First Baptist Church of Lexington, Missouri has stood on South Business Highway 13 in Lafayette County for two hundred years, anchoring one of the oldest continuous Baptist congregations in this part of the state. The congregation describes itself as a Southern Baptist church that exists to magnify God's name in the world through the assembling of believers together, that through genuine godly living, and by intentionally engaging in God-honoring relationships with the unsaved, our believers would challenge others to fulfill the Great Commission and glorify God. With a blended style of worship that brings together hymns and modern songs, an active calendar of life groups on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, a year-round children's program, and a community dinner that fills the fellowship hall on the second Monday of every month, FBC Lexington carries the feel of a small town church that is intentionally outward looking.
A Church with a Two-Century Memory
The congregation has kept a continuous written history since 1825, and that history is in the steady hands of longtime member and church clerk David Garner. Garner has been a member of First Baptist since 1960 and has attended since 1953, when he was in the nursery with Mrs. Betty Duncan and Mrs. Wallace. He has seen the expansion of the educational building in 1958 and the eventual building of the new sanctuary on Highway 13. He serves today as a Deacon, Church Clerk, and Historian, following Katherine Van Amburg, Mr. Leslie Bell, and many others who have contributed to keeping the history since 1825.
The senior pastor, Russell Peirce, summarizes the long view in plain terms. The church is a 200 year old church that averages about 125 people a week but is growing. That blend of long memory and current growth shapes almost everything about FBC Lexington, from the way it organizes itself on paper to the way it welcomes first-time guests on a Sunday morning.
Reflecting Christ's Love Throughout the Community
The mission and vision statements are short enough to fit on a business card and are written that way on purpose. The Mission of First Baptist Church of Lexington Missouri is to "Reflect Christ's Love Throughout our Community." The Vision is to be "A Christ Centered, Mobilized Church, impacting the hearts of out Community." The Strategy is a three-word rhythm: "Bring 'em in. Train 'em up, Send 'em out." That three-part strategy maps directly onto the church's calendar, with Sunday morning aimed at bringing people in, Sunday and Wednesday small groups aimed at training them up, and a steady stream of missions and outreach aimed at sending them out.
Outreach at FBC Lexington includes an annual Trunk or Treat, an Annual Ice Cream Social (the most recent one featured horse back riding, a blow up slide, Nine Square in the air, and other games), Vacation Bible School for K through 6th graders, a Jamaica Missions Trip in the summer of 2025 with a team building houses, and the Community Dinner described below. Mission work is coordinated through the Missions and Outreach arm of the church, and the congregation is encouraged to reach out to Pastor Russell or the church office for more information about getting involved.
Sunday Mornings on the Hill
The weekly rhythm of FBC Lexington begins on Sunday morning. Sunday School runs from 9:30 to 10:30 in the morning, with classes for children, youth, and adults meeting across the educational wing. At 10:45 the congregation gathers for the Sunday Worship Service, which runs until noon. The church is looking for a blended style of service and the music director job description notes a desire for someone who is comfortable with both hymns and modern worship, which gives visitors a clear sense of what to expect when they walk in.
Sunday School for youth is taught by Manny Columbie, and the adult teaching rotation is built around the same pastor and lay leaders who teach on Wednesday nights. Children attending the worship hour have the option of Children's church during the sermon portion of the service, and the New Member Class meets during the Sunday School hour from 9:30 to 10:30 for new members or members who have not been in a discipleship program. The material used for that class is shared in advance as a sample document titled Discipled Fellowship.
Sunday evening rounds out the day with Women's and Men's Life Groups at 6:30 pm. Men's life groups meet both Sunday night and Tuesday night, and childcare is provided for the Sunday night life group.
Wednesday Nights: Four Things Happening at Once
Wednesday is the busiest night of the week at FBC Lexington. Four gatherings run in parallel at 6:00 pm: Women's Bible Study in the Fellowship Hall, an Adult Bible Study, Kids in Action in the Sunday School hallway, and the Youth Service in the Rock on the lower level. The men's life group that meets at 6:30 pm on Tuesday nights is a complement to this Wednesday pattern, and the church tries to keep all of its midweek programming inside the same one-hour window so families can plan around a single block of time.
Kids in Action is led by Candy Hall and Terry Thomas and is built around a Wednesday night missions class. The church notes that Kids in Action does not meet if school is on break or there is a holiday, so the calendar moves with the local school schedule. Transportation is provided when needed; families can call the church office to be put on the route. The end of the school year is marked with an End of School Year Movie Night, and recent showings have included the film David.
The Youth Service in the Rock is taught by Russell Peirce. The Rock is the youth room on the lower level of the church and the home base for everything from Sunday School to midweek gatherings to special events like the Cereal Bowl Night, an annual cereal eating contest. Each winter the youth ministry also orders Jam Nation tickets for Winter Jam, which lets the group avoid standing outside in the cold and enjoy the pre-tour speakers and artists.
