A Light Unleashed on Bowers Road
First Baptist Church of Frederick sits along Bowers Road on the southern edge of Frederick, Maryland, where a single brick building now hosts an unusually wide circle of ministry. Founded in 1905, the congregation describes its vision as Light Unleashed - the idea that the church's life and good works should be so compelling that the surrounding community is drawn toward God. Its simpler shorthand, used for years on bulletins and T-shirts, is three words: Grow, Share, Serve.
Walk in on a Sunday morning and you will find a blended worship service at 11:00 AM, eight adult Bible study classes meeting an hour earlier, a children's wing upstairs, and a youth group of sixth through twelfth graders. Step out into the parking lot later in the week and you may run into a Korean congregation, a Spanish-speaking fellowship, a Mizo (Burmese) church, and a Sabbath-day group meeting in English. The same building that holds Sunday worship on Monday hosts a full-time child development center. That breadth is, in many ways, what First Baptist is known for in Frederick.
From a W.C.T.U. Hall to Bowers Road
The story begins in 1904. Dr. E. B. Hatcher, superintendent of state missions for Maryland, and the Reverend William Hammond, a state missionary, held a series of special meetings in the Junior Fire Hall in Frederick. When the meetings closed, the W.C.T.U. Hall was rented, a Sunday school was organized, and regular Sunday evening services began. In February 1905, the Reverend S. L. Fraser of Hagerstown preached a second series of meetings, and on February 9, 1905, a church was organized with thirteen charter members.
The young congregation grew quickly. On September 24, 1905, the cornerstone of its first building was laid with a sermon by Reverend Fraser and an address by Dr. Hatcher. The handwritten notes Reverend William Hammond Parker prepared for that day - placed inside the cornerstone and recovered generations later - are still kept by the church. By the time of the cornerstone, membership had reached 25 and the Sunday school had 108 pupils.
The Reverend F. W. Putney followed in 1908, and the Reverend Alonzo D. Winters in 1909. The Reverend B. A. Bowers, who arrived in 1914, became so identified with the church that when it later built on a road near Frederick, the road took the name Bowers Road in his honor. The longest pastorate belonged to the Reverend William Carson Royal, called in 1916 and serving thirty-six years. Under his leadership the church built a new educational building and sanctuary in 1922 at a cost of $110,000 and launched the Maryland Baptist Summer Assembly, which met first at Braddock Heights and later on the campus of Hood College.
The mid-twentieth century was a season of property growth. The Reverend Robert F. Woodward, who came in 1952, saw the Dill Avenue campus expand through the 1950s and 1960s as the church bought houses on Dill Avenue for children's space, parking, and staff housing. A new educational building completed in 1967 cost more than $400,000 with land and remodeling. In 1962, the church began a ministry to the deaf with Frank Bryan as interpreter, and in 1963 the congregation sponsored a Cuban refugee family. The Reverend Burnis D. Barrett, who arrived in 1974, was elected president of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware as a moderate, reconciling voice, and led First Baptist into dual affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The church planted what is now First Baptist Church of Thurmont, helped begin Summit Trace Church in 1999, and in 1999 added a 10:00 AM contemporary service.
In 1998, after a detailed feasibility study, the congregation voted to purchase property on Bowers Road for $700,000. The note was burned in October 2002. The first service in the new building was held on Sunday, January 20, 2008. The Reverend Larry L. Eubanks served as pastor from 1995 until his retirement on December 31, 2022, after more than twenty-seven years. The church then welcomed Pastor Duke Jeffries as Intentional Interim (2024-2025), Pastor Don Moenich, Jr., as a brief-term pastor (through November 2025), and Pastor Bruce Conley, Director of Missions with the Blue Ridge Baptist Association, as Interim Pastor (January through June 2026). On June 21, 2026, the congregation called David Cooper as its full-time pastor; he preached his first Sunday on June 28, 2026, and assumed the role on July 1, 2026.
Sunday Mornings in the Worship Center
The Sunday schedule centers on a single blended worship service at 11:00 AM, drawing on both traditional and contemporary music. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of the month, and all are welcome at the table. Visitors are invited to come as they are; offering is not expected, but a visitor card is available so the congregation can be in touch afterward.
From 9:30 to 10:30 AM the church runs a Sunday morning small group hour for all ages. Adult Bible study classes meet on the second floor, with elevator access at the center of the building. Children's Sunday school for three-year-olds through fifth grade and the youth group for sixth through twelfth graders meet during the same hour, and childcare is provided for infants through two-year-olds. The church is fully wheelchair accessible, with visitor parking in front and handicapped parking at the rear of the building.
Greeters are posted at the entrances. A Welcome Center sits just inside the front door in the Gathering Room, where coffee is available and couches invite visitors to linger before small groups or the service begin. Ushers are glad to help anyone find a seat.
