First Baptist Church of New Carlisle
First Baptist Church of New Carlisle sits along State Route 571 on the western edge of New Carlisle, Ohio, in Clark County. Since 1956 it has been gathering as a Southern Baptist congregation in this small community between Dayton and Springfield, working alongside the Greater Dayton Association of Baptists, the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, and the Southern Baptist Convention. Members describe their shared purpose plainly: to show how great God is through Jesus Christ by the power of his Spirit.
The church is known in the area for several things at once. Its long-running Wee Care Child Care Center has served local families for decades. Upward Sports and CenterShot, an archery program for kids, draw young families from across the region. A food pantry operated through Bethel Churches United extends the congregation's care into the wider community. And a teaching archive of more than 165 pages of sermons going back many years reflects the kind of steady, expository ministry that Pastor Curt Sharbaugh has shaped since he accepted the call in 2016.
From a Tent Revival to a Permanent Home on Route 571
The congregation traces its roots to the fall of 1955, when two local families - Wesley Crumpler's and Chester Johnson's - both members of Northridge Baptist Church in Dayton, along with their pastor Rev. McGuffey, saw the need for a Southern Baptist witness in New Carlisle. Rev. McGuffey and a teenage helper named Fred Hill surveyed the area and recommended that Northridge sponsor a new mission. Formal sponsorship came on September 11, 1955.
Services that autumn began on Sunday afternoons at the Odd Fellows Hall on South Main Street, then moved to a vacant lot near Smith Park for a tent revival in October 1955. When the weather turned cold, services shifted to private homes, with many meetings held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Crumpler. The first Sunday school met at the Coleman Auto Wash on Smith Street with eleven people present. Later the mission moved to the home of the Mattingly family at 120 West Jefferson Street; the Mattinglys were the first to join the mission by letter on September 25, 1955.
After a special Wednesday night prayer meeting asking God for a permanent space, members found a second-floor room at 101 1/2 West Jefferson. Volunteers worked three hours each evening for a month hauling out three truckloads of debris and applying twenty-two gallons of paint. They bought 117 used seats from Liberty Baptist Church in Norwood, Ohio, for $100, and built a pulpit from scrap lumber left in the building. The first business meeting on December 7, 1955, voted to send 10 percent of all offerings to mission work through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program and to set aside 30 percent for a future building fund.
By January 1956 the mission had grown to thirty members. On January 15, 1956, an eleven-year-old boy named Freddie Porter became the first member to come by profession of faith and baptism. On May 13, 1956, with forty-six charter members, the mission was constituted as New Carlisle Baptist Church. Rev. Ray Roberts, State Executive Secretary, preached the charge and sermon. The church was incorporated on September 5, 1956, and was renamed First Baptist Church of New Carlisle.
Land was purchased in December 1956 - 4.22 acres one mile west of town on Route 571, at a cost of $5,275, when the building fund held only $1,282.58. A $25,000 loan from the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention helped fund the first building, a 32-by-100-foot structure with a full basement constructed by Wenrick Construction Co. and occupied in July 1960.
Eight Pastors and a Family Life Center
The congregation's pastoral story moves through nine men. Rev. Fred Hill served as the mission's first pastor until September 10, 1956. After interim supply, Rev. Benjamin Hubbard was called on February 13, 1957, and led during the early building years. Rev. John Stott followed in October 1963 and oversaw the first sanctuary expansion - a 350-seat worship space, ten classrooms, a baptistry, and a larger kitchen completed in July 1966. The Sunday school enrollment reached 345 by the end of that year, and the church helped to sponsor a mission in Troy, Ohio.
After several shorter pastorates, Rev. Rick Shoemaker began his long tenure in December 1979. For thirty-four years he led First Baptist, with Gary Mullins serving as worship leader for his first seven years. The Jeff Chesnut Scholarship was established during this period to assist graduating seniors every year, and puppet, drama, and youth orchestra ministries flourished. Brother Terry McGraner was called as a part-time associate pastor, and Jeff Christmas took on the worship leader role in the late 1980s. Youth pastors Stephen Oliver, Steve Stiglich, and Doug Grote served in succession in the early 1990s.
It was during Rick Shoemaker's pastorate that the church built the Faith Fellowship Center, a 9,000-square-foot family life center that houses the Wee Care Child Care Center and is used for summer kids' camp, latch-key programs, preschool and youth Sunday school, and recreation programs such as basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, skating, and aerobics. The "Together We Build" program raised nearly $200,000; the remaining $400,000 was borrowed from the Home Mission Board. A "Debt Free" plan retired the loan by 2003, ten years ahead of schedule. During these years, the church also remodeled the auditorium with new sound equipment and multimedia projectors, added a Praise Team and additional instrumentalists, and received a grand piano in memory of Jud and Frank Lawler. First Baptist helped to sponsor Harrison Street Baptist Church in New Madison, Good News Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Miami Valley Community Church near the Dayton Mall, and New Hope Baptist Mission in Springfield.
