First Baptist Church Muncie has stood at the corner of East Adams and South Jefferson in downtown Muncie, Indiana, since the spring of 1929. The limestone Gothic Revival building, on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988, is the congregation's third home and the only church in Muncie and Delaware County so designated. Behind its tall, narrow windows and buttressed walls, a congregation that traces its roots to a county courthouse meeting in 1859 gathers every Sunday at 10:45 a.m. for intergenerational worship, with livestreams available on YouTube for those joining from elsewhere.
A Church Born in 1859, Raised by a Gas Boom
On September 10, 1859, twelve Indiana residents, four men and eight women, signed the charter that founded the first Baptist Church in Muncie. The town was then a community of about 1,700 people and already hosted Methodist, Presbyterian, and Universalist congregations. For the next two and a half years, the small group met in a single courtroom of the Delaware County courthouse, gathering only once a month. In June 1862, the congregation moved into its first purpose-built structure, a modest 48-by-34-foot building that cost $2,131.80.
The first decades were lean. Members arrived in homemade flannel or linens, women carrying sunbonnets they doubled into fans, men in shirt-sleeves, and children often barefoot. There was no electric light, no gas, no kerosene, only candles. Financial pledges were honored or quietly dropped depending on a member's opinion of the pastor. Bickering grew so serious in the 1870s that a motion to disband the church was raised in a business meeting in 1880; it did not pass.
Harmony returned under Pastor N.B. Rairden, who arrived in 1881 with his wife and stayed nearly four years, longer than any predecessor. Under his leadership the church officially adopted the name First Baptist Church of Muncie, Indiana. The arrival of Pastor Loren Clevenger in 1887 coincided with the natural-gas boom that swelled Muncie's population and tripled First Baptist's membership from 67 to 141 in just three years. The old building could not hold the crowds, and on July 20, 1890, the congregation moved into a second, much larger sanctuary. That same year the church hosted the annual meeting of the Indiana Baptist Convention, the first time the convention had met in Muncie.
Twelve-and-a-half years under Pastor Cassius M. Carter beginning in 1898 brought the church its widest recognition to that point. A three-time president of the Indiana Baptist Convention, Carter preached and lectured across the country and in Europe. Under his leadership the church joined the early-twentieth-century "Institutional Church" movement, adding an $18,000 annex in 1900 that housed a gymnasium, reading room, study, social room, and club rooms for young men and women.
Building the Gothic Sanctuary, Losing It, and Buying It Back
In 1921, Pastor William Graham Everson, a lieutenant colonel who had served in Italy and Austria during World War I and carried the nickname "The Fighting Parson," stepped into the pulpit. His preaching filled the sanctuary, then built for 450 to 500 worshipers, and forced the opening of an overflow area. Some evenings people were turned away at the door. Everson pushed the congregation to build again, and after years of fundraising and deliberation, construction began on a new sanctuary at Adams and Jefferson. On May 12, 1929, some 1,200 people marched from the old building to the new one. The Gothic Revival church cost $338,000, and the congregation had managed to raise enough to take on only a $166,000 mortgage.
The stock market crash came months later. Over the next four years, the church's income fell nearly 70 percent, from $35,000 to under $11,000. In 1938 the bondholders foreclosed and the building was sold at auction in Indianapolis to Mercantile Trust Company for $55,250, less than half the principal owed. The church was given a year to remain in the building. Working through that year, the congregation bought it back for $70,000, exactly one year and one week after losing it. The experience forged a long-standing reluctance among older members to take on church debt ever again.
The same building stands today. Designed by Samuel Hannaford and Sons and built by Morrow and Morrow of Indiana limestone, it follows a cruciform plan with structural members in compression, tall buttresses, interior load-bearing columns, and tall narrow windows. The number of new Gothic Revival buildings declined sharply after the 1930s, which is part of what makes the structure distinctive.
