History of RBC - Our Pastors
Riverside's Pastors Through The Years
Before 1958, Riverside did not have a full-time pastor. Pastors came and went more often, with the exception of R.A. Sentelle, who served for 12 years, and was the first pastor to preach in Riverside’s original building by the river.
The list of early pastors includes the Baptist pastors who served during that time, and was copied from the records of Troy Erwin, a longtime RBC member and deacon who passed away in 2017.
Pastors from the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations also preached from time to time during the period from 1919 to 1958.
Riverside has had 8 full-time pastors since 1958, as well as 6 interim pastors, including Rev. Oder Burnette, who served as interim twice between 1966 and 1974. Six men have been ordained as ministers from RBC.
Riverside has also had several Youth Pastors and Associate Pastors through the years who have assisted the Senior Pastor with the ministries of the church. Some of these include Dr. Kim Milner, Dr. Mark Golden, and our current Minister of Education, Rev. Zachary Williams.
Full-Time Pastors
- Rev. Doyle Miller (September 21, 1958 - October 16, 1966)
- Rev. Robert Clark (March 12, 1967 - November 10, 1968)
- Rev. James Estep (April 13, 1969 - March 19, 1972)
- Rev. Larry Jones (May 5, 1974 - October 1, 1986)
- Rev. Alvin Morgan (1987 - 1994)
- Dr. David M. Odom (1995 - 2006)
- Rev. Johnny Foster (2006 - 2008)
- Rev. Steve Frazier (August 2011 - Present)
Interim Pastors
- Rev. Oder Burnette (November 27, 1966 - March 12, 1967; May 21, 1972 - April 28, 1974)
- Rev. Guy Grogan (December 1, 1968 - April 6, 1969)
- Rev. Bill Henson (1986 - 1987)
- Rev. Thomas Kemp (1994 - 1995)
- Rev. J.D. Grant (2008 - 2009)
- Rev. Larry Sprinkle (2009 - 2011)
Early Pastors (Not Full-Time)
- Rev. B.N. Rogers (November 9, 1919 - August 14, 1921) - Preached at Ivy Hill building
- Rev. R.A. Sentelle (February 19, 1922 - March 18, 1934) - First pastor in original Riverside building
- Rev. Gay Chambers (May 20, 1934 - June 26, 1938)
- Rev. Thomas Erwin (July 7, 1938 - September 26, 1939)
- Rev. William (Bill) Sorrells (September 26, 1939 - August 7, 1941)
- Rev. Thomas Erwin (August 7, 1941 - October 4, 1942)
- Rev. Gay Chambers (October 11, 1942 - June 6, 1948)
- Rev. Bail Rogers (July 4, 1948 - July 15, 1950)
- Rev. Thomas Erwin (July 15, 1950 - June 14, 1953)
- Rev. Paul Grogan (June 21, 1953 - July 1, 1956)
- Rev. George Mehaffey (July 8, 1956 - June 16, 1957)
- Rev. Robert Clark (June 23, 1957 - July 27, 1958)