First Baptist Church Monroe has stood at the corner of Wayne and McDaniel in downtown Monroe, Georgia, since 1829, when its first 17 members organized a congregation that would outlast two buildings and counting. The church's third sanctuary, completed in 1916, still anchors the campus today, and the stained-glass sanctuary is now surrounded by a full week of programming that runs from a weekday preschool through a senior adult ministry called the Wayfarers.
Two Centuries at the Corner of Wayne and McDaniel
The story of First Baptist Monroe begins in 1829 with a small group of believers meeting in the heart of town. Over the years the congregation has worshipped in three successive buildings; the present sanctuary was finished in 1916 and remains the focal point of the campus. Senior Pastor Todd Ware frames the church's identity around three phrases that have become its operating rhythm: Learning Truth, Loving God and Others, and Living Life Like Jesus.
Learning Truth means looking to Scripture as the sole source for belief and practice. Loving God is expressed through both gathered worship and daily life, while loving others shows up in authentic community and mutual care. Living Like Jesus is what pushes the church outward into the city of Monroe and around the world, modeled on the geography of Acts 1:8, from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth.
That outward posture is also written into the architecture. As Pastor Ware writes, just as the building is located in the heart of town, the church has a heart for Monroe, and a corresponding concern for the nations beyond it.
Three Sunday Morning Services Under One Roof
First Baptist Monroe is unusual for a church its size in offering three distinct Sunday morning services, each with its own musical character and feel. All three share the same basic shape: music, prayer, live preaching, and a time of offering.
The 8:30 Early Worship meets in the sanctuary and is led by a praise band under worship leader Alex Boskoff. The 10:50 Informal Worship gathers in the Fellowship Hall under worship leader Chris Bryan and offers the same contemporary style in a more relaxed setting. The 11:00 Traditional Worship is led by Rev. Curtis Murdock and features the Sanctuary Choir and organ singing traditional hymns.
The 10:50 Informal and 11:00 Traditional services are both livestreamed each week on Facebook and YouTube. A Wednesday night Bible study called the Pastor's Study is also streamed online.
During the summer and on certain holidays the church holds One Sundays, a single blended service that brings the praise band and choir together. Sunday School moves to 9:15 a.m. on those days and the combined service begins at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. On a normal Sunday, Sunday School runs from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., fitting neatly between the early and late services.
Sunday School for Every Age
Small groups are central to the life of the church, and Sunday School is the primary way members connect. Classes meet for every age and demographic, and the church encourages newcomers to visit the Welcome Center, talk to a staff member, or browse the classes list to find a good fit. Children's check-in for Sunday School opens at 9:30 a.m., with breakfast served before kids head to their rooms and pickup by 10:45 a.m.
Four young adult classes gather on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. The College and Career Class meets in the O'Kelley House under Elliott and Elizabeth Austin. The Joy Seekers Class, for singles and married couples without children, meets in Room 415 with Zachary Ware. The Way Class, for married couples with young children, meets in Room 404 with Minister to Young Adults Gloria Nguyen. On Wednesday nights the four combine for a single class in the O'Kelley House from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m.
Children: Birth Through Sixth Grade
The children's ministry partners with parents to lay spiritual foundations and help kids understand what it means to know Christ, accept Him as Lord and Savior, and grow in faith. Every child is greeted and checked in through a secure sticker system, with matching guardian stickers required for pickup.
On Sunday mornings, preschoolers (birth through kindergarten) have their own Preschool Worship during the 8:30 and 11:00 hours, with music, Bible lessons, and puppets. Children in 1st through 6th grade are invited to join their families for worship once they enter 1st grade, and they have their own Sunday School classes at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday nights expand the offering. A family dinner is served in the Fellowship Hall from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., and Kid Snack Suppers (pizza or Chick-fil-A) are available in the children's area at 6:00 p.m. From 6:00 to 7:15 p.m., 1st through 6th graders take part in music, a weekly Bible story, and Bible Skill Games, with a separate Bible Drill rotation for 4th through 6th graders that prepares them for church, associational, and state drills each spring. Preschoolers have their own discipleship and music programming in the same time block. Maria Brannen serves as Minister to Children.
