History of RiverBend

In November 2023, RiverBend Church celebrated its first anniversary. The church is the result of a merger between Union Missionary Baptist Church and Cornerstone Community Church. For years, the two churches enjoyed a warm relationship and shared ministry in the community. In early 2022 both churches began dreaming about the Gospel impact that a combined church could have on the community. The merger process was bathed in prayer and skillfully guided by outside mentors. It was an amazing experience watching God take two distinct groups of people and from them, create RiverBend Church. Despite some differences between the groups, the common thread was sound Biblical doctrine and shared core values. By building on this foundation, the churches developed a culture of love and mutual respect. This culture was pivotal in enabling them to navigate the merger effectively culminating in the church holding its first worship service on November 20, 2023.

While change is not always easy to embrace, RiverBend is a testimony to what is possible when people prioritize the Gospel, love God, and love one another instead of personal preferences. In its first year of existence, God used RiverBend to baptize 23 new believers and add many new families to His Church. The church is becoming a multi-generational, multi-ethnic church that looks more like its community as it engages in the mission of making disciples of Jesus. It is our sincere desire that God would use the Riverbend story to inspire hope in other churches that their best days are ahead… as they follow Christ!