First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC

First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC Organized in 1802, First Baptist DC has been welcoming believers from across the country and around t

Organized in 1802 as “a spiritual home for Baptists moving to the new federal city,” the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., has been welcoming believers from across the country and around the world ever since. While we maintain a steadfast commitment to the historic Baptist principles of individual freedom, congregational autonomy, and religious liberty, our tradition of hospita

lity has brought us members from a variety of Christian denominations, and resulted in an increasingly ecumenical perspective. In addition, the diversity of the city of Washington is reflected in our congregation: we come from different places, different cultures, and different traditions. The only thing that holds us all together—indeed, the only thing that can—is our shared commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. It is in joyful obedience to Him that we affirm:

OUR MISSION is to love and worship God, to love and serve others, and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. OUR VISION is to be a church in which every member is engaged in ministry that impacts the neighborhood, the city, the nation, and the world. OUR VALUES are:

The compassion of Christ, which moves us to feel with others in their joy or sorrow and to act on their behalf. The diversity of our congregation as it represents God’s wholeness. The hospitality of the church, as we welcome all people in the name of Jesus, and welcome as members all who call Him Lord. The pilgrimage of Christian formation, as we seek to follow the way of Jesus and teach others to walk in that way. The beauty, reverence, and excellence of the worship we offer to God and the place in which we do it.

Jesus said it plainly in the Lord's Prayer: forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. It may be the h...
06/14/2026

Jesus said it plainly in the Lord's Prayer: forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. It may be the hardest thing he ever asked.

This Sunday, Pastor Julie takes a focused look at what forgiveness actually is, and what it isn't, and who, in the end, forgiveness is mostly for.

The sermon text is Matthew 6:5–15: the Lord's Prayer in its original context, tucked inside the Sermon on the Mount. Paul's words in Romans 5 add unexpected company: while we were still sinners. Forgiveness rarely waits for the other person to deserve it—which is what makes it so costly, and so freeing.

Join us this Sunday, June 14 at 11:00 am, in person or online. Livestream at firstbaptistdc.org.

This Sunday, kids in pre-K through 5th grade are invited into a worship experience made just for them. 🙌They'll start in...
06/12/2026

This Sunday, kids in pre-K through 5th grade are invited into a worship experience made just for them. 🙌

They'll start in all-church worship and head out during the Passing of the Peace for age-appropriate activities and faith formation, joyful, meaningful, and right where they are in their journey.

Parents can pick up their children in Children's Room #1 after worship.

We'll see your family this Sunday, June 14.

Pray. Give. Act.Our friends at William Carey Baptist Church in Havana are living through something most of us can barely...
06/10/2026

Pray. Give. Act.

Our friends at William Carey Baptist Church in Havana are living through something most of us can barely imagine, rolling blackouts, severe food shortages, a healthcare crisis, no fuel, and an economy in freefall. They are not statistics. They are our Baptist family.

This summer, Alliance of Baptists churches are filling a shipping container with essential supplies bound for Cuba, and we have the chance to be part of it. The most direct way our congregation can help right now is financially. Our Compassion and Justice Team will use the funds to purchase and send supplies on William Carey's behalf. The container loads on July 10.

Our goal is $3,500. Please give by Sunday, July 5 at firstbaptistdc.org/give and select "Cuba Relief" from the dropdown menu.

What we send across that border is more than goods. It's a message: you are not forgotten. The love of Christ does not stop at the shoreline.

More than we could have planned for. More than we could have predicted. That's not just the theme of our Annual Report. ...
06/09/2026

More than we could have planned for. More than we could have predicted. That's not just the theme of our Annual Report. It's an honest account of the year itself.

Six pilgrims traveled to Havana and carried $14,000 in friendship and solidarity to William Carey Baptist Church. A congregation committed itself to the sacred, serious work of Reckoning and Renewing. Children's ministry grew in ways that answered last year's prayers. Young adults stepped into service and leadership, four years of faithful tending finally visible in the fruit. Newcomers found their way in and stayed. We packed 10,500 boxes of food, welcomed new babies, mourned losses, celebrated a historic wedding, and kept showing up for this city and for each other.

None of it could have been fully anticipated. All of it points somewhere bigger than us.

The 2025-2026 Annual Report tells the full story, worship, music, compassion and justice, congregational care, newcomer engagement, and a look at where we're headed. We hope you'll take some time with it.

canva.link/fbcdcannualreport2025

This morning, Pastor Julie begins something new.The series is called "Honest to God," three sermons for anyone who's tir...
06/07/2026

This morning, Pastor Julie begins something new.

