Oceanside Community Church, a Southern Baptist church, was born in a garage in Satellite Beach in May 1957. Over the years the church has faithfully maintained an evangelical Christian witness in our community in keeping with our current theme: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32. In keeping with the Great Commission, we are committed to making disciples, evangelizing the unreached, and teaching Christians to obey everything Christ has commanded.
If you’re looking for a place for a new beginning with God, if you’re looking to move beyond your past, if you’re looking for a place to belong . . . . Welcome home!
Our Vision
Being fully committed to the proposition that Jesus Christ is the only hope for the world, and believing Southern Baptists are yearning for spiritual renewal and Christ-centered living, and recognizing the challenge of Jesus to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we, the undersigned Southern Baptist denominational leaders, covenant with each other and every willing Southern Baptist, under God,
– To make the kingdom of God the priority in our own personal lives.
– To dedicate the energies and resources of the ministries we lead to seeking first
the King and His kingdom.
– To cooperate with each other and the family of Southern Baptists as we pursue kingdom principles and practices.
– To give ourselves to servant leadership that will assist and enable local churches
in their ministry.
– To pray that a new passion for Jesus breaks out among our people, our families, and our churches from which God can forge a spiritual movement marked by holy living, sacrificial service, and global witness.
– To this end we affirm Empowering Kingdom Growth as a call for Southern Baptists to seek first the King and His kingdom.
Our Team
Dr. Charles Ross Rowland III, Pastor
After graduating from Southwestern College in Memphis, TN, with a BA in biology, Ross entered active duty military service in the United States Air Force. After completing pilot training, he was assigned to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, CA. During his service as a pilot in the KC-135 air refueling aircraft and as an executive officer, he became increasingly involved in teaching at a local baptist church which led inevitably to the decision in 1979 to separate from the Air Force in order to prepare for full time Christian service. He chose to attend Dallas Theological Seminary(DTS), primarily because of the emphasis on the Bible in the basic curriculum as well as the strong emphasis on the original languages, requiring three years of Greek and two years of Hebrew for the ThM degree in Bible exposition. After four years of intense full time study, Pastor Ross received a Master of Theology degree in Bible Exposition.
During his seminary days, Dr. Rowland was actively involved in ministry. After graduating from DTS in 1983, he and his young family returned to Chattanooga to take a position at a large Southern Baptist church as Minister to Youth and Young Adults. Once again God intervened and led Ross back into the USAF as a Chaplain. Ross accepted the Chaplaincy appointment when he realized that his unusual background as a pilot-chaplain would open many doors of ministry in the Air Force. His multi-faceted ministry at five different bases included two assignments as Senior Protestant Chaplain and one as the Installation Staff Chaplain, affording him a wealth of pastoral experience.
In the spring of 1996, Chaplain Rowland was chosen for promotion to Lt. Colonel, but after much searching for God’s will in his life, he decided to decline the promotion and accepted a call to Oceanside Community Church as Senior Pastor. With the support and encouragement of the congregation, Pastor Rowland received his Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral ministry from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN, on May 13, 2005. Dr. Rowland is the longest serving pastor in the history of the church.
Our Beliefs
1. The Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original text.
2. In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, he is now our High Priest and Advocate.
4. That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.
5. That man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost, and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
6. That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and, thus, become children of God.
7. That water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as a means of salvation.
8. That the true Church is composed of all such persons who through the saving faith of Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He is the head.
9. That only those who are members of the Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church.
10. That Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the church and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs.
11. In the personal pre-millennial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
12. In the bodily resurrection of the dead: of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.
