In 1996, while serving on staff at a summer youth camp on the coast of North Carolina, Jimmy Britt, our Founding and Lead Pastor, had his “burning bush” experience. He caught a glimpse of what a church could be like if the barriers were removed between people who need the message of Jesus and need genuine life change. God put a dream in his heart to start a new church that would reach today’s generations.

In January of 1999, Jimmy resigned as Pastor of the traditionally modeled church where he was serving in North Charlotte. He set out with his wife Karen and their little daughter Annie, to start a church for people who have never been to church and are not being reached through traditional church methods, as well as those who have given up on “church as usual.”

They began with about 8 other people who formed the core nucleus to help them launch Rocky River Community Church. The group began meeting in a modular classroom at Pitts Baptist Church (our sponsoring church) in February 1999. Then in May of 1999 they moved to the Rocky River Elementary School in Concord, NC where they held their grand opening on Sunday October 17, 1999. Today, hundreds of people from Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Union and Stanly counties call Rocky River their home church.