WHO WE ARE
Annual report
Click here to see how God moved through Coastal Church in 2025.
Our Mission
Our Core Values
We connect to God in corporate worship.
Gathering to worship draws us closer to God and to one another. It reminds us of His goodness, aligns our hearts with His truth, and strengthens our unity as believers.
We grow in small groups and spiritual formation classes.
Spiritual growth happens in community. We study God’s Word together, encourage one another, and develop a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.
We serve in a ministry or mission.
Serving reflects the heart of Jesus, who came to serve, not to be served. We use our gifts to meet needs, share God’s love, and make an impact both locally and globally.
We multiply by making disciples for the advancement of the Gospel.
We’re called to make disciples who make disciples, carrying the message of Jesus to the world and equipping others to live out their faith with boldness.
Our Beliefs
The Bible is God’s Revelation to man.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. ” — 2 Timothy 3:16,17 —
There is one true and living God.
“…one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all…” — Ephesians 4:6 —
“…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” — Matthew 28:19 —
Man’s condition is one of sin and separation from God.
“So God created man in His own image…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
— Genesis 1:26; 2:17 —
“For the wages of sin is death…” — Romans 6:23 —
God has acted in Jesus Christ to save/deliver us from sin.
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…”
— 1 Timothy 2:5 —
“…he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life…And I give them eternal life, and they never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand…”
— John 5:24; 10:28 —
Jesus established the church to continue His mission and ministry on earth.
“…on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
— Matthew 16:18 —
“…Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it…”
— Ephesians 5:25 —
Jesus Christ will return and God’s plan for eternity will be carried out.
“…this same Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go…”
— Acts 1:11 —
“…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”
— Titus 2:13 —
Everyone will face judgement before God; some to face eternal life, others to eternal condemnation.
“…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…”
— Hebrews 9:27 —
“…to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:8 —
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God…And they were judged, each according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.”
— Revelation 20:12-14 —
The devil is a real being.
The devil was once holy and lived in the presence of God with heavenly honors. Through his pride and ambition to be as the Almighty he fell and was cast down with the host of angels that followed after him. Satan is now active in the world to lead others astray. Satan will face ultimate defeat and eternal condemnation from God.
Transforming a grocery store into a church took a great deal of work and money. Over 6,000 volunteer hours were logged saving the church $100,000. Men, women, and children of all ages linked arms to physically and financially prepare the new worship space. The first service in the new building was April 24, 2016 and the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting for the new building was held on September 18, 2016. There were 1,402 people on that day!
Coastal’s first campus was planted in Gloucester. About 200 people had been coming over the bridge to our Yorktown Campus. While they were willing to make the drive, it was difficult to bring friends and acquaintances to a campus on the other side of the water. Starting with community picnics and prayer nights, the Coastal members of Gloucester began to meet together, and in 2018, we were able to secure a building to plant that campus.
Just before the pandemic, Coastal and Bethel Baptist Church began talking about a possible adoption. As the world endured the effects of the pandemic, God continued to work in both churches making it clear that He wanted us to come together. In March 2021 we had our first service at our Chesapeake Campus with 75 people. Everyone had to adjust, but together, we knew that we would be better for the Chesapeake area, and now we have almost 300 people each week.
A Baptist Church had been meeting for decades, but over time, people had moved on to other churches. There was a faithful group of about 20 people who knew that God still had great plans for their church. They reached out to Coastal and asked to be adopted. In October 2021 we began meeting together, and the flame was fanned once again. Now there are nearly 200 people meeting weekly at this campus. Children are filling the classrooms again, and there is a new life.
In our society, we see many things that impact churches, and Battery Park Baptist Church was struggling to survive. They reached out to Coastal regarding adoption, and we felt that God was leading us to minister in this community. In January 2023, we officially started meeting as a new campus. Within the first year, five new believers were baptized, and in this small community, this campus is now filled each Sunday bringing new light and life to its neighbors.
Situated by I-64, our Yorktown campus was easily accessible by those who live in the Williamsburg area. While it was not the most ideal commute, almost 200 people from Williamsburg were traveling to Yorktown each week for Sunday services. During the week, we began to offer small groups in the Williamsburg area, and these groups quickly grew and multiplied. In August 2023, we were able to rent a location and start holding services. Now, with about 500 people each week, our Williamsburg Campus is seeking a permanent location.
Gene Cornett and Shaun Brown had been friends in ministry for years in the Hampton Roads area. Gene moved to Richmond, to pastor at Bethany Place Baptist Church. God was working at the Richmond Campus, but Gene and Shaun realized that we could do more for God if we worked together. So in January 2024, Coastal adopted Bethany Place Baptist Church establishing Coastal Bethany Campus. This campus is blessed with many a strong group of Christians continuing to reach the greater Richmond area continuing to see new believers come to Christ and the unchurched reached.
