First Baptist Church was established in 1890 on the banks of the New River in downtown Jacksonville, North Carolina, about 15 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Jacksonville was a small agricultural, fishing and lumber town until the United States Marine Corps established Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station at New River. Today these bases are home to around 150,000 people– active duty, family members, retirees, and civilian employees.

 

Church growth in the mid 1990’s and lack of available property in the downtown area resulted in the relocation of First Baptist Church. The first service was held on New Year’s Eve on December 31, 2001, in our new urban 26 acre campus.

Membership has continued to grow and many church programs are put into place as the need arises to meet the ever growing church population. Our goal is to minister to our multi-cultural and diverse community using various methods and programs so that we may spread God’s word outside the walls of our church into our community and literally around the world.

 

Following the path God has set for it, First Baptist Church continues to build its "Family of Faith" with continued determination.