A Southern Baptist Church on Harlem Road
First Baptist Church of Machesney Park sits on Harlem Road in the village of Machesney Park, a northern Illinois community in Winnebago County just outside Rockford. The congregation identifies with the Southern Baptist Convention and grounds its teaching in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Its motto is short and plain: Following Jesus Together.
The phrase captures the church's stated aim. Members frame their life together around Jesus's command to "make disciples of all nations" from Matthew 28:19, and they describe their task simply as helping people follow Jesus in their private lives, in their families, at church, at work, and throughout society. Discipleship, in their words, is meant to produce more disciples.
A Sunday Morning Built Around the Word
Sunday at First Baptist Machesney Park follows a steady rhythm. Sunday School classes meet from 9:00 to 10:00 AM and are open to all ages. The hour is set aside for studying the Bible, building friendships, and growing in faith before the main service begins.
At 10:15 AM the congregation gathers for the main worship service, which runs about seventy-five minutes. The order of service centers on Christ-centered music, biblical preaching, and prayer.
Dress is casual. Most people come as they are. Children are welcome and cared for during the service by trained volunteers who lead age-appropriate programs designed to keep kids safe and engaged while parents worship.
Beliefs: The Baptist Faith and Message 2000
The church's statement of faith is the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, a confession of faith produced by the Southern Baptist Convention. The document lays out eighteen articles that shape how the congregation reads Scripture, worships, governs itself, and understands the Christian life.
Article I affirms that the Holy Bible, written by men divinely inspired, is God's revelation of Himself and a perfect treasure of divine instruction, totally true and trustworthy, with Christ as its central focus. Article II confesses one true and living God, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, who reveals Himself eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person of the Trinity is treated in turn: God the Father as providential ruler and Father to those who become His children through faith in Christ; God the Son as the eternal Son who took on human nature, died on the cross for the redemption of sinners, rose again, ascended, and now serves as the one Mediator between God and man; God the Holy Spirit as fully divine, who inspired Scripture, convicts of sin, regenerates believers, baptizes them into the Body of Christ, and cultivates Christian character until final redemption.
Article III holds that human beings are made in God's image, male and female, and that through one man's sin the race fell into a nature inclined toward sin, leaving every person under condemnation apart from God's grace. Article IV explains salvation as the redemption of the whole person, offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and traces it through regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The note attached to Article VI records that the confession was amended on June 14, 2023, by action of the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention.
Articles VII through XVIII cover the church as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers governed through democratic processes under the Lordship of Christ; believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the two ordinances; the first day of the week as the Lord's Day; the Kingdom of God; last things including the personal return of Christ and final judgment; the duty of every believer to share the gospel; Christian education; stewardship of time, talents, and possessions; voluntary cooperation among churches for missions and benevolence; the Christian's relationship to social order; peace and war; religious liberty and the separation of church and state; and the family as the foundational institution of human society, defined as the lifelong covenant union of one man and one woman, with children as a blessing and heritage from the Lord.
The Church's Own Values
In addition to the eighteen articles of faith, the congregation summarizes its values in seven short statements. They value God as the sovereign Creator, Lord, Provider, Law Giver, and Judge. They value the Bible as God's authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient guide for life and godliness. They value the gospel as the good news that Jesus died and was raised again to save sinners. They value Jesus's mission to make disciples of all nations. They value Christlike character, pursuing holiness, humility, and integrity. They value the family as God's design for forming faith and passing on the gospel to the next generation. And they value serving their neighbors in love through practical action.
Get Connected: Sunday School, Small Groups, Men's and Women's Ministry
The church builds community through several overlapping rhythms. Sunday School runs at 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings and is the first doorway into the congregation for most people.
Small groups meet in homes and at the church throughout the week, offering space for deeper discussion, prayer, and friendship than a Sunday gathering can provide.
The men's ministry gathers throughout the year for events, service projects, and a Bible study that meets every Saturday morning. The goal is strong faith and strong friendships among men pursuing God.
The women's ministry offers Bible studies and special events focused on encouragement, community, and spiritual growth, with a place for women at any stage to belong.
Awana and Children's Ministry
Children have a regular place in the life of the church. During the Sunday worship service, age-appropriate programs led by trained volunteers welcome kids into a safe environment so that parents can take part in the service.
Awana, the international children's ministry that combines Bible teaching, games, and Scripture memorization, is also part of the church's outreach to families. Sign-ups are available through the church's connection card.
Baptism: A Symbol, Not a Means
The church practices believer's baptism by immersion, holding it as an act of obedience that follows conversion rather than a means of salvation. In their explanation, baptism does not secure anyone eternal life with God; salvation is a gift of God's grace received through faith alone.
Baptism pictures the moment of conversion, when a person turns from sin and trusts in Jesus Christ. It symbolizes the believer's death to sin and resurrection to walk in newness of life, points to union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and marks entrance into covenant relationship with the triune God. It also publicly identifies the believer as a member of the body of Christ, the church.
Governance: Elders and Deacons
First Baptist Machesney Park follows the congregational model described in Article VI of its confession. The New Testament offices recognized by the church are pastor/elder/overseer and deacon.
The current slate of elders includes Terry Gilmore, Fred Moore, Terry Morning, and Troy Steiner. John Eyster serves as deacon. The church's governing decisions are made under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes in which each member is responsible and accountable to Christ.
Giving and Staying in Touch
The church's address is 718 Harlem Road in Machesney Park, Illinois, and the office can be reached at 815-633-2740 or by email at office@fbcmp.net. Giving is available online, and the church maintains a presence on Facebook and Instagram, where updates and announcements are shared throughout the week.
For a first visit, the Sunday morning schedule is the starting point: Sunday School at 9:00 AM, worship at 10:15 AM, casual dress, and a welcome desk staffed by people who are ready to answer questions about the life of the church.