Our roots go way back to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and before that to God's blessing in the world through the people of Israel.  We take our place in the stream of millions of people, from all ages, nations, races, and ethnic groups across hundreds of years of history, who have come to know and experience to truth, power, and love of Jesus in our own lives.  

 

The First Baptist Church of Exeter organized in 1800 with five men and five women who gathered to worship, pray, and study the Bible at the home of Harvey Colcord.  Five years later, they built a small meetinghouse at the corner of Spring and Water Streets with an expense of $4,000. They soon formed a closely-knit congregation, now known as the First Baptist Church. The society relocated again in 1833 to a small house on Spring Street, where the Folsom Tavern now stands. From 1875 to 2022, the congregation met at the historic "Red Brick Church" on Front Street.

 

More recently, the smaller congregation decided to move out of this large building to find a space that better fit the needs of the current ministry.  In June 2022, the congregation sold this historic building hoping to focus more on bringing the love of Jesus Christ into the community rather than maintaining the large and historic building. 

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The church, no matter where it has been located, has been an integral part of the community for over 220 years.  The focus on helping people to freely worship God and to be involved in a loving community will continue in new ways. The move out of a large building has helped the church get back to its foundations, focusing on the good news of life in Christ, inviting people into community with God and with others, providing a place and relationships to help people experience the love of Jesus and the love of others, guiding people to grow in understanding and knowledge of the ways of Christ and the Apostles, and to serve the local, national and international community.  The current vision of the church is “reflecting God’s impossible love in this impossible world as the hands and feet of Jesus.” 

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First Baptist Church is affiliated with American Baptist Churches USA and American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire.  These affiliations keep us connected with a larger group of people seeking to love God and love others; they provide us with accountability in our relationships and in our community; and they give us the ability to serve nationally and internationally with a network of affiliated ministries and missions.

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The church is meeting as a Dinner Church every Wednesday evening from 6 to 7:30 pm.    As people meet around the dinner table for a light meal, there is sharing, prayer, music, message, and discussion to help one another experience the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.  Check out the rest of this web site to learn more about us. And, join us at the "table of grace" to experience more of God's grace:  

 

God's goodness

Rescue, redemption, reconciliation, restoration

Abundant love

Community of friends

Eternal life, now!

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