We are an American Baptist Church...

No hard sell

No hard shell

Just a soft heart!

Frankly, we have an image problem.

The problem is this -- some people are confused with strange ideas about who we are as a church. It's like being introduced at a party by the name of a distant cousin you haven't seen in years. You smile, then you explain who you really are.

There are many brands of Baptists … 25 different groups in addition to hundreds of independent churches, all called Baptist. Only one is called The American Baptist Churches in the USA. The ABC, that's who we are affiliated with.

If you've seen one Baptist...all you've seen is one Baptist! Especially if your idea of what a Baptist church is comes from  what you've seen on TV where the image may blur during the hard sell. Such excesses dog a tradition that has been both warmly evangelical and accepting of other traditions.

In our church, our worship services are reverent, thoughtful, and yet still allow for human feelings. After all, we do have a heart as well as a mind. Like you, no doubt.

We take risks on the side of freedom of conscience and of local church autonomy  rather than taking cover in inflexible creeds and denominational rules. That's part of our uniqueness and our appeal to many people.

Roger Williams was a founder -- of Providence, RI, of religious liberty, and of our denomination. He once said "Rhode Island was purchased by love". So it is with our church membership today. You can get to us, even get inside us, because we have a heart..