Men's Ministry: Breakfasts and Two Nights of Life Groups
The men's ministry at FBC Lexington is built around two simple rhythms. The first is a monthly men's breakfast that includes a Bible Study; the menu usually includes scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, fruit, and donuts. The second is a pair of weekly life groups. Men's life groups meet on Sunday night at 6:30 and on Tuesday night at 6:30 in the room across from the nursery. Childcare is provided for the Sunday night group. The men's ministry director is named in the church constitution as a standing officer of the church and reports quarterly and annually to the congregation.
Women's Ministry: Bible Study, Life Groups, and WAGOH
The women's ministry at FBC Lexington aims to be a place where women of all ages can get connected, attend special events, and participate in weekly Bible study or life groups. The Wednesday night Women's Bible Study meets at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall, and a Sunday night life group meets in the Rock from 6:30 pm. Childcare is available for the Sunday group upon request, and the group has been working through Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, with copies available to purchase through the church or to bring from home.
The signature annual women's event is WAGOH, the Women After God's Own Heart Conference, held over a weekend each fall. The 2025 conference took place on October 24 and 25 and is the kind of gathering the women's ministry uses to draw women and young ladies in sixth grade and up for worship, food, and fellowship, with breakfast and lunch served free of charge. The Women's Missionary Union director, called the WMU Director in the constitution, is responsible for missionary education, special missions offerings, and benevolent and social services, and reports quarterly and annually to the church.
Children's Ministry and Kids Korner Summer Day Camp
Children at FBC Lexington have a full weekly rhythm and a busy summer. On Sunday mornings they have Children's church during the worship hour, and on Wednesday nights they attend Kids in Action in the Sunday School hallway. The summer brings the church's Vacation Bible School, a week-long gathering held most recently July 27 through 31 with a closing Pool Party on July 31, and registration opens each day in the Fellowship Hall for any K through 6th grader who walks in.
Kids Korner is the church's summer day camp for children, directed by Sarah Chaney. The camp runs in the summer and operates out of the Education Building of FBC Lexington. Parents bring children in through the side entrance and sign them in and out each day, listing all authorized pickup persons on the enrollment form. The daily dress code calls for tennis shoes, an extra set of clothes, and a water bottle. On swim days (Tuesday and Thursday) children need a towel, flip flops, and a bathing suit. Kids Korner is a mandatory reporting facility, so any suspected child abuse or neglect will be reported within the guidelines of the Mandated Reporter Law, with the primary focus on the protection of the children.
Missions: Community Dinners, Trunk or Treat, and Jamaica
Missions and Outreach is one of the most visible ministries of FBC Lexington. The Community Dinner happens every second Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, or until all the food is gone. The dinner is open to anyone in the community and recent menus have included a sub sandwich bar with all the fixings, tacos and nachos, and spaghetti served to more than 250 people at the November dinner. Photos from recent dinners are credited to Stephanie Goode and Emily Haider.
Trunk or Treat is the church's annual fall outreach event. The Annual Ice Cream Social rounds out the summer with horse back riding, a blow up slide, Nine Square in the air, and other games. Each summer the church also sends a team to Jamaica to build houses. The summer 2025 trip included Larry Cook and Richard Webb.
The Missions and Outreach page on the church's site emphasizes that the congregation believes it is called to go and serve others, and Pastor Russell or the church office is the point of contact for anyone who wants to know more about getting involved.
What the Church Believes
First Baptist Church of Lexington holds to the historic Baptist faith as set out in The Baptist Faith and Message, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, as amended by the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention. The church's published Core Beliefs are drawn directly from that statement and cover the nature of God as one God eternally existent as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the personality and ministry of the Holy Spirit in regenerating and sanctifying believers; salvation by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the free gift of God's love and grace; the church as a body of baptized believers associated for worship, service, and the spread of the gospel; the deity, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension, and personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ; the creation of man in the image of God and the entrance of sin into the human race by willful transgression; the Bible as God's inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word; and the resurrection of the just and the unjust to eternal glory or eternal condemnation.
The two ordinances observed at FBC Lexington are believer's baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the Lord's Supper, in which members of the church memorialize the death of the Redeemer through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine. The Lord's Supper is celebrated on the second Sunday of each quarter or at such time as the church may determine, and all Christians present are invited to participate. The first day of the week is recognized as the Lord's Day, set apart for worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.
The Church Covenant
Members of FBC Lexington enter into a written covenant together as one body in Christ. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, they engage to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations. They also engage to maintain family and secret devotions, to religiously educate their children, to seek the salvation of their kindred and acquaintances, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in their dealings, faithful in their engagements, and exemplary in their deportments, to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger, to abstain from the sale of and use of destructive drugs or intoxicating drinks as a beverage, to shun pornography, and to be zealous in their efforts to advance the kingdom of their Savior. The covenant closes with a promise that, when members remove from Lexington, they will as soon as possible unite with some other church where they can carry out the spirit of the covenant and the principles of God's Word.
