Our Story
Our journey is a life-story with joy and grief, triumph and brokenness, peace and struggle. Our Story began with the religious revivals of the early 1800's that flowed down the Erie Canal and spilled over into the Finger Lakes and into Trumansburg where twenty-six believers were moved by God's Spirit in 1819 to form the First Baptist Church.
The church grew rapidly enjoying blessed Christian ministry while suffering tragedies. The second Meeting House burned down in 1849. That didn't stop the congregation; they built a new church in 1851 and worshiped there until 1981. During that time, many pastors served God well, but the congregation grieved the sudden death of one beloved pastor and the wife of another. It watched its children and one of its pastors go off to the Civil War, two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and several other places in service to their country.
In 1964, the congregation federated with another church hoping to improve the ministries of both but soon voted to end the experiment and resume its ministry as First Baptist Church, gathering again in the aged meeting house until 1982 when it built a new facility. As with the first rebuilding, most of the construction on the new church was done by the members. The old meeting house was sold to the Conservatory of Fine Arts which occupies it to this day.
The new building has allowed the congregation to have a rebirth in Christ. We have an energetic Sunday School and Youth Group, enthusiastic worship, an active missions and outreach program, and a dynamic music ministry for children and adults. A diverse blend of music is an important part of worship, touching our souls, preparing us for prayer, helping us to reflect, and inspiring us in worship.
Our mission-minded membership has recently gone on short term mission trips to Mississippi, New York City, and Haiti and will continue missions in the future. The church continues its life-long habit of outreach to the community and region and its support of global missions, partnering with American Baptist Churches USA, the most diverse Protestant denomination in America, of which we are a member.
Our People
