Ridgewood Baptist is a Bible believing
church community located in
Queens, New York City.
church community located in
Queens, New York City.
Our Team
Kevin Arzadon | Pastoral Assistant
Lumi Pamparau | Financial Secretary
Maggy Klaus | Children's Ministry Director
Filip Dinca | Pastor Emeritus
Our Beliefs
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that every word of the Bible has been inspired by God without error in the original writings. This includes both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. As the Word of God, the Bible is our supreme authority for faith and life. It is complete and we receive no new revelation from God today.
GOD
We believe in one eternal God who exists as three coeternal, coequal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is unchanging, self-sustaining, all-powerful, all-knowing and present everywhere. He is perfect in holiness and love, reliable in justice, generous in mercy, and good in every way. As the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth, he is worthy of all possible praise, honor, obedience, trust, love, and service.
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe that the second Person of the triune God became a human being by means of a virgin birth without diminishing his deity as the eternal Son of God. He lived a perfect and sinless life, died as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins, and arose from the grave on the third day, both physically and spiritually.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the third Person of the triune God permanently indwells believers beginning at the moment of salvation. He enables them to understand and obey the Scriptures, serve other believers, and witness to nonbelievers.
CREATION
We believe that God created all life and matter. Human beings did not evolve from another life form, but God created them directly and uniquely in his image to reflect his glory and to rule over creation with him.
THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man sinned by disobeying the revealed will of God, receiving death as the necessary consequence. This consequence includes physical death, spiritual death (which is separation from God), and eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Every human being is born with a sinful nature in need of salvation from God.
SALVATION
We believe that God saves anyone who will place their faith on Christ alone as Lord and Savior. God provides this grace entirely through the death and resurrection of Jesus and we receive it by faith alone. God permanently guarantees every believer forgiveness of sins, a restored relationship with him, and life in his eternal kingdom.
THE CHURCH
We believe that the church is a spiritual fellowship of believers worldwide that functions as local congregations under the authority of Christ. A congregation consists of baptized members who have joined together voluntarily to govern themselves according to the Scriptures, meet regularly for worship and biblical instruction, serve one another in love, and spread the good news of salvation to their community and the world at large.
THE ORDINANCES
We believe that Christ has instructed believers to obey two special commands: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Those who believe on Christ for salvation should provide a clear testimony of faith through water baptism by immersion. They should also participate in the Lord’s Table with their church on a regular basis to remember the significance Christ’s death. These practices do not provide salvation or secure God’s favor.
SEPARATION
We believe that we should refrain from worldly and immoral practices which are contrary to God’s will revealed in Scripture. We must also refrain from endorsing or partnering with any person, church, or organization that identifies as ‘Christian’ but denies the essential doctrines of the Christian faith or causes doctrinal division within the church. Such entities include but are not limited to: universalism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnessism, ecumenism, Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodoxy, Charismaticism, the social gospel, and liberation theology.
THE FUTURE
We believe that Christ will return suddenly in the air to gather all believers from the world. This will occur prior to the Day of the Lord, after which Christ will return to Earth for a thousand years to reign from Jerusalem over all nations. After this, he will resurrect all the dead for a final judgment and will create a new heaven and Earth where all believers will be with him forever, free from the presence and influence of evil.
We believe that God will fulfill all biblical covenants he has made with the nation of Israel. Though the nation is dispersed throughout the world and resistant to Christ, they will regather in the land of Israel and believe on him as a nation at the beginning of his thousand-year reign.
GENDER AND MARRIAGE
We believe that God has designed the male and female genders as spiritually equal before him and mutually significant in society and church, entrusting men and women with gender-specific roles within the home and church. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life, and God prohibits any sexual activity outside of or contrary to this union.
This Belief Section does not exhaust the extent of our faith. Please contact us regarding a more exhaustive Statement of Faith.
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that every word of the Bible has been inspired by God without error in the original writings. This includes both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. As the Word of God, the Bible is our supreme authority for faith and life. It is complete and we receive no new revelation from God today.
GOD
We believe in one eternal God who exists as three coeternal, coequal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is unchanging, self-sustaining, all-powerful, all-knowing and present everywhere. He is perfect in holiness and love, reliable in justice, generous in mercy, and good in every way. As the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth, he is worthy of all possible praise, honor, obedience, trust, love, and service.
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe that the second Person of the triune God became a human being by means of a virgin birth without diminishing his deity as the eternal Son of God. He lived a perfect and sinless life, died as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins, and arose from the grave on the third day, both physically and spiritually.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the third Person of the triune God permanently indwells believers beginning at the moment of salvation. He enables them to understand and obey the Scriptures, serve other believers, and witness to nonbelievers.
CREATION
We believe that God created all life and matter. Human beings did not evolve from another life form, but God created them directly and uniquely in his image to reflect his glory and to rule over creation with him.
THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man sinned by disobeying the revealed will of God, receiving death as the necessary consequence. This consequence includes physical death, spiritual death (which is separation from God), and eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Every human being is born with a sinful nature in need of salvation from God.
