Refuge Reformed Baptist Church Works to Spread God’s Gospel
Barnesville’s newest place of worship, Refuge Reformed Baptist Church, is working to build a faith community grounded in biblical teaching, discipleship and outreach.
The congregation’s formation gelled at the end of 2024, when pastor Rich Kendle shared his desire to start a church with Zach Thoenen, a fellow paster.
Kendle noted that families approached the pastors expressing a desire for a church specifically in Barnesville.
Thoenen introduced Kendle with father-and-son pastors, Mark and Jed Sirca, who also were feeling called to establish a congregation in the Barnesville area. The group continued meeting and found themselves consistently drawn back to Barnesville as the right location for the new church.
Shady Lane Event Center owner Trent Brownfield offered to rent the venue Sundays. The church officially launched in January this year.
Refuge Reformed Baptist Church, a congregation that formed in January, meets at 10 a.m. on Sundays at the Shady Lane Event Center, 94 Shady Ln. ©Barnesville Area News Company photo.
Refuge Reformed Baptist Church is led by four pastors, including Jed and Mark Sirca, Thoenen and Kendle, who share responsibility and rotate preaching for the group. Jed lives in Barnesville, Mark in Bethesda, Thoenen lives in Quaker City and Kendle resides in Neffs.
Beginning next month, on January 4, the plan is to add a Sunday school program at 9 a.m. in addition to the 10 a.m. worship service.
A typical Sunday service at Refuge includes a call to worship, announcements, praise music, prayer, catechism questions, the Lord’s Supper, Scripture reading, preaching and ends with a closing song and benediction. A nursery is offered, with children dismissed mid service. The first Sunday each month, a family luncheon follows worship.
Jed Sirca and Kendle said they sensed a need for another Christian church in Barnesville, one that balances faithfulness with intentional relationship building and outreach.
“We want a place with doctrine and teaching that conforms to the Word of God,” Jed said, “but also leaders who are intentional about discipling, meeting congregants, reaching those outside the community and emphasizing the unity and freedom the Gospel brings.”
“This is about having a local body with substance, but also a real desire to meet with those outside the church,” Jed said.
The church currently draws around 70–80 attendees each week including many young families. Jed said he hopes more older residents will join the congregation and share wisdom with younger members.
Thoenen suggested the name “refuge,” and Kendle said the meaning has deepened as the church has grown, noting that many have shared they feel at home there. Jed explained that “reformed” refers to theology rooted in the Protestant Reformation, emphasizing the sovereignty of God in life and salvation.
The pastors plan to continue growing their presence in the village through outreach. The church has already participated in the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival parade and hosted a community cookout with bounce houses at Barnesville Memorial Park.
“It’s going to be strictly grassroots with Barnesville,” Kendle said. “If people outside of Barnesville come, that’s great, but our heart is in the village.”
The church describes itself as mission-minded and hopes that as its congregation matures, it will eventually send missionaries out to serve others.
“We want to continue getting to know people and producing the unity and love that the Gospel brings,” Jed said. “But we also want to be intentional about how we can support Barnesville, get out into the community, and proclaim Christ in our area.”
Refuge Reformed Baptist Church of Barnesville may be found on Facebook.
Refuge Reformed Baptist Church, a congregation that first met in January, preaches scripture at the Shady Lane Event Center, a building that originally was home to another congregation ©Barnesville Area News Company photo.
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