Reaching our community for Christ and shining a light in a dark world
Ten Mile Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1873, a time when many Baptist congregations were forming throughout the Southern United States.The church was born out of the desire of local residents to have a place of worship that adhered to the principles of the Missionary Baptist tradition, which emphasized evangelism, missionary work, and the authority of the local congregation.
The church's name, "Ten Mile," is believed to reference a nearby geographical landmark, likely Ten Mile Creek, which runs through the area. This was a common practice at the time, as churches often took their names from local features or nearby settlements. The early congregation was small, consisting of local farmers, laborers, and their families, who were committed to building a spiritual home for themselves and future generations.
Today, Ten Mile Missionary Baptist Church remains a vibrant part of Lonsdale, with a congregation that spans multiple generations. The church's history is a testament to the enduring power of faith and community, illustrating how a small rural congregation can survive and thrive through the decades.
As the church looks to the future, it continues to focus on its mission of spreading the gospel and serving the needs of its community. With a rich history behind it and a strong sense of purpose, Ten Mile Missionary Baptist Church is well-positioned to continue its legacy for many years to come.
Dr. Rick Grant
Senior Pastor
Rick was born in San Francisco in 1957. He was raised in Saline County; graduating from Bauxite High School in 1975. Rick owned and operated a small business until February, 1987, when he was asked to join the staff of First Baptist Church, Benton. Over the years Rick has held various ministry positions at First Baptist Church; which included serving as the Senior Pastor from 1999 until the spring of 2024.
While serving at First Baptist, Rick earned degrees from Ouachita Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Seminary.
Rick met his wife Susan while in junior high and they married right after high school.
They have been married for 47 years and are proud parents to three grown children and seven really incredible grandchildren.
Rick began serving Ten Mile Church in May of 2024.
Bro. Tony Phifer
Youth Pastor
I was born in Benton, Arkansas, and have lived in Saline County all of my life. Ramona, my wife, and I grew up in Sharon Missionary Baptist Church.
I started Seminary in Little Rock in 1977 taking Music and Bible classes. We were married in June 1979. We accepted the call to Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Traskwood in February of 1979 where we served until August 1983.
The last Sunday in August 1983 was our first Sunday at Ten Mile as Music and Youth director. We still love working with the youth and leading the music portion of our worship. Ten Mile is not only our church home but Family!
Deacons: Eddie Warford, Mike Otts
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GodWe believe there is one and only one living and true God, the creator and sustainer of all things visible and invisible, infinite in holiness and all His perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in divine perfection and without division of nature, essence, or being, yet executing distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. To God we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. (Gen 1:1, 26; Deut 6:4; Matt 3:16-17; 28:19; John 1:1, 3; 4:24; 2 Cor 13:14; Col 1:16-17; 1 Tim 1:17)
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LoveWe believe that love for one another as Jesus loves the believer manifests our discipleship, proves our love for God and symbolizes our authority as New Testament churches. Love is therefore the great commandment of the LORD Jesus Christ upon which all others are dependent (Matt. 22:35-40; John 13:34, 35; John 15:12; 1 John 4:7-21; 1 John 5:1-3; Rev. 2:4-5).
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God's WordWe believe in the complete verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the whole Bible as originally written, and that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice (Psalm 119:160; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17).
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SalvationWe believe that salvation is wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the requisites to it are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 13:3-5; John 3:16-18; Acts 20:21; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8, 9), and that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer (John 3:6; John 16:8, 9; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Eph. 4:30; Titus 3:5). We believe that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish (John 3:16, John 3:36; John 5:24; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:35-39; Heb. 10:39; 1 Peter 1:5).
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Jesus ChristWe believe in the bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ and the bodily resurrection of His saints (Matt. 28:1-7; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:42-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). We believe in the premillennial, personal, bodily return of Christ as the crowning event of the Gentile age. This event will include the resurrection of the righteous, and the Millennium will be followed by the resurrection of the unrighteous unto eternal punishment in the lake of fire and that the righteous shall enter into the heaven age (John 14:1-6; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19; Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 20:11-15; Rev. 21:8).
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The ChurchWe believe that Jesus Christ established His first church during His ministry on earth (Matt. 4:18-22; Matt. 16:18). We believe that His churches today are those local, visible assemblies of scripturally baptized believers in covenant relationship to carry out the Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that each church is an independent, self-governing body, and no other ecclesiastical body may exercise authority over it. We believe that Jesus Christ gave the Great Commission to His churches only, and that He promised the perpetuity of His churches (Matt. 4:18-22; Matt. 16:18; Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 1:14-20; John 1:35-51; Eph. 3:21). We believe that there are two divinely appointed offices in a church, pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose qualifications are set forth in Titus and 1 Timothy.
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Baptism/Lord's SupperWe believe that there are two pictorial ordinances in the Lord’s churches: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Scriptural baptism is the immersion of penitent believers in water, administered by the authority of a New Testament church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial ordinance, restricted to the members of the church observing the ordinance (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 8:12, 38; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 5:11-13; 1 Cor. 11:1, 2, 17-20, 26).
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Spiritual GiftsWe believe that the miraculous spiritual manifestation gifts were done away when the Bible was completed. Faith, hope, and love are the vital abiding Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor. Chapters 12-14).