About First Baptist Church

The First Baptist Church of Memphis is located in Midtown Memphis at the corner of Poplar Avenue and East Parkway. This historic church has served Memphis and the Mid-South as a lighthouse of hope and love for over 168 years.

There are many facets to what makes up The First Baptist Church of Memphis.

One facet is WORSHIP. We believe the scripture which says, “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2 KJV). Our worship services are reverent, but not cold; traditional, but not stilted; and always focused on proclaiming the Word of God, both in sermon and song. We believe that worship is not a performance to be enjoyed by an audience, but participatory involvement as we all unite to lift up our praise and prayers to God, and listen for God to speak to us.

Another facet is SERVANTHOOD. Some years ago, the church voted to remain in the heart of Memphis and serve the many needs there, rather than moving to the suburbs. Because of this we are utilizing our buildings for many cutting-edge mission ministries, including a state of the art Children’s Weekday Education Program, after-school tutoring programs, recreation evenings for at-risk teenagers, Word of the Kingdom (an inner-city congregation), a Laotian congregation, day site space for Memphis Interfaith Hospitality Network (which provides housing for homeless families), a young adult musical outreach called The Acoustic Spoon, and Crosslink International (a warehouse for sending medical supplies to mission teams around the world). In addtion, in recent years, the church has provided temporary space for the MIFA (Memphis Interfaith Association) while their building was being renovated, and Idlewild Elementary School after their building was struck by a tornado.

A third facet of church life is DISCIPLESHIP. First Baptist Church offers many opportunities for spiritual development, learning to become more faithful Christ-followers. Our Sunday School Bible Study program is for every age, from infancy through senior adults. A recent Sunday morning program for children offers an unbelieveable variety of Bible learning experiences, including the arts, writing, science, and even cooking!

Yet another facet of church life is FELLOWSHIP. The church family is truly a spiritual “family” in every sense of the word. We enjoy being together, praying for each other, caring for each other in times of need, and having fun with each other at recreation events, church socials, concerts, parties, and our weekly Wednesday night Fellowship Supper, Prayer Meeting and Bible Study.

Is First Baptist Church for you? Look through the pages of this website. Look at the many opportunities for worship and service, and some of our plans for the future of our congregation in service to our Lord to our city. If these sound exciting, challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling to you, then First Baptist could very well be your church home. We would love to talk with you, answer your questions, and welcome you for a visit. Let Us Share First With You!