History of RBC
Riverside's Roots
From 1890 to 1919, worship services in the Lake Logan community (known then as Retreat) were held in the Ivy Hill School building, which was located near the present day Riverside Cemetery. In 1919, church members decided to build a new building for worship services. Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Reece donated a parcel of land on the bank of the Pigeon River, and construction of a new church building began in the summer of 1921.
On February 19, 1922 , the first services were held at Riverside Union Church. Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians worshiped together in this building, and heard sermons from pastors such as Rev. R.A. Sentelle, who was the first superintendent of Haywood County Schools.
In these early days, they did not have a preaching service every week, as we do now. Sometimes there were only preaching services two or three times a month. Pastors of different denominations would preach on different Sundays. A Methodist pastor would preach one Sunday a month, a Baptist preacher would come another Sunday each month. The last Presbyterian pastor to preach at Riverside left in 1923. From 1922 to 1941, the Baptist congregation grew significantly, while the Methodist congregation dwindled. Even though it was still owned by all three congregations, the church building came to be known as Riverside Baptist Church, as the majority of the congregation was Baptist by that time.
Growth and Expansion
In 1940, a severe flood hit Haywood County. In 1941, the members of Riverside voted to move Riverside’s original building farther away from the river, and turn it around to face the roadway. Work on this project began in 1943. The building was placed on a new rock foundation, with several classrooms in the basement. A heating system for the classrooms was installed in February of 1947. In 1953, the church was expanded again as more classrooms were added, and the sanctuary was enlarged.
By the 1940s, Riverside had many ministries going, including a “Young People’s Group”, the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), and Vacation Bible School. A free bus service was started to help those who had no way to get to the church. Sunday School and worship services were held regularly on Sunday mornings, with Training Union classes on Sunday evenings, a prayer service on Wednesday nights, and business meetings one Saturday each month. By 1951, the church membership had grown to around 200. RBC’s original building had no indoor baptistry, so baptisms were held in the river behind the church.
In 1958, Riverside called it’s first full-time pastor, Rev. Doyle Miller. During Rev. Miller’s time at RBC, a parsonage was built across the road from the church. Rev. Miller served until November of 1968. Until the late 1960s, the church building was still owned jointly by three denominations, even though the congregation was almost entirely Baptists. On January 5, 1968, a monetary agreement was made, and the Baptist congregation became the sole owner of all Riverside properties.
A New Building
In 1974, church members decided it was time to expand again. A groundbreaking service took place Mother’s Day 1978, and construction began on a new, larger sanctuary building next to the original building. The new building was finished in 1979, and the first services were held on February 4, 1979. The new sanctuary included a baptistry, so baptisms could now be held indoors.
It was a few months before the new building got its steeple. The first steeple ordered was delivered to the church, but was found to be inferior and was sent back. The second steeple was destroyed by fire in a warehouse before it could be delivered. The third steeple was finally placed on top of the church on October 25, 1979. RBC’s original building was remodeled into an educational building, with classrooms on both floors, and a new nursery. The original 1922 steeple remains on display in the yard between the two buildings.
Change Never Stops
Many more physical changes were made at RBC over the years. In 1993, a new sound system was installed and a coat closet in the back of the sanctuary was converted into a control room for the system. In 2007, the basement of the educational building was completely remodeled to create a large classroom space for the youth group. The parsonage was remodeled at the same time. In 2008, the nursery was remodeled and dedicated in memory of Mrs. Linda Foster, the late wife of Rev. Johnny Foster, who served as pastor from 2006 to 2008. In 2014, after many, many meals and events in the Fellowship Hall, the kitchen was remodeled and enlarged.
In 2019, the membership began to discuss the need for an elevator so our older members wouldn’t have to climb stairs to get from the Sanctuary to the Fellowship Hall and vice-versa. Work began on the elevator shaft in 2021, and after a few setbacks, the elevator was finally completed just in time to be a nice 2021 Christmas gift for the congregation. The elevator was dedicated on January 2, 2022. Several RBC members contributed significant amounts of their time and expertise working on this project.
In September 2024, a slow moving front and the remnants of Hurricane Helene combined to casue major flooding in the area and Riverside’s kitchen and Fellowship Hall were flooded with a foot of water. In the days that followed, church members removed the mud, cleaned the furniture, removed damaged drywall, and pulled out the carpet and kitchen cabinets. Over the next several months, walls were repaired, carpet was replaced, new kitchen cabinets were installed, and the Fellowship Hall was back in use in early 2025.
