First Baptist began in 1914 when a group of believers met at the public school building in Hilliard, Florida on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. As time progressed, the church saw a need for a permanent facility and acquired land across the street from where the church is now. On May 17, 1925 the church celebrated the completion of their new church building and remained at that location until the building of a new sanctuary (near the current basketball court) in 1953.
For 53 years, First Baptist continued to grow in size through evangelistic efforts and transfer of church letters. During that time, many people came to faith in Jesus Christ, over 30 people were called to vocational ministry (as pastors, church leaders, and missionaries across the world), and the church placed significant emphasis upon taking the gospel to the nations reaching places such as Honduras, Brazil, Africa, and Ecuador.
On May 14, 2006, First Baptist celebrated the completion of its current sanctuary and office building. Since then, the church has continued to make an impact for the Kingdom of God through faithful preaching of God’s word, weekly gathering among the saints, and participating in both local and global missions.
First Baptist Church is in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Florida Baptist Convention, and the Northeast Florida Baptist Association.
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