Written by Ben Cox – One of the oldest churches still meeting in Brown County, Rocky Creek Baptist Church, is a small and welcoming community of believers, meeting only steps away from the original buildings location north of town on HWY 279.

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Rick Justice is the pastor for the church, who is celebrating his 20th year in the pulpit. An A&M grad, Justice was called to the ministry after a brief career at a pharmaceutical company. “I got involved in a church with one of my high school buddies and it was life changing for me” says Justice.

Returning to school after he got his Bachelors degree to begin training for the ministry, Justice came to know Christ later in life than many preachers, being baptized as a senior in college. “The Lord had a plan and he kept workin’ on me all through high school and most of the way through college and then finally I just realized what I needed to do.”

Justice describes the churches members much like a loving father would talk about his children. “Rocky Creek is a really sweet family. I know a lot of churches say that, but we have a really good group of folks that love people.”

A smaller church than some, Rocky Creek is a traditional Baptist church, but with some non-traditional aspects. “We’ll sing a hymn and then do a praise chorus or two, like Chris Tomlin or Elevation Worship,” says Justice.

Started in 1877, when a group of 18 people met for services under a brush arbor near the creek , Rocky Creek Baptist Church has roots in Brownwood that date back a long way. Only First Baptist Church and Union Presbyterian have been around longer than Rocky Creek. (Union Presbyterian was formed from a merger of another church and the first church in Brownwood)

Justice has made many alterations in his preaching style over the years, more recently he has begun taking time once a week to receive feedback from his staff. “For years I was what you would call the ‘3 step preacher’, but was criticized a few years back for not going very deep. So I have tried to self evaluate a little bit. We have a staff meeting on Tuesday mornings and I give them the opportunity to give me honest feedback.”

Justice and his wife Celeste, who works at Howard Payne University, lives next to the church in a house they raised their twins in. Moving them to the area via the panhandle, Justice’s kids “have essentially grown up here, they were two and a half when we moved here so this is what they know as home.”

Justice says that at Rocky Creek Baptist Church “you’re gonna be able to worship and server with a group of people who are gonna love you no matter what. And they’re gonna encourage you to grow and express your faith in Christ in a way that’s appropriate for you.”

“We’re not gonna be the the flashiest church in town, we’re a smaller church, but we have something to offer people.” Justice says “We’re trying to encourage people to move beyond a nominal relationship with church. I don’t think that does people much good. We’re trying to encourage people to find a place where they not only they can be served, but they can serve.”

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