On October18, 1992 a determined group of Christians met in the home of Rev. and Sis. Ronald H. Vail Sr. They came together as a body of believers with faith that God was leading them to begin a new work. Four weeks later the Bible Way Baptist Mission was formed under the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association.
Bible Way’s first church sponsor was the Pine Lawn Glen Echo Baptist Church and the final sponsor was Greater Fellowship Baptist Church. Bible Way worshipped as a Mission at the Brentwood Community Center for two years. On September 27, 1994 with 35 members Bible Way Mission became a duly constituted church.
God blessed the church with a new place to worship and in May 1995 Bible Way began worshipping at 7800 Groby Rd in University City, MO and stayed at that location for 24 years. Dr. Ronald H. Vail was Senior Pastor of Bible Way Baptist Church until he was called home to be with the Lord on July 19, 2004.
Approximately fifteen months after the passing of its founding pastor, Bible Way Baptist Church called it’s second pastor, Rev. Nathan C. Strachan. Rev. Strachan preached his first sermon as senior pastor of Bible Way Baptist Church on Sunday, October 9, 2005 and was installed on November 27, 1994.
Under Pastor Strachan’s leadership Bible Way Baptist Church voted on a new church structure, revised the church’s Bylaws and Constitution, and renewed it’s commitment in being a church family centered in God’s will to meet the needs of it’s members and the community of nonbelievers that need to be won for Christ.
Divinely inspired, Pastor Strachan initiated the expansion of the church mission statement to read:
With these goals in mind Pastor Strachan lead Bible Way to establish a Church Leadership Team made up of 7 Purpose Teams defined as: Evangelism, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, Worship, Site, and Administrative. In the fulfillment of the Great Commission in Matthew28:18-20 and in obedience to the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37-39 the Church Leadership Team coordinates the ministries and work of the church as divinely inspired by God.
Pastor Strachan also established Christian Education classes required of all members. These classes are: Membership 101, Discipleship 201, Spiritual Gifts & Ministry 301, and Evangelism 401.
Bible Way Baptist Church left its location on Groby Rd in December 2019 after worshipping there for 24 years. Bible Way began sharing a church building with the First Baptist Church of St. Ann in St. Ann, MO. We share the church building and have separate worship services but the two churches share a love for Christ and doing His will.
We are excited in the Lord about His work within our church walls and the work He is doing through our church in the community and the world.
“We are to be family centered in God’s will devoted to developing Christian relationships for reaching the community, the state, and the world for Christ. This will be achieved by leading people to Christ (EVANGELISM), and into our church family (FELLOWSHIP), developing in them Christian maturity (DISCIPLESHIP), and equipping them for Christ-like service in the church and in the world (MINISTRY) so that God will be honored (WORSHIP).”