Eight Adult Classes, One Sunday Hour
Eight adult Sunday school classes meet between 9:30 and 10:30 AM, giving newcomers several places to land. Seekers (Room 200), led by Mike Harrington, focuses on growing in Christian maturity through Bible study and daily walk. Amazing Grace (Room 201), led by Janet Noffsinger, brings singles and married couples together around a journey of love and mercy. Life Applications (Room 203), led by Betsy Devilbiss, works through Scripture's usefulness for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Bible Bus (Chapel, Room 217), led by Doug Dawson, studies the Bible cover to cover with Jesus as the lens; the class meets both in person and by Zoom.
Emmanuel Class (Room 202), led by Rae Ann Rippeon, gathers spirit-filled servants of all ages and backgrounds who value candid discussion. Sojourners (Room 204), led by George Littrell, uses Smyth and Helwys literature and is geared toward couples and singles fifty and up, with summer and Christmas socials. Homemakers (Room 211), led by Jim Devilbiss, is a senior ladies' class with spirited discussion of how biblical principles apply to daily life. Changed Women for Christ (Room 215), led by Linda Martin, walks through Romans 12 and 2 Corinthians 3 together. Liz Brady serves as Sunday School Superintendent.
A Place for Children and Youth
Children's ministry at First Baptist is led by Rachel Pyles, who has served the church since 2001 with her husband and their three children and who also directs the Little Lights Child Development Center. Her staff and volunteers all pass background screenings, and several are certified in First Aid and CPR. The ministry's stated aim is to help parents lay the foundation for their children's spiritual walk - what Pyles describes as starting with baby steps.
On Sundays, preschool programming runs alongside the worship service, and Children's Missions introduces grade-schoolers to mission work through monthly service opportunities. Vacation Bible School takes place once each summer and draws on dozens of group leaders, teachers, activities coordinators, snack coordinators, and assistants. A Scholarship Committee offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors going on for further education.
The youth group, for students in sixth through twelfth grade, gathers on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and again on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30. Each month the group undertakes a small mission trip, plans activities that draw them closer together and closer to God, and digs into weekly studies on living a Christ-like life through the pressures of adolescence.
Wednesday Evenings and Tuesday Mornings
Wednesday is one of the busiest nights of the week at the church. Children and youth activities run from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. At 7:00 PM the Chancel Choir gathers for rehearsal - youth and adults, ages sixteen and up - and works toward an annual Christmas concert and other special services throughout the church year. New singers do not need to read music; they only need to be able to match pitch.
On Tuesday mornings at 9:00 AM, the Circle Fellowship gathers for prayer and fellowship. The first Tuesday of each month, the group relocates to Denny's at 8:30 AM. Peggy Van Bibber leads the ministry, which centers on daily prayer for members of the church family and their situations.
Outside its own programs, the church also hosts Hill Top Serenity Al-Anon Family Group on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM in Room 209, one of several community resources the church opens its doors to.
Little Lights Child Development Center
The same building that holds Sunday worship houses, on weekdays, the Little Lights Child Development Center, a faith-based program for young children. Founded and directed by Rachel Pyles, Little Lights operates Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and serves children from infancy through pre-kindergarten, including before- and after-school care for older children. Its mission pairs academic preparation with the foundations of spiritual growth.
Four Additional Congregations Under One Roof
First Baptist makes a point of being a shared home. Four independent congregations of Christian believers worship on the campus, each with its own language, pastor, and rhythm.
The Lord's Church of Frederick is a Korean congregation pastored by Kyungsoon Park. MIES Frederick worships in Spanish. The Mizo United Apostolic Fellowship, pastored by Biakchchawна, serves the Burmese-speaking Mizo community of the region. Revelation Community Church meets on Saturdays at 11:15 AM, observing the Sabbath in a different rhythm than the Sunday-respecting congregations.
The arrangement is more than a scheduling convenience; it is part of how First Baptist lives out its vision of being Light Unleashed in Frederick County.
Music and Worship Arts
Music is woven into nearly every Sunday. Sungheui Bae-Park, a South Korean-born soprano and pianist with degrees from Hyosung Women's University and experience as a choir director in Virginia and Pennsylvania, leads the Chancel Choir. She also serves at The Lord's Church of Frederick alongside her husband's ministry. Marilyn Buchen serves as organist.
The Praise Team supports the blended service each Sunday, with practices on Monday evenings and Sunday morning before worship. Melissa Whitehouse leads the team. A Worship Production Team, led by Vance Whitehouse, handles audio and video for services and other events. Worship planning itself is coordinated through the Worship Committee, which the new pastor chairs.
Pastoral and ministry music scholarship funds, led by Jamie Halley, are available to children and adults for lessons that build skills for the glory of God.
