A Long Presence on Main Street
First Baptist Church Madison sits at 2100 Main Street in Madison, Mississippi, on the north side of the road just east of the railroad tracks and about a mile and a half off Interstate 55. The congregation began in 1889 when nineteen charter members first met at the local Presbyterian house of worship, then known as Madison Station Baptist Church. A memorial gift a few years later made it possible to purchase land, and the church has continued to grow on that same Main Street footprint ever since. Today it is a multi-generational Southern Baptist congregation known for blended music that pairs traditional hymns and modern praise, an extensive Wednesday night program, a church-run preschool, and a steady stream of mission work that reaches from Madison to the wider world.
Sunday Mornings at the Worship Center
Two identical Sunday morning services fill the Worship Center at 9:00 and 10:30 AM. Both services are also broadcast online so that members can join from home or on the road. Senior Pastor Dr. Breck Ladd preaches Gospel-based messages that anchor the gathering, while the worship team leads a celebratory mix of traditional hymns, modern hymns, and contemporary praise songs supported by a full orchestra and rhythm section. The atmosphere is described by the church as vibrant and heartfelt, drawing on a range of instruments to give the music depth and variety.
For first-time guests, marked guest parking is reserved close to the entrance, and the building is accessible with ramps, elevators, and handicapped spaces throughout the lot. Greeters staff an information desk in the foyer and are glad to point visitors toward a Bible Fellowship Group that fits their stage of life. Most members dress in Sunday best, though the only real requirement is to come in something comfortable and ready to worship.
Bible Fellowship Groups at 9:00 and 10:30
Bible Fellowship Groups, the church's Sunday School program, meet on campus at the same two hours as the worship services. Open to anyone looking to study God's Word and build relationships, the groups are organized by life stage. Young Adults and Families groups meet at 9:00 AM and include college students, career singles, women's groups, newly married couples, young married couples, and parents of younger children. Median Adults and Families groups also meet at 9:00 AM and serve those raising teenagers and college students, along with empty nesters and a special Celebration Choir and Orchestra group. Senior Adult groups meet at both 9:00 and 10:30 AM and offer coed, women's, men's, widowed, and married options so that anyone aged 65 and older can find a community that fits their season of life.
For those who want to go deeper, D Groups grow out of the Bible Fellowship Groups and give men and women a smaller setting for accountability and Bible study. Members are encouraged to connect with Executive Pastor Ben Atkinson to find or form a D Group.
Wednesdays at First
Wednesdays are the church's midweek gathering point. The Family Night Supper begins at 4:45 PM in the Family Life Center and runs until 5:45, with adults priced at ten dollars, children at five dollars, and a family cap of thirty dollars. Reservations are taken through the church's supper link and need to be made the Monday before. From 6:00 to 6:45 PM, Dr. Breck Ladd leads a prayer and Bible study in the Worship Center that the church describes as a chance to be reminded of the truth and hope of Christ in the middle of the week.
The rest of Wednesday evening is filled with age-graded programming. The Celebration Choir and Celebration Orchestra rehearse from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, with brass, woodwinds, and the rhythm section gathering in separate rooms before combining in the Worship Center at 6:45. Preschool children in K3 through K5 take part in B.L.A.S.T., a blend of Bible study, missions, music, and playtime that drops off at 6:00 PM and picks up at 7:00. Elementary children in first through fifth grade join 2:52Kids for large group worship, small group time, and recreation, also from 6:00 to 7:00. Students in grades six through twelve meet in the upstairs Student Center for fellowship, the Fusion Praise Band, and Bible study. Adult electives on Wednesday nights change with the season, with recent offerings including a five-week study through Colossians for men and studies of Proverbs and Philippians for women.
Kids@First and the Learning Center
Children are at the heart of the church's family strategy, organized under the Kids@First banner. Infants through pre-kindergarten are cared for in a secure nursery staffed by trained adults who have all passed background checks, with a check-in process through the Preschool and Children Building. Preschoolers in K3 through K5 experience age-appropriate teaching, crafts, and playtime that points them to the love of God, while elementary children in first through fifth grade enjoy Bible lessons and activities tailored to their stage. The church also runs Blessed Uniquely, a special needs program offered during the 10:30 AM service for families who need extra support during worship.
Right on the same campus, the Kids@First Learning Center provides full-day child care for children from eight weeks old through four years of age, open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays. After-school care is available for K5 through fifth graders from 2:30 to 6:00 PM during the school year and all day during the summer. Rates, supply fees, and a parent handbook are available from Learning Center Director Sue Hall, and families can add their names to a waiting list for priority placement when a spot opens.
Students in Grades 6 through 12
Student Pastor Luke Comfort leads CONNECT Student Ministry, with Mackenzie Odom serving alongside as Associate to Student Ministries. CONNECT exists to foster what the ministry calls a life-changing connection to Jesus Christ, His Word, His Church, and His Mission. On Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, students gather in small groups for Bible study, once a month enjoying a student breakfast provided by their parents. Wednesday nights at 6:00 PM, students move into a student-focused worship service that mixes fellowship time with the Fusion Praise Band, teaching, and student testimonies. The ministry also keeps an active social presence to stay connected between gatherings.
Adults, Men, Women, and Families
Adults at First Baptist Madison have many ways to grow alongside one another. The Family Equipping Pastor, Jason Holmes, oversees ministries that walk with parents and grandparents through marriage, parenting, and special situations. The Men's Ministry gathers men for Bible study and accountability, hosting the annual Sportsman's Feast, the Just The Guys dinners, and Father and Son events throughout the year. The Women's Ministry centers on Bible study, fellowship, and service, with regular Bible studies, luncheons, and holiday dinners on the calendar.
