Who We Are
CELEBRATE
in worship
CONNECT
to His Word
COMMUNITY
group life
CAUSE
live for a cause
Meet the Pastor
Rick Thompson has served as our Senior Pastor since May 2003. Pastor Rick grew up in Bethany and graduated from Putnam City West High School in 1979. He holds degrees from both Baylor University (BBA) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDIV). He completed his doctoral work (DMIN) at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, with a concentration in church missiology. He and his wife, Teri, have two adult children, Taylor and Tallie, along with daughter-in-law, Ailee, and their children, Indiana, Fleetwood and Snow. They also have a son-in-law, Mikal, who is married to Tallie, and they have a son named Torin.
Rick has authored the following books: The Long Expected Jesus, The Way of the Cross, Radical Growth, Into the Land He Possessed, The Healthy Church, First Comes Love and Rooted Growth. He is passionate about the global church and serves as president of Global Action, an international missions organization that specializes in equipping pastors and leaders in the developing world.
What are we teaching this year?
This year, we are committed to make the Gospel the central theme in our lives. We are excited to work through our 24 essential doctrines, disciplines and virtues that flow from the truth of the Gospel. We know that the Gospel and these 24 essentials will maintain Council Road biblical fidelity long into the future and push back darkness in our neighborhoods and cities. Throughout our study, we will cover four major topics:
Book one will give light to the Gospel, and how it is the lens in which we read the Bible, see the world and see ourselves. We will see how the grand narrative of Scripture, and the heart of discipleship are rooted in Christ’s sacrificial life and death.
Book two will cover Eight Essential Doctrines. Our goal is to be planted deep in the truth of God’s word so that when we see or hear something contrary to the truth, we can not only name it but also give a better, biblical answer.
Book three will cover the Eight Essential Disciplines that we see in Scripture. After this book, we hope that the disciplines of God don’t seem like a burden to carry but rather a delight in which to indulge.
Book four Covers the Eight Essential Virtues we hold fast to as a church. These virtues are the fruits of the Spirit.
Every member in a group. Every group on mission.
Groups
We encourage you to find a Connection Group as soon as you can. In our Connection Groups (Sunday mornings) and Home Groups, our people find how God has called us to live in community with each other. Our groups would love to meet and welcome you!
Meet our Staff!
Rick Thompson
Senior Pastor/Lead Elder
Clint Chamberlain
Outside-the-Walls Elder
Norman Behymer
Arts Team Elder
Abraham Wright
Spiritual Formation Elder/Teaching Pastor
Michael McAfee
Elder/Teaching Pastor
Spiritual Formation Team
Kim Moorehead
Spiritual Formation Team Coordinator
Merritt Suenram
Young Adult Minister
Dondra Lonsdale
Minister to Preschool
Tyler Koonce
Minister of Administration
Vickey Banks
Women’s Minister
Bonnie Cannon
Children’s Director
Willie Keys
Senior Adult Minister
Tina Prichard
Senior Adult Ministry Assistant
Inside-The-Walls Team
Sarah Sutton
Assistant to the Senior Pastor
Mark Lyle
Director of Properties
Lindy Aaron
Receptionist
Susan Manning
Controller
Susan Roberts
Director of Food Services
Outside-The-Walls Team
Ali Hunt
Outside-the-Walls Team Coordinator
Carisa Wilsie
Director of Orphan Care Ministries
Luke McConnell
CUBE Director
Stacy Neuschaefer
Missions Director
Ricky Zeznanski
Director of Recovery Ministries
Arts Team
Eric Wall
Worship Minister
Becca Walker
Worship/Ministry Strategy Coordinator
Jordan Lovick
Production Director
Kyle Tooley
Technical Director
What We Believe
Council Road Statement of Faith Highlights:
The Nature of Scripture
We believe the Bible is God’s Word and has ultimate authority in our beliefs and actions. We believe that the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the infallible Word of God, verbally inspired by God, and without error in the original manuscripts; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
(Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 2 Peter 1:21, Isaiah 8:20)
The Nature of God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is YAHWEH (the Lord), the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the three in One; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
(Isaiah 44:6, 1 Samuel 2:2, John 4:24, Psalm 89:14, Psalm 147:5, James 1:17, Revelation 4:8, Numbers 23:19-20, Matthew 28:19, John 1:1, John 10:30, Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 4:4-6, Luke 3:21-22, Galatians 4:4-6, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:3, John 15:26)