Triangle Baptist Church

About Us

Triangle Baptist Church is a diverse and inclusive community of Christian believers who strive to grow in discipleship and deepen devotion to God. We seek to love God with heart and soul, mind and strength. We worship together in a spirit of reverence and celebration, study together with reflective faith, work together for mission, and honor the unique gifts of each human life.

A fellowship of free and faithful Baptists, we diligently participate in both local and global mission efforts. We support the work of the Raleigh Baptist Association and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and on a global basis, we support mission efforts through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

What We Believe

We strive to empower persons to discover their God-given gifts and then employ those gifts to serve Christ and others. We believe in the capacity of every individual to discern God’s voice through the reading of scripture, listening to God in prayer, and interacting with fellow believers. We celebrate diversity in the church and desire to nurture the image of God in all persons.

As free and faithful Baptists we believe evangelism and Christian service belong together, and that all God's people are called to engage in the ministry and mission of the church. The freedom of the individual as a priest before God coupled with the freedom of the church as priests to one another are at the heart of Triangle’s ministries. We cherish the marvelous heritage of Baptists as champions of religious liberty, the priesthood of believers, the authority of Scripture, and the autonomy of the local church. We invite you to join us on this journey!

Our History

Triangle Baptist Church was founded on August 1, 1995 with a vision of fulfilling God’s purpose for the church as stated in Jesus' Great Commission. Seven people met at the home of Kenneth and Naomi Perry, and the following week, with the help of the Raleigh Baptist Association, this small body of believers contacted others about planting a new church. These brothers and sisters in Christ continued to meet in one other’s homes for eighteen weeks with an average attendance of thirty-two people. After a vote to begin a new church, a committee was formed to search for a place to meet. On August 31, 1995 the members chose the name Triangle Baptist Church.

Within the next two months the church acquired a temporary meeting place at the McCullers Ruritan Club on Ten-Ten Road and called Dr. Thomas Bland to serve as founding pastor. The church’s early growth was evident in the ministries it began to establish: the formation of a choir, the organization of a Sunday school, and the adoption of a constitution and bylaws. On November 12, 1995 Triangle Baptist Church had its first Sunday with both Sunday school and worship led by Dr. Bland as pastor. On November 15, 1996 the congregation was incorporated as Triangle Baptist Church of Raleigh, N.C. On the same day a 6.23-acre lot was purchased at our present address, 9713 Old Stage Road. The church was received as a member of the Raleigh Baptist Association in October of 1997. The first Sunday school and worship services were held in the new building on February 18, 2001.

The church continues to partner with the Raleigh Baptist Association, the NC Baptist State Convention, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Triangle Baptist Church strives to be an instrument of hope for God in the community and world, endeavoring to live-up to its mission statement, “We open our hearts to God and our arms to others.

Meet Our Staff

Rev. Ronald B. Poythress

Ron Poythress came to Triangle Baptist Church on October 15, 2006. He received a B.A. in Religion from Campbell University (1978) and the M.Div. (1981) and Th.M. (1984) degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. While at Southern Seminary, Ron was a Garrett Teaching Fellow for the Department of Christian Preaching. Ron has several publications and in 1987 received the Norman W. Cox Award for the best article published by the Baptist History and Heritage Society (formally known as The Historical Commission). He currently serves on the Board of Ministers for Campbell University.

Ron’s personal interests include writing and recording songs, playing guitar, singing, poetry, cooking, and traveling and playing board games with his family. In 2003 he was a finalist in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest Music Festival. Ron sang an original song entitled “Day of Jubilee” at the inaugural gathering of the New Baptist Covenant in Atlanta, GA just before the opening address by former President Jimmy Carter to an assembly 15,000 strong. This historical meeting was the very first national interracial gathering of Baptists who came together for worship and to consider ways to promote unity and to work together in Christian mission.

Melody Moore, Music Director

Melody Moore, our music director at Triangle, received her B.M. degree from Meredith College in 1980 and her M.M. degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1984. In addition to her part-time position at Triangle, she works full-time as the choral director at Ligon GT Magnet Middle School in Raleigh. She has served at Triangle for fifteen years and at Ligon for 13 years. In 2006 she was named Middle School Choral Teacher of the year by the North Carolina Music Educator's Association.

The music ministry at Triangle consists primarily of a multi-generational choir (middle school – senior adults) and a praise team which is also multi-generational. Mrs. Moore directs the choir and plays keyboard for the praise team. The choir sings a variety of musical styles (traditional hymns and anthems, gospel, contemporary, and multi-cultural). The praise team focuses on more contemporary pieces with the inclusion of acoustic guitar, electric bass, keyboard, and drums.

Our sole aim in the music ministry at Triangle is to make an encounter with God possible for you during our worship service. We know that each person may hear God speaking more clearly through a particular musical style, so we believe strongly in blended worship. Our musicians at Triangle enjoy their time in rehearsal, but they are also aware of the great responsibility they have of escorting the congregation into the presence of God. We all strive to give our very best as an offering to our God each week. The choir rehearses each Wednesday from 7:40-8:40 pm. All interested singers are welcome to join us!

Each year, we also present a Christmas and an Easter Musical. Even though we do not have a children's choir program at this time, there are opportunities for children to participate in both of these events.