Jeff Christmas returned to the church in 1998 as associate pastor, focusing first on youth ministry and then expanding his role to include music and drama. In October 2013, Rick Shoemaker went home to be with the Lord, and Jeff Christmas stepped in to handle the duties of senior pastor during the transition. After a season of prayer and a two-year pastoral search with transitional pastor Tim Binns, the church voted on May 22, 2016, to extend a call to Curt Sharbaugh, who began serving on July 10, 2016. His stated focus has been to encourage the church to pursue greater health in order to fulfill its mission to proclaim Christ to everyone and present everyone mature in him.
The Shape of Sunday in New Carlisle
The congregation's weekly rhythm is straightforward. Sunday Bible Study begins at 9:15 a.m., and the Worship Service gathers at 10:30 a.m., with childcare and nursery provided during the worship hour. The teaching style is expository and book-by-book, working steadily through Old and New Testament books. Recent series have included a long walk through Genesis in four parts, two multi-part series on Exodus, sequential series on Romans, an extended journey through Isaiah, books on the Psalms and Proverbs 1-9, studies on the minor prophets (Obadiah, Micah, Habakkuk), and a careful series on the book of Titus on church health. A series titled "Why Church" answered questions such as what a local church is, who should belong to one, who is in charge, and why a church baptizes and observes the Lord's Supper.
The worship service itself is described as blended. The church at one point experimented with a "classic" service at 9:00 a.m. and a contemporary service called "Haven" at 11:30 a.m., but the two were eventually brought back together into a single united service at 10:30 a.m. Worship today includes congregational singing led by a Praise Team, an adult choir, and a range of instrumentalists, with Pastor Sharbaugh or Associate Pastor Jeff Christmas preaching. Childcare and nursery care are available during the 10:30 a.m. service.
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m., the church gathers for a weekly prayer meeting, a long-standing Southern Baptist tradition that traces back even to the mission days, when Wednesday prayer meetings were the first step toward finding permanent quarters.
What the Church Believes
First Baptist Church of New Carlisle holds to the Baptist Faith and Message, the confession of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church teaches that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of himself to humanity, totally true and trustworthy, with salvation for its end. The one true God is infinite in holiness, all-powerful, and all-knowing, and reveals himself eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - distinct in person but one in nature and being.
Christ is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, who lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death on the cross, was raised in a glorified body, ascended to the right hand of God, and will return personally to judge the world. The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, convicts of sin, regenerates those who believe, baptizes them into the body of Christ, sanctifies them, and empowers them for worship, evangelism, and service.
Salvation is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and is received through repentance and personal faith. The church teaches that those whom God has accepted in Christ will never fall away from the state of grace, but will persevere to the end.
On the church itself, the confession teaches that a New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord's Supper), governed by his laws, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Christian baptism is by immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, symbolizing the believer's death to sin and resurrection to new life. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience in which members memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate his second coming. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor, elder, and overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
Beyond these core doctrines, the confession addresses the Kingdom of God, the return of Christ and final judgment, the duty of every Christian to make disciples of all nations, Christian stewardship, the cooperation of churches for the advancement of the gospel, the Christian's responsibility in society, the priority of peace, religious liberty, and the family - understood as the union of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, with children as a blessing and heritage from the Lord.
The Pastoral Team
Pastor Curt Sharbaugh grew up with parents who faithfully taught him the gospel. By God's grace he came to repentance and faith in Christ at an early age and grew up hearing that God is the holy creator, that humanity is sinful, and that Jesus came to save those who repent and trust in him. He studied the Bible at the Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College Graduate School, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and served in various local churches before becoming FBCNC's senior pastor in 2016. He and his wife Laura have been married since 2003 and have four children: Micah, Mackenna, Jocelyn, and Luke. Originally from Brownsburg, Indiana, the family cheers for Indiana's Hoosiers, Colts, and Pacers while learning to root for Ohio teams as well. His stated goal is to preach the Word and shepherd the flock so that together the church learns to live out God's Word by loving and worshiping him, loving and serving his people, and loving and evangelizing the lost.
