About Our Church
Our History
Founded in 1993, Columbus Baptist Church started as a mission sponsored by Grace Baptist Church in Jonesboro, AR. Pastor Scott Bourland guided the new work to start meeting at the DSI building on 10th Street in Columbus. Not long afterwards, the church moved from DSI to the CCX Trucking building on National Road which is where Acra Automotive is today. Still growing, the church then moved from its National Road location to its current site in 1995. Originally, they met in the two story house until it was no loger big enough to hold the congregation. Phase 1 of a master site plan which included a new sanctuary and foyer was completed in 1998. Pastor Chuck Kennedy came to CBC in July of 2000 just before Phase 2, a new education wing, broke ground. At about this same time, Dan Piper, surrendered to be a full-time Mission Builder for the Lord and missionary James Taylor surrendered to go to Kenya, East Africa. During the next 4 years the Taylors served in Africa afterwhich they return to the United States. During the early 2000's, CBC continued to work in worldwide missions. We became the sponsoring church of David Helmick and Kosova Missions. We also took on the sponsorship for Julie Schoeff and Eyes For Christ Ministry. God continued to bless CBC in many ways. We called Alan Shoeff as our Youth Pastor. As we have grown, CBC has also been blessed to see many men and women surrender to serve in others places too. Bro. Schoeff is now a missionary pastor in Sheridan, Indiana. Bro. Piper, who originally surrendered as a Mission Builder, has now followed God's call to be a church planting missionary in Ireland. CBC is still pleased to stay behind him as his sponsoring church in this new work. Most recently, CBC called Brian Barriager as our new Associate Pastor in December of 2010.
Our Staff
Senior Pastor, Chuck Kennedy
Charles David Kennedy was born on October 6, 1965, to Eugene and Nancy Kennedy in Noblesville, IN. Although not raised in a Christian home, Chuck still attended church from time to time as a child and a teenager. Through the influence of his future wife Kim and father-in-law, he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior on October 22, 1983, at Bethel Baptist Church in Noblesville, IN. He and his wife, Kimberly Kay Shomaker (Kennedy) were married on August 3, 1985, during his sophomore year at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN. After graduating with his B.A. in May, 1988, and working for GMAC in Indianapolis, Chuck and Kim decided to move to Lincoln, NE, and attend law school at the University of Nebraska. While living in Lincoln, attending Unity Missionary Baptist Church, and staying with his inlaws, Chuck first felt God leading him into the ministry. After returning to Indiana, he accepted God's call to the ministry in April, 1993. He was ordained on October 22, 1994, and accepted his first pastorate at First Missionary Baptist Church in Corcoran, CA, in May 1995. After pastoring in California for 5 years, the Lord opened the door for him to return to Indiana and come to CBC in July, 2000.
Chuck and Kim have 3 girls: identical twins, Lauren and Sarah, their youngest, Rebecca, and 1 grandson, Matthew. Lauren and Sarah are both married and living nearby. Rebecca is attending college in Indianapolis. Matthew, Lauren's son, is the joy of their life. Chuck enjoys hunting, fishing, and anything to do with sports. Most of all, he enjoys loving the people God has blessed him with at CBC and reaching others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Associate Pastor, Brian Barriger
bbarriger@columbusbaptist.net
Brian A. Barriger was born Dec. 10, 1979 in Alton, Ill., the son of Tony Barriger and Sandi Barriger. Brian was blessed to be raised in a home where his parents taught him about Jesus, but it wasn't until November 21, 2004 that he gave his life to the Lord. It was during a revival service that he realized his need of Christ in his life. In the years following his salvation Brian ran as far and as fast as he could from the Lord, but the Lord continued to call Brian. In October of 2009, someone took a chance on Brian. He was asked to teach youth group for a few weeks while the other leaders would be out of town. It was then that the Lord got a firm hold on Brian and his heart. Brian decided to quit running and fighting the Lord. He became very faithful in his attendance at church and began to really grow in his personal relationship with the Lord. In February 2010, Brian surrendered to the ministry. He realized that the Lord had a special job for him to do and it was time to quit fighting the call the Lord had for him in his life. Brian is currently enrolled in FBI and hopes to continue on to seminary.
Brian is also a blessed family man. He married his bestfriend and soulmate on July 27, 2002. He and his wife Melinda have 4 children. They have 2 daughters and 2 sons. Maelea is 7 and Addyson is 5. Their sons are Jacob, who is 3 and Nathan, is 6 months. In his freetime you can usually find Brian working out in the garage. He enjoys building or rebuilding old cars and has recently become interested in motorcycles. Brian's day job is working as an HVAC technician. He does his best to use his job as an HVAC tech. as a way to minister to others and serve the Lord.
Missionary to Ireland, Dan Piper
Danny D. Piper was born November 8, 1956 in Columbus Indiana. The son of Ernest A. Piper and Annie Mae Piper. He was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. Even though raised in this environment, he believes he still put several gray hairs on his parents head as a youth. He met my future wife Melvina E. Baker (Piper) in 1977 and was married on February 18, 1978. They have two children, a daughter Heather Ann and a son Danny Jr. Their daughter who gave her heart and soul to the Lord at the age of 8 was taken from them in one person car wreck at the age of 17. It was at this time that Dan realized that he had been living a pretend Christian life for many years and asked the Lord to forgive him of my sins and save his soul just two months after their daughter’s death. His wife rededicated her life to the Lord when she was 37 and has always been a major part of their Christian household. Their son Danny was saved at the age 7.
After receiving the Lord in his heart, the Lord made a major change in the direction of Dan's life. Dan dedicated his life to do whatever the Lord desired of him and shortly afterward Dan surrendered to the mission building ministry to build churches, seminaries, parsonages, and youth camps over the United States during the next 9 years. God used Dan's previous 26 plus years experience in building homes, schools, motels, condominiums and many other projects in a great way to help building in His kingdom. During their travels in the building ministry, God laid a burden on his heart to preach His Word and not long after that a desire to be a Missionary to Scotland.
God closed the door for them to go Scotland along with many other missionaries. But God always opens a door when He closes one, and He has opened the door for them to reach the country of Ireland at this time. Dan is a graduate of Faith Bible Institute in Monroe Louisiana and is soon to finish his studies at Cumberland Baptist Institute in Somerset, Kentucky.
Our Plans for the Future
We believe that God has a plan for our church to reach the comminity of Columbus and the entire world with the Gospel of Christ. We also believe that the return of our Lord and Savior is very near and that time is short to reach this generation with the Message of Salvation. This is the heartbeat of our church and is summed up in our church logo: "A Heart for Serving God and for Serving Others." The way we serve others is a direct reflection on the way we are serving God. We invite you to help us serve others by sharing the life changing message of the Gospel with each and everyone we meet.
What We Believe
We invite you to study the Word of God as you examine our Church Doctrinal Statement and our Church Bylaws listed in our Church Constitution below.