Care for the Homebound, the Grieving, and the Hurting
A cluster of small, quiet ministries at First Baptist focuses on people who cannot easily come to the building. The Homebound Ministry, led by Liz Brady, extends the church's care through monthly cards, calls, visits, errands, and prayer. The Hospitality Team, led by Peggy Van Bibber, provides food and help for families in bereavement, especially at the reception after funerals. The Meal Ministry organizes meals from adult Bible study classes for members in need, and welcomes volunteers willing to be on call. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers knitters and crocheters who make shawls prayed over before delivery to people facing cancer, terminal illness, or other hardship; Stacey Steinhaus and Maggie Jessop coordinate requests and creations.
The congregation also supports Stephen Ministry, training lay people to provide one-to-one Christian care in confidence to anyone going through difficulty. For outside referrals, the church maintains a list that includes CentrePointe Faith-Based Counseling, the Marriage Resource Center, F-Squared (a foster parent program), the Religious Coalition for emergency human needs, the Frederick County Mental Health Association, the Asian American Center of Frederick, CareNet Pregnancy Center of Frederick, Kairos Prison Ministry, and the Frederick Rescue Mission.
Growing, Sharing, Serving in Frederick and Beyond
The church's ministry is organized around its three-word motto. Grow describes adult Bible studies, the children's wing, the youth ministry, and the prayer and care groups that shape members in faith. Share covers the additional congregations and worship arts that bring the building to life for many communities. Serve reaches into Frederick County and the wider world.
The Missions Committee, led by Peter Vache, supports both local and international work. Locally, the church has long supported Waverly Elementary with materials and field trips for children from financially challenged families, and collects non-perishable food for the Frederick Food Bank on the third Sunday of each month. Advocates for the Homeless, led by Gary Bennett, walks alongside homeless and at-risk families toward self-sufficiency. The Literacy Council of Frederick County recruits tutors for native-born adults learning basic literacy and for ESL students. Operation Christmas Child (led by Jim Devilbiss) sends shoeboxes through Samaritan's Purse. In disaster, the church points members toward the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Disaster Relief, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Samaritan's Purse for both giving and volunteer opportunities.
Ahead of new work, the deacons invite anyone who senses God stirring up a fresh ministry to bring it forward.
The Essentials We Hold
First Baptist belongs to the mainstream of evangelical Christian belief. Its statements of faith are organized around the unity of the church in essentials, liberty in non-essentials, and love in all beliefs. The eight essentials taught here include belief in one God who reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the sinless life, atoning death, resurrection, and promised return of Jesus Christ; the present work of the Holy Spirit in every believer; the Bible as the sole authority for faith and practice, with no human creed carrying binding weight; the creation of human beings in the image of God, marred by sin and in need of salvation by grace through faith; the reality of heaven and hell as eternal states; and the church as a body of believers under Christ's authority.
Baptist distinctives, as the church names them, are five in number: soul competency, the freedom and responsibility of each person before God; the autonomy of the local church; the priesthood of every believer; the separation of church and state; and believer's baptism by immersion as a public symbol of faith rather than a means of salvation. Imago Dei - the conviction that every person is created in the image of God - shapes how members view and engage the world around them.
The Pastor, the Staff, and the Deacons
David Cooper is the current pastor, called June 21, 2026. A graduate of Georgia State University and Asbury Theological Seminary, he has pastored several churches and served as a chaplain in the U.S. Army before moving to Maryland with his wife, Sandy. His office hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Rachel Pyles directs the children's ministry and the Little Lights Child Development Center. Sungheui Bae-Park directs the Chancel Choir. Marilyn Buchen is the organist.
The deacon body, which shares spiritual leadership with the pastor and staff, is organized into three classes. The Class of 2026 includes Elisa McCoy, Stacey Steinhaus, and Peggy Van Bibber. The Class of 2027 includes Doug Dawson, George Littrell, and Vance Whitehouse (co-chair and secretary). The Class of 2028 includes Reggie Gunter (chair) and Bob Rectanus.
Volunteer-led committees cover nearly every corner of church life, from the Trustees and Finance Committee to the Personnel Committee, Nominating Committee, Music Scholarship Committee, Mowing Team, Baptism Team, and Worship Committee.
Your First Visit
First-time visitors will find visitor parking directly in front of the building, with additional handicapped parking at the rear. Greeters are posted at the entrances and will direct guests to the Welcome Center in the Gathering Room just inside the front door. Most adult Sunday school classrooms are on the second floor, reachable by elevator at the center of the building. The building is fully wheelchair accessible.
Casual dress is fine. Coffee is available in the Gathering Room before small groups and the service begin. Children of any age are welcome in worship; childcare for infants through two-year-olds and Sunday school for three-year-olds through fifth grade are provided during the 11:00 AM service and the 9:30 AM small group hour. Visitor cards are available at the Welcome Desk or in the pew racks, and the congregation invites anyone new to fill one out so they can be in touch.
The church office can be reached at 301-473-8283 or office@firstfrederick.org. Sermons are available on YouTube, and online giving is set up through the church's online community.