First Baptist Church of Raleigh has stood on the square facing the North Carolina State Capitol since 1859, but its roots go back much further. Organized on March 8, 1812 in the second floor of the original state Capitol building, the congregation is among the oldest Baptist churches in the state and one of the oldest in continuous worship in downtown Raleigh. From its first meeting of twenty-three charter members, fourteen of them enslaved people of African descent and nine free persons of European descent, the church has described itself as a thriving urban church, Baptist by distinction, ecumenical in scope and global in concern. Today, with a sanctuary on Salisbury Street, a connected Lewis Education Building, an Infant-Toddler Center, a Weekday Preschool, and a Saturday BBQ food truck that gives back to the surrounding community, First Baptist continues to be a presence in the life of the city.
A Biracial Beginning and a 1859 Sanctuary
The history of First Baptist begins with a biracial congregation sent out from Cool Springs Baptist Church outside Raleigh. The group met in the original state Capitol and in several temporary locations, then built on Person Street, then moved to a structure on Moore Square that gave the square the informal name Baptist Grove for many years. In 1859 the congregation settled at its current site on North Salisbury Street, in a Neo-Gothic sanctuary designed by Richmond architect William Percival. The building has been changed over the years but retains much of Percival's original design, including stained glass windows and structural elements, and is part of a national historic district.
On June 5, 1868 the African American members of the church established their own congregation. In the 1960s the two congregations began worshiping and serving together again, and that joint ministry continues. The 200th birthday of the church was marked in 2012 with a play chronicling the shared history, written and performed by Burning Coal Theatre, and an event in the State Capitol where the church began.
First Baptist has launched or helped start at least thirty-six other congregations across the state and beyond. Pastors of the church have often been biblical scholars who also taught at colleges and seminaries, and the church played a role in the early meetings that established what is now Meredith College. A long-standing affirmation of women in ministry, a historic sanctuary, and a rich worship tradition give the congregation what its pastors describe as ballast to respond faithfully to a changing world.
Sunday Morning on Capitol Square
Worship is the center of life at First Baptist. Sunday School meets at 9:45 a.m. for all ages, with a welcome desk on the first floor of the Lewis Education Building to help newcomers find a class. Worship begins at 11:00 a.m. in the historic sanctuary, where the 1924 Austin organ anchors music each week. The service is described as traditional and liturgical in format, generally following the Revised Common Lectionary, with a liturgy that draws on Baptist heritage together with forms from other Christian traditions. Deacons share in worship leadership each week, and babies are welcomed into the FBC family in baby dedication services.
Children birth through kindergarten are cared for in the Preschool suite during worship. Children in first grade and above typically join their parents in the sanctuary, with a monthly Children's Worship in the Children's Suite for grade-schoolers on one Sunday each month. The pastor's welcome notes that the congregation gathers from all areas of Wake County and beyond, and that visitors are greeted with the warmth of a people who understand themselves to be fellow travelers on the way of faith.
For those who cannot be present, the 11:00 a.m. service is livestreamed on YouTube, and an order of worship is published so viewers at home can follow along. Sermon and bulletin archives are kept going back years, with regular preachers including the senior pastor, the Minister of Children, the Minister of Youth and College, and the Minister with Community.
A Japanese Fellowship Under One Roof
First Baptist is unusual among downtown churches in hosting a separate language fellowship. The Japanese Baptist Church of Raleigh, led by the Rev. Jun Matsuzaki, shares the campus and meets at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays in Room 227 of the Lewis Education Building. The two congregations work together on shared ministry and outreach while keeping their own worship life. The arrangement reflects the cooperative, ecumenical spirit that First Baptist names in its mission and values.
Wednesday Nights: Supper, Study, Song, and Service
Midweek programming is the rhythm of the rest of the week. The doors open at 5:00 p.m. with a Wednesday night supper in the fellowship hall, with a menu that rotates weekly between pasta night, meatloaf, pork tenderloin, chicken stir fry, chili, and baked ziti, along with vegetarian and children's options. Prices are kept low to keep the meal accessible, and a $24 cap per family applies.
After supper, programming begins in earnest. Adults gather for Centerpoint, the church's adult formation hour, in the fellowship hall at 6:00 p.m., with classes designed to inspire dialogue, service, and connection. Children move to their own music and mission classes at 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with choirs for PreK and Kindergarten, an Elementary Choir for grades one through five, Mission Friends, Royal Ambassadors for boys, and Girls in Action. Youth gather for their own Bible study and mission projects, packing for Backpack Buddies and visiting homebound members.
Music is woven into the evening. The Evening Bells, a five-octave English handbell and choir chime ensemble, rehearses at 6:30 p.m. The Sanctuary Choir rehearses at 7:30 p.m. in the choir room, preparing to lead worship the following Sunday. By 7:15 p.m. the children's and adult programming has wrapped, and the sanctuary choir carries the night through.
Music as the Pulse of Worship
The music ministry at First Baptist is led by Minister of Music Warren Howell and Organist and Music Assistant Maureen Howell. The Sanctuary Choir leads worship most weeks and presents special music programs throughout the year, with no audition required. The Youth Choir for grades six through twelve rehearses on Sunday evenings and provides worship leadership at services such as Hanging of the Greens and Graduation Sunday. The Evening Bells ring five octaves of English handbells and five octaves of choir chimes, and they participate annually in the Capital Area Bell Festival sponsored by The Raleigh Ringers.
