In 1773, a small group of dedicated Christians founded Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, the first Baptist church in Albemarle County. Since then, eleven generations of members have worked to carry out God's mission and to bring us the church we have today.

We continue their efforts today in our daily lives, and we welcome you to learn more about us!

What it Means to be a Baptist

As Baptists, we believe in the basic tenets of Christianity: the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His divinity, and the concept of our personal salvation through Him.

We also believe that the essence of Christianity is love - the love of God for us, and the imperative that we each love one another.

As individuals, we strive to follow this imperative in our personal lives. As a church family, we work hard to maintain a warm and welcoming atmosphere at Chestnut Grove.

We also are working to increase our service to those in need, whether in our own community or in other countries. In addition to participating in mission trips to Brazil and Barbados, our members bring to the residents of Evergreene Nursing Home in Stanardsville a weekly service of worship, song, and prayer.

"Free and Faithful"

These two words express the essence of being a Baptist - we are all free, under the lordship of Jesus Christ; we all are free, within a community of the faithful.

The four basic freedoms that Baptists hold dear are:

Bible Freedom: The Bible - under the lordship of Christ - must be central in the lives of His followers, who are both free and obligated to study and follow the Scriptures.

Soul Freedom: Every person has the right and responsibility to deal with God directly and personally, without intervention by any other party.

Church Freedom: Local churches are free to determine their membership and their leadership. They may ordain anyone, male or female, whom they consider gifted for ministry. Local churches are not subject to the dictates of any other organization, state or national.

Religious Freedom: We affirm the historic right to freedom of religion, freedom for religion, and freedom from religion. Caesar is not Christ, and Christ is not Caesar.

Heritage and Hope

Over the past four years our church has grown along with Earlysville and Albemarle County. Our worship attendance has increased by 60% and our Sunday School by nearly 50%.

Because of this growth, we are now on the threshold of beginning to build an educational facility behind our existing buidling. Our purpose in doing so is twofold: to expand our ministry to our own members and the community at large, and to provide greater access to families and their children.

The new building will be connected to our current facility and include two-stories with 12,000 square feet. The main floor will contain eight classrooms for children from infancy to sixth grade. The second floor will include a large fellowship hall, which will be able to seat 250 for meals or 430 in auditorium style.

We have a rich heritage of involvement and ministry in Earlysville, but we are even more excited about our future. We invite you to come and grow with us!