churches in the United States — founded in 1841 from the Black members of Richmond's First Baptist Church, at a time when both enslaved and free Black Christians gathered to worship. The church has been a spiritual anchor in Richmond's Black community through slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement. Dr. Rodney D. Waller is the 10th Senior Pastor, serving for 16+ years and described as an 'anointed' preacher with deep community roots. The theological concerns are the standard ones for NBC/BGAV churches: no formal inerrancy requirement, women in ministry permitted, and the ever-present tension in historically Black mainline churches between prophetic social justice and Gospel proclamation. USMC Ministries should approach with respect for the extraordinary historical legacy while verifying current doctrinal commitments. This church is a kingdom partner candidate for outreach even if full theological alignment is uncertain.

#historically-black-church#baptist#nbc#bgav#richmond#historic-1841#barton-heights

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

/what-we-believe page returned 404; limited direct doctrinal verification possible. Historic kingdom-partner church with theological caveats per existing assessment — maintained red overall.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Archived snapshot web.archive.org/web/20250904135204/http://www.firstafrica…
↳ Snapshot of firstafricanbaptist.org (live link)

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.