The Past Twenty-First-Century Chapters
The late twentieth century brought challenges and reconciliations. Under Pastor Dan Mattox (1974 to 1989), the longest tenure in the church's history, attendance held steady, and the congregation enjoyed a sense of stability. In the 1990s, Pastor George Saunders helped lead a series of citywide unity services with Black and white churches; an estimated 5,000 people gathered in Worthen Arena at Ball State University in 1998 for one such service, with another 5,000 the following spring.
The 2000s were marked by "worship wars" over blended, traditional, and contemporary services, leading to a period of declining attendance but ultimately to a more settled spirit. In the 2010s, under Pastor Wade, the church received an Eli Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant of nearly $41,000 for a fifteen-week sabbatical and launched the Legacy Capital Campaign, raising more than $300,000 to tuck-point and seal the stone exterior, carpet and refinish the sanctuary, and improve signage. A long-term project called The Story Project produced the book We Are the Clay, edited by Julie Davis and now available for purchase.
The 2020 pandemic closed buildings and moved services online. In 2022 the congregation made history by calling not one but two pastors: Jonathan Balmer and Kendall Ellis, a married couple who became Co-Pastors, the first such arrangement in the church's long life. Jonathan preaches and oversees discipleship and theology; Kendall preaches and oversees youth ministry and community engagement. Together they continue to share the pulpit, alternating responsibilities alongside the Church Coordination Team.
Walking In on a Sunday Morning
Sunday at First Baptist begins at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School. Children from nursery age through fifth grade gather in the Kids Center and classrooms on the lower level for Bible lessons, music, choir, handbells, theater, and creative exercises built around one of four spiritual habits: spending time with others, using gifts, spending time with God, and witnessing to faith. Adults meet in two main classes: the Intergenerational Bible Study led by Jim Butler and the Friendship Class led by Pastor Jonathan, a mix of adults that often alternates between theological topics and Bible study on the Christian life. Sixth through twelfth graders join the Youth Large Group in the Youth Center. Parents pick up children from the Nursery and Worship Arts Sunday School at 10:15 a.m. for a time of fellowship in the Fellowship Hall, where donuts and conversation accompany the move toward worship.
At 10:45 a.m., the whole congregation gathers in the Sanctuary. Greeters at each entrance help visitors find their way, and children's name tags are issued for nursery and children's church. Worship is intergenerational and follows a blended style, drawing from both traditional hymnody and contemporary Christian music. The order of service includes singing and praying together, hearing scripture read aloud, preaching, and on the first Sunday of each month, the celebration of the Lord's Supper. On communion Sundays the whole church family worships together end to end, so that every member may take part. Nursery care is available throughout the service for infants through age three, and a Family Room offers rocking chairs, a changing table, a live stream of the service, and a quiet place for nursing parents.
Children in preschool through fifth grade begin worship with their families for about fifteen minutes, joining in songs, scripture readings, prayers, and an occasional Children's Time at the front of the sanctuary, before being dismissed to Children's Church. Two classes are offered: Kickstart for preschool through second grade, and The Underground for third through fifth graders. Each uses a security tag system, and all volunteers are background checked. Parents may walk their child to the classroom or pick them up after worship with the matching tag.
Co-Pastors Kendall Ellis and Jonathan Balmer
Kendall Ellis grew up in Kentucky and earned a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature from Georgetown College. She went on to receive both a Master of Divinity from Baylor University's Truett Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Baylor's Garland School of Social Work in 2022. Before becoming a co-pastor, Kendall served in a juvenile corrections facility, worked as a youth minister, taught college women as a resident chaplain, and held internships at the intersection of church and nonprofit work. Her favorite Scripture is Romans 8:17. In her free time she hikes, tends her houseplants, and bakes.
Jonathan Balmer, also a Georgetown College graduate, holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and History and a Master of Divinity from Truett Theological Seminary, completed in 2020. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked as a youth minister, taught high school English in the United States, and taught English as a Foreign Language to middle schoolers in South Korea. His favorite verse is John 16:33. He enjoys video games, podcasts, the Cincinnati Reds, and the movies.
