First Baptist Church Hamilton sits on Pyramid Hill Boulevard in Hamilton, Ohio, a few miles off the Great Miami River in Butler County between Cincinnati and Dayton. The congregation traces its roots to 1788, when six Baptists were among the settlers who landed at the mouth of the Little Miami River, and it has been a continuous witness in the city ever since. Today it describes itself as a multi-generational, multi-community church family striving to be a "light on the hill with a heart for the community," offering blended worship, a robust music ministry, and programs that reach from the nursery to the Keenagers in their seventies and beyond.
From the Little Miami to Pyramid Hill: A Hamilton Story Since 1788
The church's earliest chapter belongs to the Hamilton-Rossville Baptist Church, organized in 1829 by a small group that met in homes before building a brick meeting house. Missionary enthusiasm split the young church in 1836, but five years later the remnant reorganized - this time in the home of Dr. Loami Rigdon - as the First Baptist Church of Hamilton on January 1841. From those doors came pastors, teachers, missionaries, and dedicated laypeople; eight former members listed by name went on to pastor other churches.
First Baptist helped plant five daughter congregations over the decades: West Side Baptist, St. Clair Baptist, Immanuel Baptist, First Baptist of Pleasant Run, and Crossway Baptist. After worshiping for more than a century in a 1858 building at the center of the city, the congregation spent years of prayer and searching before acquiring its present property. On May 24, 1970, members gathered in the Great Hall to dedicate a new multipurpose facility that became the spiritual home they still occupy today. A sanctuary was added during the ministry of Dr. M. Douglass Willey, and later generations continued to remodel the campus to welcome new families.
The church's most recent chapter opened in December 2023 with a season of guest preachers, followed by the call of Rev. Chris Beecher as Interim Pastor in June 2024. On March 2, 2025, the congregation unanimously voted to install him as Senior Pastor, and he was officially installed on May 4, 2025. He succeeds a long line of pastors who emphasized expository preaching, stewardship, and global mission.
What Sundays Look Like at 1501 Pyramid Hill
The Sunday rhythm is built for visiting and belonging. At 9:00 AM, Sunday School and small groups meet in the Educational Building with classes for every age and stage - from the Berean Adult Bible Fellowship in Room 200 of the Family Center, to WINGS in Room 205, to Salt & Light Young Adults in Room 201. At 10:00 AM, the Cafe opens for fellowship, and at 10:30 AM the Sanctuary fills for the main Morning Worship service, which runs roughly 60 to 75 minutes with blended music, scripture reading, prayer, and a verse-by-verse Bible message. A more intimate Evening Worship service gathers at 6:00 PM in Room 200.
Guests are welcomed but never singled out. Dress ranges from jeans and t-shirts to Sunday best; the congregation's own advice is to "come as you are." Reserved guest parking sits near the sanctuary entrance, and a welcome team greets people at the doors. The building is wheelchair accessible, with ramps, accessible parking, and designated seating in the sanctuary. Services are livestreamed on YouTube so that travelers, the homebound, and the curious can join from anywhere.
Anchored in Scripture: What the Church Believes
The church holds the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired, error-free Word of God and the supreme authority for faith and daily living. God is one eternal being in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by human effort, with believers kept eternally secure through the sealing of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Christ.
Two ordinances are observed until Christ's return: believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper. The church is described as the true Body of Christ composed of all true believers, with the threefold purpose of glorifying God, evangelizing the world, and edifying its members. The statement on Last Things affirms the imminent return of Christ for the Church, a bodily Second Coming after the great tribulation, and a new heaven and new earth.
On social issues, the church affirms the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, defines marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, and calls husbands and wives to exclusive fidelity while honoring the single life. The congregation also makes plain that all people are welcomed at the table: "We welcome every man, woman, and child regardless of race, social or economic status, sexual history, or past behavior."
Sanctuary Choir and Worship Team
Music is at the very core of how the church gathers and praises God. The Sanctuary Choir, directed by Laurin Sprague since 2012, sings a seasonal anthem each Sunday morning from September through May and presents annual Christmas and Easter cantatas accompanied by members of the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra. Sprague, a retired Director of Fine Arts for Hamilton City Schools, calls the choir "the largest small group at First Baptist" because the singers pray for and support one another as well as perform.
The Worship Team, led by Director Roger Chamberlain, blends organ, piano, drums, trumpet, and vocals into a contemporary and classic mix drawn from hymns and modern worship songs. Chamberlain has been involved in music ministry at First Baptist since 1984 and became Worship Director in 2005 after Christian music studies through the Robert Webber Institute for Worship. A media team supports the services and livestream with sound, ProPresenter, and video. Accompanying the team are organist Linda Gibbs, pianist Carl Lakes, and drummer Andrew Donahue.
First Kids: From Nursery Through Sixth Grade
First Kids partners with parents to raise up a generation that knows and follows Jesus. On Sunday mornings the program offers three environments: Nursery for birth through age 1, Preschool for ages 2 through pre-K, and Elementary for grades K through 6. Drop-off and pickup happen at the Children's Welcome Center, where families fill out a short registration and receive a security tag to present at pickup. Lessons use stories, crafts, music, and games to bring the Bible to life in age-appropriate ways.
