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.
"The real history of any congregation of followers of Christ emerges from the lives of countless numbers of people who worship, work and share life with one another. The First Baptist Church of Bristol can reflect upon years of history filled with dedicated people who loved the church and our community of Bristol.
Times of revival and rebuilding have been punctuated by periods of struggle and conflict. But the spirit of God is present in people’s lives and in the church. We share a vibrant tradition and anticipate a fruitful ministry for God in the First Baptist Church of Bristol." Rev. Frederick Gilbert, Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Bristol, Rhode Island
Left to right: Historian Gail Feather, Assistant Treasurer Tuffy Sanford, Pastor Rev. Jake McGuire, Project Manager Rachel McGuire
New life for an old church building
The First Baptist Church will be opening the doors to their newly restored Sanctuary this Sunday
BY CHRISTY NADALIN cnadalin@eastbaymediagroup.com June 13, 2024
Not since the late 19th century has Bristol’s First Baptist Church enjoyed such a dramatic facelift. “In the last 10 years we have undertaken a very ambitious renewal project,” said Pastor Jake McGuire. The congregation formed in 1811, and in the following year, February of 1812, the town of Bristol gave the First Baptist Church permission to erect “a meeting house on the front of the public square, between the Brick School House and the Academy,” according to “A Very Brief History of the First Baptist Church in Bristol, Rhode Island.” The church held a lottery to raise funds for the construction of the building, a common fundraising method at that time. On November 23, 1814, the “Stone Chapel” was finished and dedicated. The post and beam building with a gable roof was held together with wooden pegs; the total cost was $7,695.08. Over the next 60 years the most notable change to the structure was the addition of a bell, cast by Paul Revere’s apprentice George H. Holbrook, in 1822. Then, in 1882, everything changed. The “Great September Gale” left the building seriously damaged, its steeple knocked off. “They worshipped in the rubble until they had the money to rebuild,” said Pastor McGuire. The basic stone structure of the chapel survived, making it the oldest church building in Bristol today. In 1883, Chief Engineer Spencer Rounds requested the use of First Baptist’s bell for fire alarms; the request was granted, and a rope was added to allow members of the fire brigade to easily ring the bell. In 1919, the church purchased an 1895 Brennan & Gleason tracker pipe organ from Calvary Baptist Church in Providence for $800. The organ, rebuilt in 2000, remains in the sanctuary and fills the space with sound, courtesy of organist Stephen Higgins. In recent years, thanks to the Champlin Foundation, private donors, and donated labor, the ground-level Fellowship Hall has been updated; the Gothic windows have been completely restored; and the 70-year-old steel fence has been painted. Now, the congregation of about 100 will celebrate the restoration of the main sanctuary, including the pews, floor, and pulpit, which was redesigned to fold down for better visibility during musical performances and other events. Coming in at more than $300,000 for recent work to the Fellowship Hall and the Sanctuary, the work was not inexpensive. But in addition to grants and volunteers, the congregation was fortunate that their contractor, Capital Building and Design of Swansea, honored their pre-inflation quote. “When the decision was made to spend this money, it was ‘well discussed’,” said Pastor McGuire. “What won the day was the senior members of the congregation framing it as extending the ministry into the next generation…We have a good number of young adults who are just as committed to the historic nature of the church as the older members.” In many ways, they are even more committed. When Rachel McGuire wanted to bring more technology into the space, she got surprising pushback — from the 20- to 30-yearolds. “That was not what I expected,” she said. “But they wanted to keep the historical space as intended.” “I think GenZ has been overexposed to all things digital,” said Pastor McGuire. “Meanwhile, we can’t get big enough screens,” said Treasurer and Senior member Tuffy Sanford. “And we can’t hear, either!” laughed Historian Gail Feather. All generations of the membership of the First Baptist Church will be coming together once again in their new, beautifully renovated space this Sunday, June 16 at 10:30 a.m., welcoming special guests from the Town of Bristol, American Baptist Churches of RI and Capital Building & Design, Inc. in celebration of the renovation work. All members of the community are welcome at 250 High Street to celebrate. Anyone interested in offering a donation for the restoration project can send it to First Baptist Church, PO Box 402, Bristol, RI 02809
Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The small group is a place to bring biblical teaching in a more interactive way. Small group participants grow close through sharing, caring, supporting, and praying for one another, enjoying fellowship while studying God’s Word, and learning to apply it to their lives.
The youth group endeavors to equip and encourage our youth as they live out their Christian faith. This spring we will survey the books of Exodus to Ruth,
study C.S Lewis' The Screwtape Letters,
and have loads of fun!
Young people ages 11-17 are invited to attend Youth Group meetings with Miss Esther every Sunday evening from 5-7 p.m.
Our women’s ministry exists to glorify God by promoting spiritual growth through Bible study and fostering Christ-like loving encouragement through fellowship activities and events for the women in our church and community.
Please join us for a seven-week Bible study on Busyness: Finding God in the Whirlwind, beginning Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. All women are invited.