Both pastors preach, teach, and shepherd the congregation alongside the Church Coordination Team and a body of deacons. Their office hours are set aside on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and appointments can be scheduled online.
The Way, the Witness, and the Work
First Baptist describes its shared life through four "Ws." Worship is the first, gathering as the full intergenerational body of Christ to lift up the name of the Triune God. The Way is discipleship: a growth track for the curious and new believers, a caring deacon assigned to each regular attendee, and small-group life groups that meet in homes and at the church to study Scripture and pray together.
Witness is the church's effort to build Christ-sharing relationships in Muncie and beyond. Members speak openly about their faith, partner with local organizations, and support missionaries, what the church calls "Global Servants," around the world. The Work is the congregation's response to the biblical call to acts of mercy: volunteering with partner organizations, giving sacrificially, caring for members who are sick or homebound, and using the church building itself as a resource for the broader community.
The church's 2025 to 2026 watchword, drawn from Isaiah 12:4, sums up this rhythm: "Praise and Proclaim." Praise is the purpose of worship; proclaiming the name of Jesus to neighbors and the world is the joy that follows.
Children's Ministry: A Safe, Age-Appropriate, Intergenerational Place
Children from infancy through fifth grade are cared for holistically, with attention to spiritual, emotional, social, and physical needs. Three classroom experiences, the Nursery, the Kids Center, and grade-level Children's Church spaces, are designed around the developmental stages of each age group. All Children's Ministry volunteers are background checked, and children can only be released to a parent or guardian who presents a matching security tag.
Throughout the year, special events add variety: Vacation Bible School, Parents' Night Out, family service opportunities, Trunk or Treat, and Operation Christmas Child. A monthly online newsletter keeps families posted, and parents can register for events through the Church Center App.
Youth Ministry: Big Questions, Deep Faith, Real Fun
Middle and high school students (grades 6 to 12) gather in the FBCM Youth Center every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. for Youth Large Group, led by Pastors Jonathan and Kendall alongside a youth volunteer. After Sunday School, students usually head to the Fellowship Hall for the Donut Hour before joining the wider congregation for worship.
On Wednesdays during the school year, City Life Club meets in the Fellowship Hall and Youth Center from 7:17 to 8:45 p.m. The evening begins with a shared meal at 7:17, continues with games and time together, and ends with Bible study. Family Day Out events, camps, retreats, mission trips, and progressive dinners round out the calendar. Students regularly serve as leaders in worship and help lead Vacation Bible School. A regular newsletter, "The Moose's Message," keeps families informed.
Adult Discipleship: Classes, Life Groups, and Service
Sunday morning offerings for adults include the Intergenerational Bible Study and the Friendship Class, both at 9:30 a.m. Between seasons of small-group life, the whole adult congregation gathers for All-Church Discipleship, a shared time of Bible study or a teaching series.
Life groups meet on different days in homes and at the church. Faithful Fellowship explores theology and snacks together on first and third Sunday evenings. The Jane Patton Life Group meets twice a month at 4 p.m. on Sundays during fall and spring. The Snowbirds Life Group meets midweek, typically Thursdays, in room B-05 during summer and fall. The Julie Davis Life Group gathers twice a month at 5:30 p.m. at Brian and Deena Green's home for extended Bible study and a shared meal. Charis Student Ministry, led by Daniel Harris, walks college students and young professionals through how faith meets everyday life.
Fresh Brewed Life gathers women of all ages for breakfast and conversation throughout the year. Church Friends Lunches, held several times a year, bring the whole church together for food and fellowship. Service trips offer adults and families the chance to serve alongside one another, sometimes in medium- to long-term disaster relief, sometimes alongside partner organizations closer to home.
Music and Worship Arts
Dr. Cynthia Smith, the Worship Arts Director, leads an intergenerational music ministry that blends long-time church members, college interns, and newer friends who sing and play a wide range of instruments, from ukulele to organ. A 22-rank Rodgers pipe organ anchors the sanctuary alongside the piano. Worship leaders greet worshipers at the door, lead singing, support the technical arts of sound, slides, and livestream, lead prayers and scripture readings, and serve communion. The handbell choir is open to new members of any experience level.
