Mission Statement
We are a multi-cultural, English speaking body of believers in Christ. We are committed to obeying and glorifying God, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, growing together in His likeness, and reaching out to the community through Bible-centered worship, teaching, fellowship, evangelism, and service.
Rome Baptist Church today
We are an international evangelical church in the heart of Rome and our congregation is comprised of people from all over the world. We come from different nations and denominations yet we are one in the body of Christ.
Every Sunday, in addition to the International service which takes place at 10.30am, there is a service for the Filipino community in Tagalog at 1.00pm, and a service for the Chinese community in Mandarin at 4.00pm. Every first and third Sunday of the month there is also an African prayer and worship meeting at 12.30pm.
Although there are differing leadership teams for each of these, on the first Sunday of each month, Pastor Dave Hodgdon preaches (with simultaneous translation) at all three Sunday services: International, Filipino and Chinese.
Rome Baptist Church today is a thriving congregation. There is an activity every night of the week, and there is something for everyone to get involved in or help out. We welcome any new ideas. We have Bible studies, English language classes, a well-stocked library, music program and much more!
The beginning
Twelve people met in the worship room at Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina, 35 in Rome on 12th August 1962. This was the beginning of what is now the Rome Baptist Church (RBC). The church was formally organized on 10th March 1963 with 15 charter members. Reverend William C. Ruchti and his wife, Helen led the organizational efforts, missionaries sent to Rome by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Ruchtis served the church until June 1985 when they were replaced by Reverend Kenneth and Irene Lawson, who served until May 1998. For the next few years, we had the privilege of having several volunteer and missionary couples serve the church. The current pastor and wife are Reverend David and Cathy Hodgdon who arrived in April 2001 from Buena Vista, Colorado.
In September 2000 the church became independent of the International Mission Board and from then became a self-supporting independent church.
The church building
The church is located in a palazzo owned by the Italian Baptist Union (UCEBI). This building was once part of Palazzo Ruspoli, originally built in the 16th century. It is said that the site where the church now stands was once the stable for the Ruspoli family horses.
The building was purchased by the Foreign Mission Board in 1920, and deeded to the Italian Baptist Union in 1994. The space occupied by the church consists of a sanctuary on the ground floor that seats over 200;a Sunday School and meeting space on the second floor; and the pastor’s apartment on the third floor.
The piazza
Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina takes its name from the Catholic church that was originally built in the 5th century. Today, the square is closed to traffic and hosts various activities throughout the year, including the occasional “invasion” by the RBC congregation.
About the Bible
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired by God. It has God for its author, salvation for its end,and truth, without any mixture of error, for matter. The Bible is our “source book” for everything we do as a church.
About God
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
About man
Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God.
About Salvation
Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
About God’s purpose of grace
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies,sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
About the Church
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, observing the two ordinances of Christ, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord.
About baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
About the Lord’s Day
The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should include exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.
About The Kingdom
The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King.
About Last Things
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness.
About Evangelism and Missions
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
About Stewardship
God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others.
About Cooperation
Christ’s people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ’s Kingdom.