Get to Know Central
At Central, we seek to become a faith community that embraces God’s profound love for all creation, demonstrates the life of Jesus, and depends upon the Spirit to fuel change in us and the world.
Who We Are
At Our Core:
Love
Our deepest call is to love.
Community
Inspired by God’s love and our call to love, we form beloved community.
Jesus
Our life together in beloved community is centered on Jesus.
Inclusivity
Jesus calls us to become more inclusive
Justice
Jesus and the prophets call us to God’s justice.
Our Baptist Identity
AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US
Baptist churches are autonomous, meaning they believe, worship, serve, and fellowship as they so choose, as led by the Spirit of Christ, and each is governed solely by its members.
As a Baptist congregation, being led by God’s Spirit, we believe in our church’s ability to practice our faith as we so choose, without the imposition or interference of any outside institution or organization. We hold tightly to our autonomy because of our adherence to the four specific freedoms of Baptist congregations.
Bible Freedom
Christians, with the best and most scholarly tools of inquiry, are both free and obligated to study and obey the Scripture. Each person has the privilege of personal interpretation of the Bible and the responsibility of working at determining what it means.
Soul Freedom
Every person has the right and responsibility to deal with God without the imposition of creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government.
Church Freedom
Local churches are free to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whom they perceive as gifted for ministry, and to participate in the larger Body of Christ, of whose unity and mission Baptists are proudly a part.
Religious Freedom
All people should be granted freedom of religion, freedom for religion, and freedom from religion, insisting that Caesar (worldly figures of power and authority in today’s language) are not Christ and Christ is not Caesar.
Holding to these four freedoms, we govern ourselves and have no institution or organization that determines how we operate. While independent, we recognize we can best practice our faith while in partnership with others beyond our own congregation. So, we are members of several larger organizations that allow us to do mission work in a larger context, serving both locally and globally.
Our Baptist Partnerships Include…
Middle District Baptist Association
Baptist General Association of Virginia
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia)
Baptist World Alliance
Meet our Team:
Rev. Justin Pierson
SENIOR PASTOR
B.S., Virginia Tech, M.Div., Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Th.M., Union Presbyterian Seminary
Originally from Roanoke, VA, Justin now considers Richmond home. After serving in a congregation in Europe, he came to Richmond to attend seminary and received a Master of Divinity as well as a Masters of Theology. Following seminary, he did a Pastoral Residency at Richmond’s First Baptist Church and then joined the staff at Central Baptist in 2022 as the Associate Minister for Families and Mission. Following three fruitful years as an Associate Pastor, he was called to be Central’s Senior Pastor in 2025. Justin’s ministerial interests revolve around the intersections of faith, culture, and justice, particularly as they relate to Christianity. Alongside his wife and son, Justin enjoys traveling, cooking, music, the perfect cup of coffee, and anything happening outdoors.
Rev. Julie Marshall
MINISTER OF VISITATIONM.Div., Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
Chaplain Julie Marshall is Certified Clinical Chaplain at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System (Richmond VA). She is a native of Chesterfield County. Prior to going into the ministry, Julie worked as a legal assistant for almost 30 years. Julie attended the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and graduated with a Master of Divinity Degree in 2016 and was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel at Central Baptist Church in Chesterfield, Virginia in 2017. She completed five units of Clinic Pastoral Care education at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and was hired as a staff chaplain in the fall of 2018. Julie served as a part-time pastor at Bagby Memorial Baptist Church in Burkeville, Virginia from 2018-2020. Julie is a widow and has four grown children and two young granddaughters. She enjoys reading, dancing, playing board games, and spending time with family and friends.
Rev. John White
ASSOCIATE PASTOR FOR WORSHIP AND PASTORAL CARE
B.A. Newberry College; M.C.M., D.M.M. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Rev. Dr. White joined the Central staff in 2022. Before coming to Central John has served Third Church, Richmond, VA; St. Matthews Baptist, Louisville, KY; First Baptist, Marietta, GA; Brushy Creek Baptist, Taylors, SC and Alice Drive Baptist, Sumter, SC. He is married to Marilee Abel White who serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. They have a daughter and three sons. John’s interests include golf, Braves Baseball and college sports.
Rev. Whitley Griffin
OFFICE ADMINISTRATORB.S.W., James Madison University; Minor in Criminal Justice; Ordained Minister
Whitley graduated from James Madison University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Social Work and a minor in Criminal Justice, a foundation that shaped her passion for serving people with compassion, organization, and care. Whitley became an ordained minister two years ago, a calling that deepened her desire to support and uplift others in both practical and spiritual ways.
Whitley joined Central Baptist Church in February 2024 as the Office Administrator, where she enjoys helping our ministries run smoothly, supporting our staff and members, and contributing to a church family that reflects God’s goodness every day.
Outside of work, she’s a major foodie who loves trying new restaurants and enjoying great meals any chance she gets. She also loves relaxing with a good movie—whether it’s a new release or an old favorite. Through every season, she says she is grateful for the journey God has her on. God is good!
Tori Smith
DIRECTOR OF THE RUBY CASHION PRESCHOOL 
Tori started working at Central Baptist Preschool in 2019 as a teacher’s assistant. She then moved up to a lead teacher role in one of our four-year-old classrooms. She graduated in 2018 from American Military University with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. She enjoys watching the children grow and develop as they go through the learning process. She lives in Chesterfield with her husband, three kids, and two dogs. Most of her free time is spent at a sports field watching one of her kids play sports, whether it is baseball, softball, or soccer. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her family outside or watching movies.
Worship With Us
During worship at Central, we listen for God’s Spirit to help fuel change in us and the world so that we can join together in God’s mission to love and redeem all of creation.
Sunday Morning Schedule
9:30am – Sunday School (all ages)
10:30am – Coffee Break
11:00am – Worship (childcare available for infants through preschool)
5:00pm – Table Talk (middle & high school students)
Practically,
We worship together through singing, praying, reading Scripture, giving offerings, listening, sharing, and participating in other liturgies. These various ways of worshiping are meant to instruct us how to live, inspire us to love others, and help us reflect on where God may be calling us.
We follow the seasons of the Christian year and typically (though not always) follow the Scriptures identified through the Revised Common Lectionary. While our service is more traditional in form, you will find that our leadership, participation, and environment are relaxed and informal.
Children are welcome in all parts of worship and are invited to participate in ways that are specifically appropriate for them. They are free to make noise, to leave their seats, and to participate in any way they feel led. On the front row of the sanctuary, you will find our Children’s Prayground, a space designed specifically for our children to participate in worship, with coloring sheets, craft supplies, and musical instruments, all of which go along with our worship themes for the day. Although not required, children are invited to Children’s Church during the sermon.