Rev. Nelson C. Taylor brings a diverse background from both church ministry and the world of business. Graduating from Virginia Tech in 1976 with a degree in Marketing Management, he spent the next twenty-five years in the insurance industry. Throughout that time, Nelson served numerous Baptist congregations either in lay leadership or in part-time music ministry, twice serving his home church, First Baptist Church of Richmond, as interim Music Minister.

During his second term of interim service at First Baptist, he heeded the Spirit’s leading to enter vocational ministry and graduated in May 2004 from the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, having earned an MDiv with a concentration in Church Music. While earning his degree, Nelson served as Minister of Music and Youth at Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Mechanicsville. In 2005, he became Associate Pastor of Music and Mission at Central Baptist Church in Richmond, serving there until his retirement in 2019.

Beyond his musical work, Rev. Taylor continued to heed the Spirit’s leading as he invested himself in new transformational opportunities. In 2010 he co-founded a new community of faith called Synago, reaching out to those seeking faith conversations outside the institutional church. In 2015, he joined the Richmond Board of Heartbeat, an organization specifically focused to support the global ministries of Celtic mystic and teacher, John Phillip Newell. In 2016, Nelson formed Virginia Friends of Faith to develop connections and promote ministries and opportunities for like-minded progressive people of faith within Virginia.

Husband to Robyn for 41 years, they enjoy spending time with their three grandchildren, having most recently welcomed a granddaughter to the family.