First Baptist - PLUS

I have always wondered about this question. I really have no clue.

I understand the thought of "First", but after that I just do not get it.

The church I currently pastor was a split off of a First Baptist Church and I am really glad they did not go that route.

 

Back in th e60's and 70's I was in many a town in the south that had a 2nd Baptist Church and most of them were started by the First Baptist Church. Could the 5th. Baptist Church be the 5th church started by the First?

 

When I lived in Philadelphia, I went to the 10th Presbyterian Church.. so it ain't just Baptistswho do this kind of thing.

 

I have wondered the same thing. I have always just assumed they were spin offs from the first Baptist.

 

Isn't there a 3rd baptist in St. Louis? I sent my resume to them once.

 

When I think of "First Baptist," there's that prestigious ring to it.

Just me.

 

Because they can't think of anything else? :wavey:

 

Maybe it should be "Splintered Baptist Church." :wavey: Just kidding PastorSBC1303. :laugh:

 

We have a First Baptist Church of Palatka and a Mt Tabor First Baptist Church of Palatka. The Pastor of Mt Tabor is the Mayor of Palatka. Before the Civil War both white Baptist and their slaves would attend services together. The whites would sit in the auditorium while the blacks would sit in the balcony. After the Civil War the Church split between black and white. That was when Mt Tabor First Baptist Church was formed. The white Baptist kept the old building and the First Baptist name.

 

First Baptist Plus a Bunch!

Mostly because I obviously have way too much free time on my hands, as it is raining outside, I did a little looking for some of this stuff, and found historical references to a Twelfth Baptist Church and a Sixteenth Baptist Church, plus a Tenth Memorial Baptist Church, which is around today. Incidentally, Tenth Memorial Baptist Church is located on 19th Street, in Philadelphia.

The highest 'number' Baptist Church I found in KY is located in Owensboro, and is the Third Baptist Church. (Ninth and O does not count here, for this church got its name from where it was originally located on Ninth Street and the "O" is the initial of the 'cross' street.)

Humorously, Owensboro has a First Baptist and a Third Baptist, but no Second Baptist Church. :laugh: :laugh:

Ed

 

I think this is an American thing. I have not come across a baptist church in the UK with "First", "Second", "Third" (or whatever) in its name.

I can understand that a church might call itself "Second (or some larger ordinal number) Baptist Church if there already was at least one baptist church in that particular town or city. The one I don't understand is "First Baptist Church", because if there were no other baptist churches in the town or city when this church came into being, why not simply call itself "Such-and-such-a Town Baptist Church"?

 

More like a "Pride thing", and/or tradition thing, I'd say. Danville, KY, a small city near me, actually has two churches that style themselves as "First Baptist", where one of the congregations is predominately "black" and the other is predominately "white".

In most places I've been around, in the Southern USA anyway, the 'First Baptist Church, is (or was at one time, anyway) the 'High Sassiety' or the "upper crust" congregation in the given locale, especially if the congregation was predominately Caucasian. I usually find the 'educational' level to be higher than other churches, and the 'theology' to be more 'liberal', than most other churches, in the area, as a 'rule'.

But not always. Some exceptions of this that I'm aware of, among those that would have mostly 'white' attendees, would include the First Baptist Churches of Danville, KY, Lexington, KY, and the well known First Baptist Churches of Dallas, where Dr. George W. Truett and then Dr. W. A. Criswell together, were the "Senior Pasors", and pastored for a century between them, and the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, pastored by Dr. Charles Stanley since 1971, or now for some 37 years by the now 75 year old Dr. Stanley, none of which are the 'High Society' relatively 'liberal' sort of church. Both the late Dr. Criswell and Dr. Stanley would be considered as very conservative in theology.

In summation, while the generalization may hold, it is just not always the case that the 'First Baptist Church' is necessarily the "Fust Church".

BTW, you also might know what the "Upper Crust" is - "just a bunch of crumbs held together by dough".

Ed

 

I've noticed, too (at least around me) that the First Baptists is usually a denominational church (SBC or American Baptist, etc), while Second Baptist churches are black churches, even Missionary Baptist. I never thought to do a study comparison of their histories. Maybe I will...

 

First Baptist -Plus

Ever vhear of Rev Ed Young 2nd Baptist Church Houston Tx?

 

I have been to that church, it is a very beutiful building.