09/20/2024
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF BRIDGEPORT
At 10 am on September 20, 1837, this church was formally organized. It began with 39 members. Representatives from seven other Baptist Churches were present as well as from other churches in the area. The Choir of First (now United) Congregational Church assisted with the music at the public service.
The idea for this church was however conceived in 1835 when the pastor of the Stratfield Baptist Church (now the First Baptist Church of Fairfield), the Rev. James H. Linsley, despaired that there was no Baptist Church in Bridgeport and that there were many residents who did not attend any of the four churches then active in the emerging city. On July 24, 1835, the Baptist Society of Bridgeport was formed and on April 23, 1837, the first worship service was held.
The first church building, at the corner of State and Broad Streets, was purchased from St. John’s Episcopal Church. The second building was on the same lot but extended to Court Street (now Cesar Batalla Way) and was sold to P. T. Barnum when the congregation voted to move to the corner of West and Washington Avenues. Er****on of our current building (on the edge of the city!) began in 1891 and it was completed in 1894 and dedicated on October 28 of that year. It was expanded in 1929.
Since its inception First Baptist of Bridgeport has played an influential role in the religious and civic life of the city. We have ministered to the variety of populations that have peopled the area. A ministry to African Americans led to the establishment of Messiah Baptist, the oldest black Baptist church in the city. A concern for Hungarians resulted in the start of Silliman Memorial Baptist in the West End. Work with a Hispanic mission culminated in a partnership and in the founding of Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana Emanuel on the East Side. With the Fairfield County Association of Baptist Churches, we supported the efforts of Haitians in the formation of Evangelical Baptist Church of the New Jerusalem, which worshiped for some time at First Baptist. First Baptist has also supported nascent Chinese, Italian and Czech missions in the city and around the state.
We are founding members of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport and played key roles in the YMCA and in the establishment of 3030 Park Health Care Systems. Because of the vision of our pastors, Washington Heights, 120-unit residential facility for seniors and other-abled persons, Alpha Home, a comprehensive shelter program for families, and Original Works, an innovative academy of the performing arts for young people, became realities. Washington Heights Apartments is located across the street from the church. Alpha Home was housed in First Baptist in the basement of the church until it was taken over by the YMCA and integrated into their programs. For several years we hosted a number of social service agencies, especially those involved in re-entry activities, as well as 7 other congregations.
In 2007, Living Word Ministries, a congregation populated originally with believers from the Ivory Coast but now incorporating persons from Haiti and other parts of French-speaking Africa, merged with First Baptist and is an integral part of our ministry.
Among its previous pastors are the Rev. Dr. Ronald V. Wells, who served as the last President of Cozier Seminary before its merger, the Rev. Melvin Prior, who served as pastor of Central, Hartford and Suffield, Second, the Rev. Dr. Albert Sheckells, the Rev. Richard Hardy, who also served at First, West Hartford, the Rev. Nicholas Titus, who was Executive Minister of ABCCONN, and the Rev. J. Loring Carpenter. Among outstanding lay leaders are William Grippin, Gil Hamilton, A. George Lindquist, Maude Curtis and Patricia Wells. Pastoral leadership has been provided for the past 29 years by the Rev. Hopeton A. Scott, a past President of American Baptist Churches of Connecticut, and a past President of the Board of American Baptist International Ministries.
