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“What Mean These Stones?”

In the book of Joshua, after God led His people safely across the Jordan River, He told them to take twelve stones from the riverbed and stack them as a memorial. When future generations would see them and ask, “What mean these stones?” the people were to tell the story of what God had done. Those stones testified about God’s faithfulness through generations. 

That’s what Riverside is for us today. These walls, this fellowship, and this story… each one is a stone of remembrance declaring, “The Lord has been faithful.”

The Day of Small Things 

In May of 1943, a substitute school bus driver named Theodore Thrift asked another driver and preacher, Lynnwood Little, to come to the Riverside community and preach one Sunday afternoon. Reverend Little accepted. Theodore then turned to his brother and neighbor, Quincy Thrift, and asked if the service could be held at his home.

There was a hunger for God, but there wasn’t yet a church in the Riverside community. So that following Sunday, neighbors gathered on a front porch to worship, pray, and hear the preaching of God’s Word. With a simple step of faith, a vision for the future, and the favor of God, a church was born.

By the first Sunday in July 1943, they began meeting outdoors in a spot known as the Old Barnard Field, owned by Dave Thrift, another of the Thrift brothers. The congregation built benches from pine logs and rough lumber, hauled by mules from nearby land. A twelve-inch board nailed to a post served as the pulpit. When rain came, the people simply gathered in nearby homes. Week after week, God provided exactly what was needed.

“For who hath despised the day of small things?” — Zechariah 4:10

What began as a porch gathering and a few mules’ worth of lumber was already a testimony: God is faithful.

A House for Worship

When the cold weather came, the small congregation decided it was time to build a meeting house. There was just $16.00 in the treasury, but faith doesn’t wait for a surplus. Louis Thrift, a fourth brother, donated a piece of land, and neighbors came together to build a small frame building, which was completed in February 1944.

It wasn’t long before more space was needed, and the building was enlarged. Reverend Hughie Dixon began preaching every third Sunday, and during this time Miss Theo Wainwright became the first convert to receive Christ in the new church. She was given the honor of naming it – Riverside. That clapboard building was a testimony: God is faithful.

Roots That Grew

Riverside held its first revival September 16–23, 1945. At the close of the meeting, twelve people joined by letter from Winokur Baptist, becoming the first charter members: Quincy and Essie Thrift, Louis and Louisa Thrift, Wina Thrift, Paul Thrift, Jeanette Thrift, Alta Johns, Venera Smith, Elsie Wainright, Allie Wainright, and Winona Thrift.

In October 1947, Reverend Hughie Dixon became Riverside’s first official pastor, and three deacons were set aside: Louis Thrift, Pete Thrift, and R.I. McDuffie, who would be ordained November 16,1947.

Faith led to more growth. In 1952, members decided to construct a new block building, pledging over $500 to begin. Work started in 1953, and the old building was divided into Sunday School rooms. Men from the congregation (brick masons, carpenters, and laborers) all worked side by side, offering their skills for the glory of God. That block building was a testimony: God is faithful.

Seasons of Blessing

In the 1970s, under Reverend T.N. “Pete” Thrift, Riverside experienced remarkable growth. An addition was built onto the front of the church, and new pews filled quickly as the community gathered to hear the Word of God.

In 1996, the church purchased 13 additional acres, preparing for future ministry. In 2001, part of that land was set aside as a church cemetery, and on July 17, 2001, Deacon Joe Bass was the first to be laid to rest there.

By 2002, the congregation had once again outgrown the sanctuary. Ground was broken for a new building on October 22, 2002, during Reverend Randy Wainwright’s fourth year as pastor. The new sanctuary was dedicated on October 19, 2003, and the original building was renovated into a social hall.

In October 2006, through the sacrificial efforts of God’s people and with God’s blessing, the sanctuary was completely paid off. This building is a testimony: God is faithful.

Still Building, Still Believing

In July of 2023, Riverside called Tom Kennedy to pastor. A man with Brantley County roots who was living in Oklahoma. God continues to grow Riverside. Young families have stepped up to serve and teach. Our Wednesday Night Youth Ministries grew to the point where we had to knock down walls, and then they grew more. 

The message remains unchanged. God continues to save, grow, and use a people for His glory, and He’s not done yet… Faith, dreams, determination, and a hunger for God drives us forward. Our past gives us a foundation for our future.

From a handful of believers with sixteen dollars and pine logs to a vibrant, living congregation, Riverside Chapel Baptist Church stands as a reminder of what God can do through ordinary people who simply believe Him.

Through the generations, God has built more than buildings. He has built lives, families, and a testimony that still shines bright in this community. Those who came before us gave their time, talents, and devotion to God, and their faith continues to bear fruit. We give thanks for their example, and we give glory to the God who has never stopped working among His people.

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” — Psalm 127:1

And if the generations to come should ask, “What mean these stones?”, we will gladly tell them: God has been faithful, He still is, and He always will be.