On Wednesday nights during the school year, Kids JAM runs from 6:00 to 7:15 PM for K through 6th graders, offering a high-energy mix of Bible learning, friendship, and fun. A Wednesday Mom's Group meets at the same time in the church Library for support, prayer, and spiritual encouragement, with childcare provided. Children's and Family Minister Becky Bennett, a Cincinnati Christian University graduate with thirty-five years of ministry experience, leads the work alongside a team of volunteers. Once a month on the second Tuesday, the church also opens its building for a Game Night with adults who have disabilities, an outreach Bennett has championed for years.
First Students and Salt & Light Young Adults
Middle and high school students gather under the name First Students, led by Youth + Young Adults Minister Joshua Click. On Sunday mornings Click teaches a class geared for students in grades 6 through 12, and on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:15 PM the group meets for worship, teaching, and connecting at the church. A 2016 Miami University graduate and former youth ministry intern under the previous pastor, Click lives in the area with his wife Megan and their two young children.
Young adults in their 18-to-30s find a home in Salt & Light, which meets Sundays at 9:00 AM in Room 201. The group digs into scripture, talks through real-life questions, and builds friendships that go beyond Sunday mornings. Group leader JD Simpson welcomes newcomers who come as they are.
Adults: Berean, WINGS, and the Ladies Book Club
For general adults, the Berean Adult Bible Fellowship meets Sundays at 9:00 AM in Room 200 of the Family Center. Open to anyone - whether new to Bible study or walking in faith for decades - it is discussion-oriented and led by a long-tenured team. Group leader Dennis Dudley fields questions.
Women of all ages gather as WINGS - Women In God's Service - each Sunday morning at 9:00 AM in Room 205 of the Family Center. The group studies specific books of the Bible along with topics on faith and Christian living, praying for one another and building deeper relationships. Group leader Cathi Thomas welcomes newcomers. On the second Monday of each month at 11 AM, a Ladies Book Club meets at the Fairfield Library to discuss a chosen book, coordinated by Judy Farris and Nancy Follmer.
Keenagers: Senior Adults in Service and Fellowship
The Keenagers ministry gathers anyone 50 and older for food, fun, and friendship. On the third Wednesday of the month the group enjoys lunch together at rotating local restaurants - Garver's Family Farm Market, Big Bulls, Ainsleys in Brookville, Galo's in Richmond, and other spots - with a fall picnic on the Campbells' property where everyone brings a dish to share. On the fourth Monday of the month, several Keenagers volunteer at Matthew 25 Ministries, sorting pill bottles, marking price tags, and tackling whatever tasks the relief organization assigns. Marjorie Corley and Tonja Randall help coordinate the group.
A Mission That Spreads Beyond the Building
First Baptist Hamilton's stated mission is that its members are "believers in Jesus Christ, called of God: Gathering for Worship, Instruction and Fellowship, Scattering for Care, Evangelism, and Transformation of the world for His Kingdom." The church is autonomous and independent in governance but affiliates on a denominational level with the American Baptist Churches USA, the American Baptist Churches of Ohio, and the Miami Baptist Association. Through the years, pastors, staff, and laity have held state offices and served on committees across those bodies.
Mission giving has been a hallmark for decades. In 1973 the congregation began dedicating 16 percent of giving to missions, and by 2006 that share grew to 21 percent under the long pastorate of Dr. Dennis Metzger. Annual mission trips have taken members across the United States and overseas, and a large contingent travels yearly to the Green Lake Mission Conference. At home, the church hosts the Greater Miami Valley YMCA's early learning center on its lower level and opens its building to community groups like the Game Night for adults with disabilities.
Meet the Pastoral Team
Rev. Chris Beecher leads as Senior Pastor. A graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a BA in Biblical Studies and an MA in Old Testament, he is pursuing a PhD in the History of Biblical Interpretation at Hebrew Union College. His ministry background includes a stint as a missionary to Indonesia and campus ministry with the Christian Medical and Dental Association in Cincinnati.
Rev. Chuck Russell serves as Pastoral Care and Visitation Pastor. A retired minister with more than four decades of service in the SBC and ABC/Ohio, he teaches the Wednesday evening Bible study, sings in the choir, fills pulpits across the Miami Baptist Association, and substitutes in the Berean Adult Bible School class.
Becky Bennett oversees children and family ministry; Joshua Click leads students and young adults; Daxton Jones directs creative arts and digital outreach; Roger Chamberlain leads the worship team; Laurin Sprague directs the Sanctuary Choir; and Debby Gibson serves as Office Administrator, fielding visits from members who like to stop by and say hello.
Office hours run Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 2 PM, with the building open for worship each Sunday. Visitors are invited to plan a visit, give online through Church Center, or join the livestream from wherever they are - and to come as they are.