Riverside Baptist Church

Riverside Church at Park and King
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
30°18′37″N 81°41′35″W / 30.31028°N 81.69306°W / 30.31028; -81.69306
Built	1926
Architect	Addison Mizner
Architectural style	Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP reference No.	72000312[1]
Added to NRHP	September 22, 1972

Riverside Church at Park and King, formerly known as Riverside Baptist Church, is a predominantly Baptist ecumenical congregation located in Jacksonville, Florida, at 2650 Park Street in the Riverside neighborhood. It is affiliated with the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Alliance of Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

History

Designed by architect Addison Mizner and completed in 1926, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1972. On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.^[2]

Theology

Riverside Church at Park and King is a progressive ecumenical Church in the Baptist tradition, serving a small but diverse congregation. According to the church website, the congregation is "an inclusive, open and affirming community of believers without regard for race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, gender, or disability, all with a diversity of gifts and experiences united under the Lordship of Jesus Christ."^[3] It is associated with the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. As a progressive Baptist church, Riverside welcomes women and LGBTQIA+ people to serve as pastors and deacons, appointing its first openly transgender deacon in November of 2022. The church is fully welcoming to LGBTQIA+ members. Riverside Baptist Church is a partner church with the Alliance of Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Conflict with the Florida Baptist Convention

In 2009, Dr. John Sullivan, executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention, requested a meeting with Riverside's pastor at that time, Rev. David Holladay. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss Riverside's acceptance of LGBTQ people. Riverside accepts homosexuality as a legitimate God-given identity, while the Florida Baptist Convention defines it as sinful. The meeting ended with the two parties agreeing to disagree. Riverside Baptist Church no longer identifies itself as a Southern Baptist-affiliated church.^[4]

The Building

The sanctuary combines Romanesque, Byzantine, and Spanish elements, and is a splendid example of what is colloquially called the "Florida Spanish" style. It is one and a half stories, limestone with gabled and hipped tile roof sections, a double-door entrance beneath compound round arch, and sculptured tympanum. The design is believed to be Mizner's only religious structure. The radical nature of the design caused the loss of some members after its completion.^[5]

References

External links

Buildings and
structures

Bridges	Acosta Bridge Buckman Bridge Dames Point Bridge Fuller Warren Bridge Hart Bridge Main Street Bridge Mathews Bridge
Entertainment venues	Cinemas Sun-Ray Cinema Sports venues 121 Financial Ballpark Florida Yacht Club Hodges Stadium Jacksonville Equestrian Center Swisher Gymnasium EverBank Stadium TPC at Sawgrass UNF Arena VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena World Golf Village Theatres Alhambra Dinner Theatre Florida Theatre Ritz Theatre Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts Theatre Jacksonville UNF Fine Arts Center Other Freebird Live Metropolitan Park Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center
Government	Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse City Hall City Hall Annex County Courthouse Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Jacksonville Branch Main Library Old City Hall Annex
Museums	Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens Jacksonville Fire Museum Jacksonville Maritime Museum Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum LaVilla Museum Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville Museum of Science and History Norman Studios Silent Film Museum
Places of worship	The Bethel Church Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Mount Zion AME Church Riverside Baptist Church St. John's Cathedral St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Retailing	Outdoor shopping centers Jacksonville Landing Gateway Town Center Shoppes of Avondale River City Marketplace St. Johns Town Center Indoor shopping centers Orange Park Mall Regency Square Mall The Avenues
Historic	11 East Forsyth 310 West Church Street Apartments Brewster Hospital The Carling Dyal-Upchurch Building Edwin M. Stanton School Elks Club Building El Modelo Block Epping Forest Evergreen Cemetery Greenleaf & Crosby Building Kingsley Plantation Laura Street Trio Henry John Klutho House Marabanong Masonic Temple Morocco Temple Old City Cemetery Ribault Inn Club Schultz Building Old St. Andrew's Title & Trust Company of Florida Building
Skyscrapers	121 Atlantic Place Barnett National Bank Building Bank of America Tower CSX Transportation Building Eight Forty One One Enterprise Center Riverplace Tower VyStar Tower TIAA Bank Center Two Prudential Plaza Wells Fargo Center
Military	Blount Island Command Jacksonville National Cemetery Naval Air Station Cecil Field Naval Air Station Jacksonville Naval Station Mayport Veterans Memorial Wall
Transport	Cecil Airport Jacksonville International Airport Jacksonville Terminal Complex Jacksonville station JAXPORT Cruise Terminal Rosa Parks Transit Station
Other	Cecil Commerce Center Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Jessie Ball duPont Center Laura Street Trio Midtown Centre Palm and Cycad Arboretum St. Johns Light Tree Hill Nature Center

Parks

State and Federal

Amelia Island State Park Anastasia State Park Big Talbot Island State Park Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Fort Caroline National Memorial Fort Clinch State Park Fort George Island Cultural State Park Fort Matanzas National Monument George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier Kingsley Plantation Little Talbot Island State Park Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park

City

Hanna Park Klutho Park Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail Memorial Park Riverside Park Springfield Park (formerly Confederate Park) Treaty Oak

Squares and
public spacesStreets