The series is called "Honest to God," three sermons for anyone who's tired of pretending when it comes to faith. Today's is the first: What If I Can't Believe?

It starts with a father in Mark 9. His son has suffered for years. The disciples couldn't help. And when Jesus finally appears, this man doesn't offer a polished testimony. He offers a cry: I believe; help my unbelief. No performance. No certainty he doesn't have. Just the truest thing he knows.

The philosopher Paul Tillich wrote that doubt is not the opposite of faith, it is an element of it. This morning, we're making space for that.

We'll also share communion, receive our benevolence offering, and gather after for potluck and our Annual Congregational Meeting.

If you've been carrying questions you didn't think were welcome in a sanctuary, today might be the morning to come find out differently.

Worship begins at 11:00 am. Livestream at firstbaptistdc.org.

Worship bags for the little ones are here! 🎒On the first and third Sundays of the month, children's worship bags are ava...
06/05/2026

Worship bags for the little ones are here! 🎒

On the first and third Sundays of the month, children's worship bags are available for pickup at both the O Street and 16th Street entrances to the Sanctuary.

Each bag is packed with interactive activities and fun surprises, think colored pencils, sensory fidget items, pipe cleaners, and puzzles, everything a young worshiper needs to engage with Sunday in their own meaningful, playful way.

Grab one on your way in and let the kids settle in alongside you.

Sunday, June 7. After worship. Come hungry (for good food and good news).Our Annual Congregational Meeting is this Sunda...
06/04/2026

Sunday, June 7. After worship. Come hungry (for good food and good news).

Our Annual Congregational Meeting is this Sunday, June 7, immediately following worship, and it's one of the rhythms we genuinely look forward to. A chance to pause together, give thanks, and celebrate what God has been doing in and through this community.

This week, watch for the Annual Report, the 2026–2027 spending plan, incoming Ministry Leadership Team and Ministry Action Team Coordinators, and other items for congregational action. We want you to come informed and ready to participate.

And yes, start thinking about your best potluck dish.

We'll see you there.

The poet Mary Oliver believed that paying attention was a form of prayer. The writer of Psalm 8 might have agreed.This S...
05/31/2026

The poet Mary Oliver believed that paying attention was a form of prayer. The writer of Psalm 8 might have agreed.

This Sunday, Pastor Julie preaches from a psalm that begins and ends in wonder, and in between, asks a question that sounds almost like despair: What are human beings, that you are mindful of them? It is the question of someone genuinely astonished by the scale of things, unsure where they fit.

We live in an age of more information and less awe than almost any before us. Something has gone numb. This morning we'll ask together what it might take to get it back.

Worship begins at 11:00 am. Livestream available at firstbaptistdc.org.

The evening we have been pointing toward is almost here.On June 18, Juneteenth Eve, FBC will gather for a gala dinner to...
05/30/2026

The evening we have been pointing toward is almost here.

On June 18, Juneteenth Eve, FBC will gather for a gala dinner to officially launch our Reckoning and Renewing journey. A night of music, reflection, and commitment. A moment we have been quietly preparing for, for years.

The evening will include a jazz vespers service led by vocalist Ruth Naomi Floyd and her quartet, including Mark Prince, a son of First Baptist. Their music will carry our lament, our gratitude, and our prayers. We will also hear from historian Kristofer Roberts, whose research into race and religion in the American South includes First Baptist's own slaveholding history. His reflections will be woven into the vespers service itself.

This is only the beginning. The Reckoning and Renewing team will be on hand to invite you into a summer and fall reading journey.

We ask $15 per person, with families capped at $45. Childcare will be provided. But please come regardless of your ability to pay. Register now and sort out payment later, or skip it entirely. We just need your name so we can set a place for you.

Thursday, June 18 / 6:30 pm
Register: firstbaptistdc.org

Another piece of our history is now in print.The story of FBC's four years as the church home of President Jimmy Carter ...
05/30/2026

Another piece of our history is now in print.

The story of FBC's four years as the church home of President Jimmy Carter is featured in the newest quarterly journal of the White House Historical Association.

The article, by FBC member Christi Harlan, is one of eight illustrating the current journal's theme of "Faith and White House History." Copies of the journal are available for sale in the Community Building Lobby.

Address

1328 16th Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20036

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Sunday 8:30am - 2pm

Telephone

(202) 387-2206

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category