| First Baptist Church | |
|---|---|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States |
| Affiliation | Baptist Church |
| District | Baptist State Convention of North Carolina |
| Status | Active |
First Baptist Church is a historic baptist, formerly Southern Baptist, church located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. The church was the first Baptist church in the city of Raleigh and is one of the oldest churches in the city. The church is located on Salisbury Street.[1]
WThe Baptist church in Raleigh, North Carolina was organized in 1812 on the second floor of the original state Capitol building, there were twenty-three charter members; nine whites and fourteen blacks. In 1868 there was a peaceful separation of the two groups when the newly emancipated members established their own congregation.
Using the Bible as its sole guide for faith and practice, the first statement of beliefs of the church in 1812 consisted only of selected passages of scripture. Worship services and styles were in keeping with the customs of the culture at the time. Reverend Robert Daniel was the first pastor, and the first meeting-house was constructed in 1816 on South Person Street when Reverend Josiah Crudup was the pastor.[2]
Reverend Thomas Crocker became pastor of the church in 1821 and baptized Lucinda Briggs in 1822, reportedly by breaking ice in the river during the midst of winter. The membership grew to a total of 224 in 1826. A new building was completed and dedicated in 1840 on the site where First Baptist Church, Wilmington Street, is now located. Thomas Meredith, editor of the Biblical Recorder and a member of the church, was the dedication speaker. The first president of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina was Reverend Patrick W. Dowd, a pastor of the church.
The church suffered internal difficulties in the 1830s and nearly died, but the faithfulness of a few members preserved the church, and in the 1850s, the congregation experienced rapid growth and renewed vitality under the leadership of Reverend Thomas E. Skinner, who led the church to construct the present sanctuary in 1859. The lower level of the building was used as a Confederate hospital during the American Civil War.[3]
The congregation has produced some of the most influential leaders in Baptist life, such as Fannie E.S. Heck who was instrumental in the formation of the first missions organization for women in North Carolina, and the national Woman’s Missionary Union, auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention. Women have served as deacons at First Baptist since 1874 and the policy now requires an equal number of women and men serving on the diaconate.
Pastors of the church have often been biblical scholars who served as professors or presidents of colleges, and seminaries sometime during their career. Meredith College was stated by First Baptist Church.
Today First Baptist has over 1,400 members, an annual budget of $1.5 million, the city’s largest free-clothing center, an AIDS ministry, two weekday preschool programs, a Japanese ministry, and a wide variety of educational programs for every age group. On September 23, 1998, First Baptist approved a Resolution on Identity which declared their separation from the Southern Baptist Convention. They currently find their principal mission avenues to be the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.[4]