Outreach: Sewing, Serving, and the City
A multi-aged Sewing Group meets monthly in Room 203 to make pillowcases for those in need. The congregation partners with local organizations for community service days and supports disaster relief, mission work, and other needs through special offerings and projects. Outreach Coordinator Dana Davis connects members to these opportunities, and the church building itself, including the Fellowship Hall, Kitchen, Youth Center, and Sanctuary, is regularly opened to outside groups and community events. Building use is coordinated through an online request form and a property use agreement.
Beliefs: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
First Baptist subscribes to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833) as a guide for Christian teaching, while recognizing that believers hold a variety of views and that "in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity." The church is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky.
Central beliefs include the oneness of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the goodness of creation and the reality of human sin; the incarnation, sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ; the inspiration of Scripture; and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that calls the church to make disciples of all nations. Two ordinances are practiced: baptism upon confession of faith, and the Lord's Supper.
Baptist Identity: Four Values Held in Common
The congregation names four values it shares with the broader Baptist family. Lordship of Christ grounds each church directly under the authority of Jesus. Freedom to Serve upholds the autonomy of every local church and the right of every person to worship, or not worship, without coercion. Covenant Community describes the church as a covenanted people who promise to walk together in worship, accountability, and love. Church of Believers is the conviction that Christian faith is a free confession, not a birthright: baptism follows a personal profession of faith.
First Baptist welcomes believers from many backgrounds into membership. Those baptized as infants in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who trust in Christ are not required to be rebaptized to join. Anyone who wishes to join may come forward at the end of worship and be received by profession of faith and baptism, by transfer of letter from another church, or by statement of prior Christian experience. Associate membership is available for those temporarily living in Muncie.
Visiting First Baptist Muncie
The church sits at 309 East Adams Street in downtown Muncie. The parking lot is on the Adams Street side. The most-used entrances are the circular-drive entrance on Adams (wheelchair accessible, with an automatic door and elevator to every floor), the large wooden front doors facing the Sanctuary, and the Jefferson Street side doors, which open into the main hallway near the church offices. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms with baby-changing tables are on the first floor and the lower level. Assisted listening devices are available from greeters or the Welcome Center on Sundays. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and Sunday mornings. The phone number is (765) 284-7749, and the general email is office@fbcmuncie.org.
Visitors who are new to the church are welcome to fill out a virtual visitor's card online. Those who wish to share a birth announcement, a death, a special birthday or anniversary, an engagement or marriage, a graduation, a faith decision, or a contact information update can notify the church through a separate online form.
Weddings, Concerts, and a Building Open to the City
First Baptist hosts weddings, funerals, and concerts in its historic Sanctuary. The Wedding Coordinator, Ella Mae Lemen, works with couples to plan ceremonies, and a bridal suite is available for the wedding party. Outside groups and community organizations can request to use the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Kitchen, or Youth Center through an online building use request form and a signed property use agreement.
One of the most beloved annual offerings is the Händel's Messiah Sing-In and Carols, a participatory evening in December when the community joins the church in singing choruses from Messiah and favorite carols, accompanied by the church organ and joined by vocal soloists and an art presentation curated by Ball State University School of Art students. Admission is free, and donations support the upkeep of the historic building.
Publications and Communication
The Visitor, the church newsletter, has been published since 1946 and now appears quarterly. Current and past issues are available for download. We Are the Clay, the book of testimonies collected through The Story Project, can be purchased online. A full-length history of the congregation by Dr. William G. Eidson, Journey Down Jefferson Street, is available in the church library. Weekly updates, sermon resources, podcasts, and event registration are available through the Church Center App on iOS and Android. The congregation also maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Threads.
For 166 years and counting, First Baptist Church Muncie has gathered at this corner of Muncie to praise God, study Scripture, baptize new believers, and share the Lord's Supper, and to invite its neighbors into the same good news that has shaped this congregation from its very first meeting in a county courthouse.