Students in Grades Seven Through Twelve
The student ministry aims to help middle and high schoolers grow into a faith of their own and carry the Gospel into their schools, sports, and other corners of life. The ministry gathers on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m., on Wednesday nights at 6:00 p.m., and at special events as announced, meeting in The Loft on the fourth floor behind the sanctuary near the balconies.
The weekly rhythm is built around fellowship, worship, accountability, and understanding of God, and the ministry invests in students both inside the church and out in local schools. Students are encouraged to plug into bigger-picture church life through design teams, tech teams, and worship leadership, and to serve in the wider Monroe community. Kyle Brown serves as Minister to Students.
A Weekday Preschool in the Heart of Monroe
Beyond Sunday mornings, First Baptist Monroe runs a full weekday preschool program for children 12 months through 4 years old, following the Walton County school calendar from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The program shares the same purpose as the broader children's ministry: providing biblically based, age-appropriate education within a caring, responsive, and safe environment.
Safety undergirds the program. Security systems, emergency procedures, hygiene policies, and food and safety guidelines are all in place. Required registration, medical, and parent agreement forms are collected annually. Monica Spratlin directs the weekday education program, and registration for the following school year opens each February 1.
Music and Media
Music is treated as essential to worship, not decorative. First Baptist Monroe's three services each draw from a different musical vocabulary: contemporary praise bands at 8:30 and 10:50, traditional choir and organ at 11:00. The Sanctuary Choir is open to anyone ages 13 to 113 with no audition, rehearsing Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. and leading the annual Hanging of the Green service, a Christmas musical, and other special services.
A handbell group rehearses Wednesdays from 5:00 to 5:50 p.m. (August through May) and rings in the 11:00 service. Orchestral instrumentalists regularly augment the 11:00 service and additional players are always welcome. There is also ongoing need for media technicians to run sound, projection, recording, and broadcast, with training provided.
Women, Men, and Senior Adults
The Women's Ministry seeks to minister intentionally to women in every season of life through Bible studies, fellowship events, large gatherings, and one-on-one discipleship. Bible studies meet Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in Room 410 and Wednesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. in Room 310. Tena Alligood and Jenn Richardson lead the ministry, with Gloria Nguyen as staff representative.
The Men's Ministry encourages men to lead their families, the church, and the community in a way that honors the Lord, through Bible study, service projects, and the Deacons ministry. A men's Bible study gathers Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the Education Annex under Kevin Barrett.
The Wayfarers program serves adults 55 and older through the Mature Adult Ministry. The Wayfarers gather for breakfast on the second Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. and for lunch on the fourth Thursday at noon. Associate Pastor Bruce Baggett oversees the ministry.
Missions: From Monroe to the Ends of the Earth
The missions ministry frames its work around Acts 1:8 and pursues partnerships with missionaries and organizations locally, nationally, and globally. A published 2026 Missions Plan and long-term Strategic Plan lay out the scope of engagement, and the church supports a monthly mission focus that rotates through partners such as Team Up Mentoring, Global Hunger Relief, Relay for Life, A Center of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, Walton County Christian Learning Center, Operation Christmas Child, the Ladies Tea, and F.I.S.H. Medical and Angel Tree Christmas gifts. Jeff Prine leads the missions team.
Vacation Bible School, family mission trips, and summer camps fill out the missions calendar. Members are invited to live life on mission not only through giving but also through regular service opportunities close to home.
What to Expect on Your First Visit
Visitors are asked to enter the property from South Wayne Street and look for Guest Parking signs. From there, the Welcome Center inside the Fellowship Hall is easy to reach, where greeters can answer questions and point the way to the right worship service or Sunday School class. Green welcome flags and parking lot greeters mark the path in.
Dress is come-as-you-are. Some come in their Sunday best, others in jeans and a t-shirt, and the church emphasizes that newcomers will be embraced either way. Worship includes music, prayer, live preaching, and an offering. A guest form is available online, and event registration, giving, and a weekly newsletter called the Vision are all available digitally.
Three worship services on Sunday morning, three nursery and children's programming blocks through the week, a weekday preschool, and a broad slate of small groups and Bible studies mean that just about anyone in Monroe can find a door into the life of First Baptist Church - the same doors that have been open since 1829.