History
In 1775 the Rev. Robert Kelsey, pastor of Cohansey Baptist Church (est. 1690), began a preaching ministry in the old Bridgeton Courthouse on Broad Street. As attendance grew there was need for a meeting house. The church approved the purchase of a lot from Daniel Elmer, and in 1812 the lot on Pearl Street, Marion Street, and Bank Street was conveyed to the Trustees. The building was completed in 1816. Worship services continued there as an outpost of Cohansey Baptist for 11 years, under the pastorate of Rev. Henry Smalley. In January, 1828, thirty-eight members presented their names for dismission from the mother church for the purpose of forming “a separate spiritual and complete gospel church,” with Rev. George Spratt as pastor. The church took the name of The Second Cohansey Baptist Church, incorporated January 31, 1828.
Construction began on the present house of worship on East Commerce Street in 1854, and was completed in 1857. The building was dedicated on September 23 of that year under the pastorate of Rev. J. Spencer Kennard. In 1864 the name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of Bridgeton.
In 1905 The high steeple was removed, and the church auditorium, pulpit, and seating were remodeled to their present form. The parsonage adjacent to the church building was constructed in 1910. Further redesigns of the sanctuary were carried out in 1938, 1956, and 1975. The exterior of the building was restuccoed in 2002, and the sanctuary repainted in 2004.
The original Felgemaker pipe organ was purchased in 1873 and renovated in 1900. In 1949 it underwent a complete rebuild by Chester A. Raymond of Princeton, NJ. It consists of two manuals and pedals: 7 Great stops, 8 Swell stops, 7 Pedal stops plus chimes and combinations.
First Baptist has been the mother church to three daughter churches:
In 1836, thirty-one members were dismissed to form Cedarville Baptist.
In 1866, sixty-nine members were dismissed to form Pearl Street Baptist at the (then-vacant) former location of Second Cohansey. [Pearl Street Baptist is now defunct; it merged with another church in 2014 to form Overcoming Victory Pearl Street United Church.]
In 1893, one hundred and nine members were dismissed to form the Berean Baptist Temple on Fayette and Vine Streets.
Our Pastors
George Spratt (1827-30)
John C. Harrison (1831-34)
Michael Frederick (1834-37)
Charles J. Hopkins (1838-43)
Charles E. Wilson (1844-52)
William E. Cornwell (1852-56)
J. Spencer Kennard (1857-59)
James Brown (1860-68)
William Wilder (1869-71)
Ethan B. Palmer (1872-84)
Thaddeus G. Cass (1885-90)
C. C. Tilley (1891-98)
Robert A. Ashworth (1898-1900)
Clark T. Brownell (1900-05)
William H. Bowden (1905-08)
Albert H. Gage (1909-12)
Daniel E. Lewis (1913-17)
Robert R. Thompson (1917-36)
Kenneth E. Morse (1937-42)
Raymond J. Cornish (1943-54)
James Lyles (1955-57)
Robert Hyatt (1958-59)
Cyrus Creamer (1960-68)
Douglas W. Stratton (1970-79)
Don Moore (1980-83)
Jimmy Maidment (1984-95)
Karl Hand (1995-96)
Richard Bennett (1997-99)
H. Earl Wentzell (1999-2005)
Ulrich Hohm (2005-06)
John Rogers (2006-07)
John Carman (2008-11)
Aleksander Saar (2011-present)
In November of 2011, the congregation withdrew from American Baptist Churches-USA and became an independent congregation.
Construction began on the present house of worship on East Commerce Street in 1854, and was completed in 1857. The building was dedicated on September 23 of that year under the pastorate of Rev. J. Spencer Kennard. In 1864 the name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of Bridgeton.
In 1905 The high steeple was removed, and the church auditorium, pulpit, and seating were remodeled to their present form. The parsonage adjacent to the church building was constructed in 1910. Further redesigns of the sanctuary were carried out in 1938, 1956, and 1975. The exterior of the building was restuccoed in 2002, and the sanctuary repainted in 2004.
The original Felgemaker pipe organ was purchased in 1873 and renovated in 1900. In 1949 it underwent a complete rebuild by Chester A. Raymond of Princeton, NJ. It consists of two manuals and pedals: 7 Great stops, 8 Swell stops, 7 Pedal stops plus chimes and combinations.
First Baptist has been the mother church to three daughter churches:
In 1836, thirty-one members were dismissed to form Cedarville Baptist.
In 1866, sixty-nine members were dismissed to form Pearl Street Baptist at the (then-vacant) former location of Second Cohansey. [Pearl Street Baptist is now defunct; it merged with another church in 2014 to form Overcoming Victory Pearl Street United Church.]
In 1893, one hundred and nine members were dismissed to form the Berean Baptist Temple on Fayette and Vine Streets.
Our Pastors
George Spratt (1827-30)
John C. Harrison (1831-34)
Michael Frederick (1834-37)
Charles J. Hopkins (1838-43)
Charles E. Wilson (1844-52)
William E. Cornwell (1852-56)
J. Spencer Kennard (1857-59)
James Brown (1860-68)
William Wilder (1869-71)
Ethan B. Palmer (1872-84)
Thaddeus G. Cass (1885-90)
C. C. Tilley (1891-98)
Robert A. Ashworth (1898-1900)
Clark T. Brownell (1900-05)
William H. Bowden (1905-08)
Albert H. Gage (1909-12)
Daniel E. Lewis (1913-17)
Robert R. Thompson (1917-36)
Kenneth E. Morse (1937-42)
Raymond J. Cornish (1943-54)
James Lyles (1955-57)
Robert Hyatt (1958-59)
Cyrus Creamer (1960-68)
Douglas W. Stratton (1970-79)
Don Moore (1980-83)
Jimmy Maidment (1984-95)
Karl Hand (1995-96)
Richard Bennett (1997-99)
H. Earl Wentzell (1999-2005)
Ulrich Hohm (2005-06)
John Rogers (2006-07)
John Carman (2008-11)
Aleksander Saar (2011-present)
In November of 2011, the congregation withdrew from American Baptist Churches-USA and became an independent congregation.