Magnolia Church (Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church) — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Dr. Montia Setzler (Lead Pastor)

Founded 1955

Denomination Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)

Service Times Sunday worship; Spanish-language ministry

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.magonline.com/

Pastor Credentials 25-year tenure as Lead Pastor; church actively recruiting successor as of 2024-2026 per Gateway Seminary job posting

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

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

SBC BF&M 2000 affirms historic Trinitarian Christology.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

SBC BF&M 2000 affirms biblical inerrancy.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Verify in person; not detailed in public sources.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

SBC confessional — substitutionary atonement, sola fide.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

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

SBC complementarian per BF&M 2000 Article VI; Dr. Montia Setzler (male) Lead Pastor; pastor search posting specifies male senior pastor pipeline.

SBC complementarian per BF&M 2000 Article VI — male-only senior pastor / teaching elder.

Strong

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Plural elder/pastor staff; pastor search committee polity per Gateway Seminary listing.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Expository preaching tradition; Setzler's 25-year teaching ministry well-documented.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Active denominational role — historic tie to California Baptist College / CBU founding era.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Riverside Inland Empire context; church partners with Gateway Seminary (SBC) + California Baptist University (SBC).

Strong

Accountability Structure

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

SBC affiliated; documented partnership with Gateway Seminary + CBU per pastor search posting.

Strong

Assessment

Magnolia Church (formally Magnolia Avenue Baptist Church) is a flagship Inland Empire Southern Baptist congregation founded in 1955 by students and faculty connected to the relocation of California Baptist College (now CBU) to Riverside. Lead Pastor Dr. Montia Setzler has shepherded the church for 25 years, with documented growth and a 38-acre campus. As of 2024-2026 the church is in active senior pastor search per a Gateway Seminary job board posting, which explicitly cites Magnolia's ongoing partnership with SBC entities including Gateway Seminary and California Baptist University. Predecessor William O. Crews led a 2,300-member congregation. For a man in Riverside / Inland Empire seeking a denominationally well-connected SBC church, Magnolia is the historic anchor. Confirm new lead pastor identity before personal outreach.

#sbc#ca#riverside#inland-empire#megachurch#complementarian#cbu-partner#gateway-seminary-partner#pastor-search

Sources & Evidence

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] Live source gs.edu/about/employment/job-board/job-detail/magnolia-chu…
[2] Live source magonline.com
[3] Live source csbc.com/news/former-gateway-seminary-president-dies-at-81/

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.