How our Journey Started

Florence First Baptist Church first opened its doors on June 5, 1866. In 1855, Florence existed in name only, as there was nothing to denote a town except the junction of the two railroads, the Wilmington and Manchester and the Northeaster. In 1860, a Presbyterian brother who lived in a neighboring county began to build a church here in Florence, and, when completed, it was the only church here for six years. The people of every faith met there to worship when they could get a minister to preach.

After the bombardment of Fort Sumter, many refugees came to Florence. In the fall of 1865, a few Baptists gathered at the church, and naturally, had a desire to hear some Baptist preaching.  John H. Husbands wrote his childhood friend, Rev.  J.A.W. Thomas of Marlboro County, and not soon after they held their first Baptist worship service. A few weeks later, Dr. D.M.  Breaker, who was preaching at Ebenezer Baptist Church, came to hold services once a month in the afternoon. We still continue the tradition of the evening worship service.

In 1876, the well-known steep was added to the church, and the Northeastern Railway Company gave a bell to call to worship. As the church grew spiritually, financially, and in number, there became a greater need for a larger church. Soon after, plans were made to build a new church. On March 10, 1875, the first service was held in the new church. The first service was conducted by Brother Sanders. Since 1875, many new additions have been built onto the church. As worship continued, several pastors served First Baptist Church. Many years later, on September 21, 1928, Dr. Walter Alexander served as pastor, until 1942 when he left to help with the Southern Baptist Convention. At the time, Dr. Alexander had served the church longer than any minister. Our church went through another re-build in 1941, and on March 18, 1951, the new (and current) sanctuary was complete. By January 18, 1962, the church building program in its entirety was finished and dedicated. Since its completion in 1962, we have done some minor remodeling, but the integrity of the church still remains.

Our Journey Continues

Whereas the first part of our journey described the history of how First Baptist Church came to be, this second part of our journey underscores our vision to be a community of believers, sharing the love of Jesus through service and spreading the Gospel. FBC has continued to be a vital part of the community in Florence having stood the test of time for over 150 years. This milestone was celebrated on May 22, 2016. FBC enjoys a strong partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC), and the Florence Baptist Association. Our connections with the community can be seen in our partnerships with organizations such as The House of Hope of the Pee Dee, Mercy Medicine, Lighthouse Ministries, and Child Evangelism Fellowship. The missional efforts of FBC goes beyond our support through the Cooperative Program of the SBC for its members are found in every area of our community. Supporting such ministries as Cooks for Christ, Back Packs of Hope, Operation Christmas Child, Marketlife Ministry, Homeless Connect, Christian Learning Center, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, The Jade Bridge, A Choice to Make, and many others.

Ministry through the preaching of God's Word is the hallmark of the FBC testimony. Whether it is ministry to our children or to our senior adults, a mission trip or a community ministry project; our goal is to share the Gospel and encourage people to receive Jesus. 

Where our Journey is taking us...

Our purpose is to Love God and to Love People; our mission is to accomplish this by making disciples who passionately worship, spiritually grow, and intentionally share Jesus with the lost. In other words, our goal is to make disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. In order to make disciples we must first evangelize the lost. FBC is dedicated to reaching into our community with the love of Christ and the greatest of such love is to share with others the Gospel. Every outreach event we plan will include the intentional preaching of the Gospel and the invitation to receive Jesus as one's Savior. This is the beginning of the disciple making process and its success will be the fuel that ignites passionate worship, promotes spiritual growth, and encourage others to intentionally share Jesus.