“First” reminds us that the first and most important thing about our identity is our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Romans 10:13 says that, “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” We believe that the basis for church membership is a personal profession of faith in Christ. That’s the first thing that is required of every member of First Baptist Church!

“Baptist” means that we hold to many of the historic teachings of the Baptist denomination, which is a part of the wider fellowship of the Christian church throughout the world. While baptism by immersion is certainly a distinctive part of who we are, we also believe in the authority of the Bible as God’s word to us, the right and responsibility of each person to respond freely to God, the power of each local church to follow the leadership of Christ as it sees fit, and the principle of free exercise of religion in a free state.

“Church” means that we do the things that we believe the Bible teaches all churches should do: we worship, we serve, we learn, we witness, and we grow in relationship to one another and to God. That’s what church is all about!