Associate Pastor Jeff Christmas has a long personal history with First Baptist. He came back to the church in January 1998 after years away. His parents, Melvin and Geneva Christmas, were charter members here over sixty years ago, and he grew up attending services with them. At age nine, he trusted in Christ during the children's church program. He is a graduate of Liberty University Seminary and a music graduate of Wright State University, and has served full time at FBCNC since 1998. He and his wife Danese have a daughter named Emma. His ministry focus over the years has included youth, music, and drama, and his ongoing role continues to be described as a source of creativity and blessing for the congregation.
Children, Youth, and the Family Life Center
Children and students are at the heart of life at First Baptist. Nursery and childcare are available during the Sunday worship service. The Wee Care Child Care Center, which operates out of the church's 9,000-square-foot Faith Fellowship Center, has served New Carlisle families for decades, providing weekday care in a facility also used for kids' summer camp, latch-key programs, and preschool Sunday school.
The FBCNC Youth Group meets middle and high school students together for teaching, fellowship, and growth in the faith. Upward Sports is a recreational league that draws young families from the area for basketball, cheerleading, and other sports in a Christ-centered environment. CenterShot, an archery program for children, has been a part of the church's outreach to local families for years.
Beyond children and students, the church also offers small groups for fellowship and study. The Bible study hour on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. functions as the primary weekly opportunity for adults to study a passage of Scripture together in age-graded and topical groups.
Reaching Out: Bethel Churches United Food Pantry
First Baptist is a participating congregation in Bethel Churches United, a cooperative food pantry that serves families in need throughout the New Carlisle area. The pantry is one of the visible expressions of the church's commitment to share the love of Christ beyond its own walls. Members of the church stock shelves, volunteer at distribution times, and contribute to the food supply as part of the church's regular ministry of mercy.
Giving and Cooperation with the SBC
Tithes and offerings support the work of the church in New Carlisle and around the world. Members may give online through the church's giving portal, by mail to the P.O. Box, or in person during services. A portion of every dollar given supports the work of the Southern Baptist Convention through the Cooperative Program, and the church also contributes to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American missions.
The church frames its participation in the Cooperative Program in this way: "Our association and cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention are for the sake of the gospel. We share our resources in order to partner in the work of making disciples of all nations." The church continues to cooperate voluntarily with the Greater Dayton Association of Baptists, the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, and the Southern Baptist Convention, while remaining an autonomous local body that governs itself through its own members.
Sermons, Audio, and the Work of Teaching
The sermon archive is one of the most developed parts of the church's life. More than 165 pages of sermons, each with a Bible text, a brief description, and a list of related topics, are available through the church's audio archive. Every Sunday's 10:30 a.m. service is recorded and uploaded in MP3 format. A podcast titled "Sermons - FBCNC" is available through iTunes and through a feed at feeds.feedburner.com/SermonsFbcnc, so listeners can follow along with the current series at any time.
Pastor Sharbaugh is the primary preacher. He has worked through long books of the Bible in sequence - all of Genesis in four series, two parts of Exodus, the entire book of Romans, an extended series on Isaiah, and full runs through Matthew, John, Colossians, 1 Peter, and Titus. Series such as "Five Solas," "We Believe" (covering the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Five Solas of the Reformation), and "Why Church" have served the congregation on matters of doctrine and identity. Associate Pastor Jeff Christmas preaches regularly, drawing from Psalms, the minor prophets, the Gospels, and Acts.
The "Good News" article on the church's site presents the gospel in clear, step-by-step terms: God's creation, humanity's rebellion, the promised Messiah, the life and death of Jesus, the resurrection, and the call to turn from sin and trust in Christ. The same article invites those who have not yet responded to the gospel to do so, and to share that decision with the church so that they can be helped in their new walk with Christ.
Getting Connected
First Baptist Church of New Carlisle is located at 8870 State Route 571, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 212, New Carlisle, OH 45344. The office can be reached by phone at 937.845.1211 (fax 937.845.2101). Sunday Bible Study begins at 9:15 a.m., the Worship Service begins at 10:30 a.m., and the Wednesday Prayer Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. Childcare and nursery are available during the Sunday worship service. A calendar of events, an app, and a registration form for email updates are accessible through the church's online platform at fbcnc.churchtrac.com. Those who want to dig into a current or past series can listen to the audio archive or subscribe to the podcast, and those who wish to support the church's work can do so through the online giving portal. Whether the journey is from across the street or across the country, the church family at FBCNC invites anyone curious to come as they are, hear the Word taught, and join in the worship of the God who, in their own words, has been establishing them as a lighthouse for Jesus Christ in their hometown of New Carlisle since 1956.