Parkland Baptist began meeting on Catalpa St. in the Parkland
neighborhood of Louisville in 1886. In 1966, the church was moved to
a new location in Okolona where it met in a school building until a
church building was built at our current location. Today, a new
church and ministry center are in the old Catalpa location and
Parkland still partners with and supports those ministries.
Throughout the history of our church, God has used Parkland to send
out many to full-time ministry as pastors, missionaries, and in
careers of all shapes and sorts. We are committed to the idea that
God has called our church to reach and make disciples for Christ.
Our Beliefs
At Parkland Baptist Church we believe in the autonomy of the local
church, meaning we make our own decisions regarding church
leadership, ministry decisions, and affiliations. We employ a
congregational style of church governance where each member has a
vote. Church members vote on the major decisions in the life of the
church in accordance with our bylaws. Every member has a vote and
all votes are counted equally. Our church has decided through the
years that we should have fellowship with other Baptists and we
partner together on the local, state, and national level. Locally,
we are a member of the Louisville Regional Baptist Association with
other Baptist churches in Louisville. On the state level, we are
affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Finally, on the
national level we are affiliated with the Southern Baptist
Convention. We affirm the Baptist Faith and Message (1963) as our
confession of faith.
Our Mission
Parkland Baptist Church exists to reach and make disciples for
Christ. Jesus commissioned all believers to, “Go and make disciples
of all nations.” (Mt. 28:19) In order to accomplish this goal, we
must reach out to those who do not know Christ and help believers
grow into maturity as a disciple, but what is a disciple?
We believe disciples:
Connect: Disciples of Jesus have a growing personal
relationship with God, His people, and His church.
Grow: Disciples hear God’s word and strive to obey what it
teaches.
Serve: Disciples give of their time, talents, and
resources to the Lord by serving their church and their
community.
Go: Disciples multiply by sharing the gospel with their
neighbors and with those around the world.
Chris Heading serves as Lead Pastor of Parkland Baptist Church. Prior to being called to this role in January 2020, he served on staff at Parkland as Discipleship and Family Minister. Chris is originally from Dayton, Ohio where he was introduced to Parkland through a youth mission trip to his home church. Chris and his wife Emma were married in 2013 and they have 2 children, Maggie and Deacon. He has earned a bachelor’s degree from Wright State University and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading good books, drinking good coffee, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.
Anthony serves as Parkland’s Discipleship and Missions Pastor. He is married to Gabby, and they have three children (Adalynn, Theo & Ellis). He received his bachelor’s degree from Liberty University and is currently working on his Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He enjoys homeschooling his children with Gabby, playing board games, reading classics, cooking good food, playing pickleball, and meeting new people. His desire is to see Parkland continue to grow in spiritual and emotional maturity, be a light to our community, and see the Lord send revival to Louisville.
Jason joined our Parkland staff in July of 2019. He is responsible for the Music and Children’s Ministries. Jason has served churches in New Mexico, Texas, and Tennessee before coming to Parkland. He grew up in the North Carolina mountains and graduated from East Tennessee State University. He and His wife Amy met in marching band and were married in 2004. Jason is passionate about worship and making sure that children are grounded in their faith.
Beth has been the Minister of Students and Activities at Parkland for over 20 years. Beth has a MBE from Eastern Kentucky University. When she is not with the students at Parkland, she teaches high school at Mercy Academy. She has been married to Craig for over 30 years and they have two children, Neal (Sara) and Emma Kate (Chris). They have 4 grandchildren, Maggie, Luke, Deacon and Nora. Beth feels her calling is to help youth establish and develop their relationship with Christ. She realizes that the activities of the church build community within the church.
Rhonda has been serving Parkland for over 30 years. She works with the membership program, all educational areas, events/activities and as a graphic designer for Parkland. She has an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Sullivan University and has received Ministry Assistant Certification and various Continuing Education Skillshops. She was awarded the Secretary Plus Award from LRBA. Rhonda has 3 daughters, Shannan (Michael), Deanna (Zach), and Molly (Cameron) and 5 grandchildren, Randi, Callie, Adalynn, Alivia, and Malachi.
Susann has been serving Parkland for over 10 years. She plans, prepares, and supervises the dinners, banquets, and fellowships that happen in our church. Her specialty is our weekly Wednesday night family supper. Susann received a diploma in Nursing from Kentucky Baptist Hospital in 1972. In 1989, she received an Associate Degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management from Sullivan University. She and husband, John, have 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren.
Our Services
We were created to worship God. At Parkland, worship is an expression of our love for God. To accomplish this goal, we have a variety of worship service each week where we gather to sing God’s praise, build community among believers, and worship through the preaching of God’s Word. For us, worship is like a buffet, there should be something for everyone, so we have a blended worship style. The songs we sing range from the old hymns of faith to the new choruses of praise and everything in between. Join us for service this week!