SALVATION
We believe that God saves anyone who will place their faith on Christ alone as Lord and Savior. God provides this grace entirely through the death and resurrection of Jesus and we receive it by faith alone. God permanently guarantees every believer forgiveness of sins, a restored relationship with him, and life in his eternal kingdom.
THE CHURCH
We believe that the church is a spiritual fellowship of believers worldwide that functions as local congregations under the authority of Christ. A congregation consists of baptized members who have joined together voluntarily to govern themselves according to the Scriptures, meet regularly for worship and biblical instruction, serve one another in love, and spread the good news of salvation to their community and the world at large.
THE ORDINANCES
We believe that Christ has instructed believers to obey two special commands: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Those who believe on Christ for salvation should provide a clear testimony of faith through water baptism by immersion. They should also participate in the Lord’s Table with their church on a regular basis to remember the significance Christ’s death. These practices do not provide salvation or secure God’s favor.
SEPARATION
We believe that we should refrain from worldly and immoral practices which are contrary to God’s will revealed in Scripture. We must also refrain from endorsing or partnering with any person, church, or organization that identifies as ‘Christian’ but denies the essential doctrines of the Christian faith or causes doctrinal division within the church. Such entities include but are not limited to: universalism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnessism, ecumenism, Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodoxy, Charismaticism, the social gospel, and liberation theology.
THE FUTURE
We believe that Christ will return suddenly in the air to gather all believers from the world. This will occur prior to the Day of the Lord, after which Christ will return to Earth for a thousand years to reign from Jerusalem over all nations. After this, he will resurrect all the dead for a final judgment and will create a new heaven and Earth where all believers will be with him forever, free from the presence and influence of evil.
We believe that God will fulfill all biblical covenants he has made with the nation of Israel. Though the nation is dispersed throughout the world and resistant to Christ, they will regather in the land of Israel and believe on him as a nation at the beginning of his thousand-year reign.
GENDER AND MARRIAGE
We believe that God has designed the male and female genders as spiritually equal before him and mutually significant in society and church, entrusting men and women with gender-specific roles within the home and church. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life, and God prohibits any sexual activity outside of or contrary to this union.
This Belief Section does not exhaust the extent of our faith. Please contact us regarding a more exhaustive Statement of Faith.
Our History
Ridgewood Baptist Church
The history of the Ridgewood Baptist Church goes back to 1852. It was in that year that a German immigrant by the name of Jeremias Grimmell started a Sunday School for the children who roamed the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The church then organized on December 24, 1854 in Williamsburg, and was accepted into the fellowship of the Baptist Churches of Brooklyn, New York on January 10, 1855. In 1925 RBC constructed and occupied our Church building on present day Catalpa Ave and 64th Place.
The history of the Ridgewood Baptist Church goes back to 1852. It was in that year that a German immigrant by the name of Jeremias Grimmell started a Sunday School for the children who roamed the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The church then organized on December 24, 1854 in Williamsburg, and was accepted into the fellowship of the Baptist Churches of Brooklyn, New York on January 10, 1855. In 1925 RBC constructed and occupied our Church building on present day Catalpa Ave and 64th Place.
Pastoral & Church Timeline
Jeremias Grimmell (1852-1855)
1852 Started Sunday school
First German Baptist Church of Brooklyn incorporated January 10, 1855
F.W. Fasching (1855-1857)
H. Fellman (1860-1861)
F.W. Fasching (1866-1872)
J.C. Grimmell (1872-1892)
C.L. Marquardt (1893-1904)
J.C. Grimmell (1904-1919)
Paul Wengel (1920-1929)
1925 Current church building built
William Mueller (1929-1936)
A.E. Kannwischer (1937-1948)
1938 Church name changed to Ridgewood Baptist Church
John Lotz (1948-1950)
Paul Wengel (1950-1958)
Rubin Kern (1959-1964)
Alphonz Lamprecht (1964-1980)
1965 Evergreen Baptist Church merged into Ridgewood Baptist Church
Edward Bacon (1980-1984)
Filip Dinca (1984-2021)
Daniel Klaus (2021- Present)
2021 Calvary Life Baptist Church merged into Ridgewood Baptist Church
1852 Started Sunday school
First German Baptist Church of Brooklyn incorporated January 10, 1855
F.W. Fasching (1855-1857)
H. Fellman (1860-1861)
F.W. Fasching (1866-1872)
J.C. Grimmell (1872-1892)
C.L. Marquardt (1893-1904)
J.C. Grimmell (1904-1919)
Paul Wengel (1920-1929)
1925 Current church building built
William Mueller (1929-1936)
A.E. Kannwischer (1937-1948)
1938 Church name changed to Ridgewood Baptist Church
John Lotz (1948-1950)
Paul Wengel (1950-1958)
Rubin Kern (1959-1964)
Alphonz Lamprecht (1964-1980)
1965 Evergreen Baptist Church merged into Ridgewood Baptist Church
Edward Bacon (1980-1984)
Filip Dinca (1984-2021)
Daniel Klaus (2021- Present)
2021 Calvary Life Baptist Church merged into Ridgewood Baptist Church