How the Church Is Organized
First Baptist Church of Lexington is an autonomous Southern Baptist congregation governed by its members under the Lordship of Christ. The most recent revision of its constitution and by-laws was completed on April 13, 2025, and the church operates under two parallel sets of by-laws, one for the church body and one for the corporation that holds its property. Members act and vote in the transactions of the church; no member votes by proxy; and a quorum for any business transaction consists of members present. A simple majority vote is necessary for passage except where otherwise stated, and amendments to the constitution or by-laws require a two-thirds vote of the members present after at least thirty days' written notice.
Membership is open to those who come by profession of faith and baptism, by baptism alone if they are already believers, by transfer of letter from another Baptist church, or by statement of faith if they have previously been baptized by immersion. New members are encouraged to attend the New Member Class, which meets during the Sunday School hour from 9:30 to 10:30. Baptism is handled by speaking with Pastor Russell or by calling the church office.
The active ministry staff includes the Senior Pastor, the Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry, and the Minister of Music, each selected by a Search Committee whose candidates must receive an affirmative vote of at least eighty percent of members present. The Senior Pastor serves as moderator of all business meetings, with the Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry serving in the pastor's absence, the Chairman of Deacons next, and the Vice-Chairman of Deacons after that. The Chairman of Deacons is Aaron Dunn. The Church Clerk is David Garner, who also serves as a Deacon and as Historian of the Church. The Music Director position is currently vacant, and the Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry position is also currently vacant. The church office is run by Suellen Lauvstad, the Church Secretary and Administrative Assistant, and the building is cared for by custodian Paul Mitchell.
The church supports a wide range of standing committees laid out in the by-laws, including Adult Ministry, Audit, Baptism, Building, Cadet (for ministry with Wentworth Military Cadets), Children's Ministry, Church Constitution, Committee on Committees, Counting, Finance, Flower, Grounds, History, Kitchen and Hostess, Library and Media, Memorial, Music, Technology, and Worship, Nominating, Nursery, Outdoor Bulletin Board, Personnel, Scheduling, Special Events, Van, Weekday Children's Ministry (Kids Korner), West Central Association Board, and Youth. The Cadet Committee specifically plans ministry with Wentworth Military Cadets to integrate them into the church family, and the West Central Association Board represents the interests of FBC Lexington in the work of the local Baptist association.
The FBC Library and Discipleship Resources
The FBC Library sits in the foyer by the sanctuary and is open before services for anyone who wants to browse or check out a book. The collection includes theology, fiction, and self help titles that can help grow a person's faith. Visitors can stop in before the service to see what's on the shelf or browse the catalog online through the church's LibraryThing page. The library team is staffed by Steve Nickell, Linda Zumalt, and Amanda Peirce. The library is also supported by a Library and Media Committee charged with assisting with the planning and care of the library facility and equipment.
For new members or anyone wanting a structured walk through the basics of the faith, the New Member Class (also called the Discipleship Class) meets during Sunday School from 9:30 to 10:30. A sample of the material used for the class is shared in advance as a document titled Discipled Fellowship.
Bible-Through-the-Year Reading Plan
FBC Lexington publishes its own Yearly Bible Study Plan, a day-by-day reading schedule that walks through the entire Bible in roughly a year, with both readable and audio options for each day's passage through Bible Gateway. The plan is laid out in printable form as a Bible Through A Year Checklist, and each block of days points to a specific book of the Bible, with a short description of what that book is about. Genesis covers days 1 through 12 and is described as the book that describes the creation, gives the history of the old world, and of the steps taken by God toward the formation of theocracy. Exodus covers days 13 through 24. The plan moves through Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Songs of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi in the Old Testament, then through the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. Each block includes both a Read link and a Listen link on Bible Gateway, so readers and listeners can follow the same schedule side by side.
Plan a Visit, Give, and Stay Connected
Anyone wanting to visit can fill out the Schedule a Visit form online, and anyone wanting to support the ministry of FBC Lexington can give online through Continue to Give. The church's sermons are posted online in a pair of Weekly Sermons archives, one for 2025 and one for 2026, and the Media page links to the church's Facebook page and to its YouTube channel where the Sunday messages are available to watch and share. The calendar of upcoming events, including things like the Annual Ice Cream Social, Trunk or Treat, WAGOH, VBS, the Jamaica Missions Trip, and the Community Dinner, is updated through the Calendar link at the top of the site, and a Google Calendar embedded on the church's pages keeps the schedule visible in one place.
The address for First Baptist Church of Lexington is 525 South Business Highway 13, Lexington, Missouri 64067, and the church office phone is (660) 259-3915. The church office email is fbcoflex4@gmail.com. Russell Peirce is the Senior Pastor, and the deacons, teachers, and ministry leaders across the church stand ready to welcome anyone who walks through the doors at 10:45 on a Sunday morning.