The Recreation Ministry operates the Family Life Center, which includes a walking track, a basketball court, and women's exercise classes. The FLC is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM to noon, giving members of all ages a place to walk, play, and stay active as part of the church's whole-life discipleship.
Senior Adults and the Legacy Builders
Derrick Smith serves as the church's Congregational Care and Senior Adult Pastor, walking alongside members in every season of life. The Senior Adult ministry, known as the Legacy Builders, welcomes anyone with a heart to serve, while focusing primarily on those aged 65 and above. The group gathers for a monthly meeting on the third Monday at noon in the Family Life Center, with an inspirational program and a charge for the meal. Mondays at 1:00 PM, Game Day brings members upstairs in the FLC for an afternoon of fellowship. A monthly newsletter is mailed to every Legacy Builder with event news, birthdays, and prayer updates, and the Homebound Ministry keeps regular contact with members who can no longer attend in person and alerts the church when special needs arise.
Music and Worship Arts
Worship and Communications Pastor Ross Johnson leads a wide-ranging worship ministry that brings together the Celebration Choir, the Celebration Orchestra, and the Voices of Joy, a group for older singers that rehearses on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM. The Celebration Choir and Orchestra rehearse on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM, with the orchestra also gathering briefly on Sunday mornings at 8:00 AM. Rehearsals are treated as both musical preparation and spiritual preparation, giving members a chance to grow as musicians and worshipers at the same time. A media team directed by JP Martin handles audio, video, and lighting across services and events, and trains volunteers in those arts.
Missions at Home and Around the World
Missions and Outreach Pastor Anthony Britt oversees a network of mission partners that reaches from Madison to the ends of the earth. Local Partners extend the church's service into the surrounding community. North American Partners support church planting and community development across the United States and Canada, with the church participating annually in the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions. International Partners include global gospel and humanitarian projects supported through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Within Mississippi, the church supports the Margaret Lackey State Offering, which funds Garaywa Camp and Conference Center, disaster relief, collegiate outreach, and other ministries across the state. Members can keep up with current Mission Journeys through the church's mission portal.
Baptism and the Path of Discipleship
Baptism at First Baptist Madison is by immersion and is described as an outward expression of an inward faith in Jesus Christ. The church teaches that baptism symbolizes the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and serves as a public step of obedience. Baptisms are typically held during Sunday worship services as a way for the whole congregation to celebrate with the family. Anyone interested is encouraged to talk with a pastor, who will walk through the meaning of the ordinance, pray with them, and help plan the service.
The church's Keys to Growth framework, called the F.I.R.S.T. Lifestyle, organizes Christian growth into four overlapping connections: up with God, in with the church family, deeper with other believers, and out with the world. Members are invited to keep moving along this pathway throughout their lives, taking next steps through Bible study, baptism, group membership, service, and witness.
A Statement of Beliefs
The church's statement of faith follows the historic Southern Baptist tradition. Scripture is held to be God-breathed, totally true and trustworthy, and the supreme standard for Christian belief and practice. God is one in being and three in person, revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is affirmed as the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, who died on the cross for sin and rose again. The Holy Spirit is honored as the One who inspired Scripture, regenerates believers, baptizes them into the body of Christ, and empowers the church for worship, evangelism, and service.
The church holds to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, expressed in the historic doctrines of election, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. A New Testament church is described as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, governed by the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes, with the offices of pastor, elder, and deacon. Two ordinances are observed: believer's baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. The first day of the week is set apart as the Lord's Day, and every member is encouraged to give cheerfully, regularly, and proportionately for the advancement of the gospel.
From a Memorial Gift to a Modern Campus
The church's history traces back to 1889 and a small group meeting in the Presbyterian house of worship. A memorial gift made possible the purchase of land in 1891, and in 1894 the congregation merged with New Hope Baptist Church, which continued as New Hope Madison Station Baptist Church. Pastors served part-time until 1926, and the original building was lost to fire in 1944, with the congregation worshiping with the local Methodists during the rebuilding. A new building went up starting in 1949, with a Fellowship Hall added in 1952 and an activities building under Rev. Billy McKay in 1967.
Dr. James Richardson became pastor in 1981 and oversaw rapid growth, the name change to First Baptist Church of Madison, and major building expansions including a new sanctuary and Christian Activities Center. Dr. John A. Temple followed in 1993, and by the church's 115th anniversary celebration the congregation had grown to roughly 2,700 members with a Sunday School enrollment near 2,400. Dr. Ronnie Falvey led the church from 2008 to 2021, expanding the worship center and educational spaces while extending the church's global mission footprint. Dr. Breck Ladd joined as Senior Pastor in June 2023, opening the current chapter of ministry and vision.
Connecting Throughout the Week
Beyond the regular Sunday and Wednesday schedule, the church provides many ways to stay in touch. The FBC Madison app offers giving, prayer requests, sermon notes, ministry groups, and a TouchPoint profile that personalizes the experience. Members can also give online, follow the church on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, join Right Now Media for on-demand Bible teaching, and follow the daily In the Word Bible Reading Plan, which walks through Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs each weekday. Sunday Sermon Notes and the church calendar keep the whole family connected to the life of the congregation, while the FBC Madison Library opens on Sunday and Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings as a quiet place for families to read together.