About Us

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

The First Baptist Church in Bristol, Rhode Island, originated in the conscientious convictions of a pious physician, Dr. Thomas Nelson. He came to Bristol in the year 1801, and feeling the want of the church privileges to which he had been accustomed, he determined to remove, and with this end in view, sailed for New York. A terrific storm arose, the packet was wrecked, and all on board were lost except two, one of whom was Dr. Nelson. The impression made upon his mind was such that he felt himself another Jonah, having attempted in vain to flee from the presence of the Lord. This was at the close of 1807. He returned to Bristol and in a few years welcomed into the town a number of the same faith as himself. In 1811, there were enough, it was thought, to constitute a church, which was accordingly formed on August 22 of that year, with twenty-three members. By the close of the following year, this number was more than doubled.

What We Believe

Excerpts of our declaration of the faith and practice of the First Baptist Church of Christ in Bristol, Rhode Island, adopted at its constitution in October 1812.

1. We believe that there is but one only living and true God, who is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth.

Deuteronomy 6:5; John 4:24; Psalms 90:2; Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 6:3; Exodus 34:6, 7.

2. That there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, who are but one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

I John 5:7; Acts 5:3, 4.

10. Jesus the eternal Son of God, has come and taken on him our nature, and in that nature has yielded a perfect obedience to the law, which we have transgressed; and suffered death for our sins, and has brought in a complete and everlasting righteousness, and has risen and ascended to the right hand of God, and ever lives to make intercession for us.

Hebrews 10:5-10; Daniel 9:24; Hebrews 7:25.

We believe that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Christ, to be continued until his second coming; and that the former is requisite to the latter; that is to say, that those are to be admitted into the communion of the Church, and to partake of all its ordinances and privileges, who upon confession of their faith have been baptized by immersion, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 2:41, 42, and 9:18-26, and 8:12, 36, 39; Matthew 3:6-16, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12, John 3:23; John 1:9, 10.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.A

A Prayer for Salvation

Dear Holy Father, creator of all things and giver of life. Thank you for the greatest gift of all, Your Son the Redeemer. He sacrificed his life for me, dying for my sins to bring me closer to You. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and ask Him to come into my heart and life.

I pray this in Jesus’s name. Amen