For the youngest singers, Music and Movement for three-year-olds, a PreK and Kindergarten Choir, and an Elementary Choir for grades one through five rehearse on Wednesday evenings during the school year, sharing their gifts at the end-of-year Music Celebration each May. The congregation itself is described as a singing church, with all ages encouraged to join in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs from the pew or the loft.
Children, Youth, and College
The children's ministry spans Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and seasonal events. Sunday School for preschoolers through fifth grade runs from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., with Extended Session care for babies through kindergartners continuing until noon. Wednesday nights add Music and Mission Friends, Royal Ambassadors, and Girls in Action. Special events include the Children's Christmas Story, an Easter Egg Hunt and story time, Vacation Bible School, Family Mission Nights, Wonderful Wednesdays during the summer, Children's Mission Day, PASSPORT Kids Camp for third through fifth graders, the Willow Run Retreat, the RA Car Race, and the GA Mother-Daughter Tea.
Vacation Bible School is a major week of the summer, with rising threes through rising sixth graders invited to a half-day program of drama, Bible study, art, science, music, and active games built around an annual theme.
The youth ministry serves sixth through twelfth graders with Sunday night and Wednesday night programming, choirs and handbells, basketball teams, lock-ins, mission trips, weekly Bible study, Sunday School, retreats, student-led class trips, and ski trips. Sunday evenings begin at 4:00 p.m. with Youth Handbells, move to Middle School youth group and High School Choir at 5:00 p.m., supper at 6:00 p.m., and High School youth group and Middle School Choir at 6:30 p.m., ending at 8:00 p.m.
College students from NC State, Meredith, Peace, and Wake Tech find a home in The Wilderness Sunday School class, which meets at 9:45 a.m. and includes a mix of students and recent graduates. The college ministry gathers for retreats, lunches and dinners, and an annual service trip that rotates between domestic and international settings.
Senior Adults: The Thirty-Niners
The Thirty-Niners, named for the comedian Jack Benny's claim to be forever thirty-nine, is the senior adult fellowship. Anyone age fifty and up is welcome at Thursday morning gatherings from September through May, with a brief program, lunch, and a calendar of community service. The group makes Christmas stockings for children through the Salvation Army, sorts clothing for the Clothing Ministry, helps prepare for Toy Joy, and sponsors two children in Honduras through Sharefish. The Thirty-Niners also take day trips to local points of interest and occasional two- or three-day trips to other North Carolina cities and neighboring states.
Small Groups, Classes, and Sunday School
Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. fill the Lewis Education Building with adult classes for nearly every age and stage. The Everette Miller Friendship Class, the Formations Class, the Grains of Sand Class for adults in their thirties and forties, the John Hiott Fellowship Class with its opening hymn and pianist, the Journey Class for facilitated discussion, the Pathfinders Class for couples and singles, the Sharing Thoughts Class for open conversation, Scriptural Serendipity for in-depth Bible study, the Unity Class that meets primarily online, The Wilderness Class for college students and young professionals, and the Connections class together give members a range of small-group settings.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the church hosts several weekday small groups. Sisters in Grace, a group of mostly empty-nest women, meets Mondays at 11:00 a.m. in the parlor for a book study, prayer, and a shared meal several times a year. Monday Nights is a group of women, mostly mothers of teenagers, gathering at 7:30 p.m. Theology on Tap meets over dinner on Tuesday nights at the Raleigh Times Restaurant, working from the previous Sunday's sermon and other questions. Works in Progress, a group of men and women mostly sixty-five and older, meets Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. in the parlor. Band of Brothers, a group of men in their fifties through eighties, meets Thursdays at 7:00 a.m. in the conference room. The Hook and Needle Club gathers on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. for fellowship and crafts.
Clothing Ministry on Mondays
For more than two decades the Clothing Ministry has been a steady presence in the life of downtown Raleigh. The clothing closet is open Monday mornings from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. and welcomes neighbors in need of clothing for adults and children. The ministry is supported by donations from the congregation, which can be dropped off at the parking lot ramp donation bin during regular church office hours. Current needs include adult-sized backpacks, men's spring and summer clothing in all sizes, and other gently used items.
And Also With 'Cue: A Food Truck on the Corner
In October 2019 First Baptist launched And Also With 'Cue, a give-back food truck ministry in partnership with Smokin' Story BBQ. The truck serves award-winning barbecue and Southern sides in the back parking lot of the church at the corner of McDowell and Edenton streets, with the entrance off Hillsborough Street. Forty percent of every purchase goes to people experiencing food insecurity in Raleigh, a partnership that has continued to grow the food truck's reputation and reach. The truck's weekly schedule is posted in the church's e-newsletter and on its Facebook page.
Local and Global Mission
First Baptist is a church with a deep tradition of hands-on service. The congregation participates in the Downtown Faith Build with Habitat for Humanity, partners with Rise Against Hunger to package ten thousand meals each year, hosts a free Dental Bus in the parking lot for community members in need of dental care, runs Toy Joy each November to provide Christmas gifts for families in need, and gathers a Prayer Shawl Ministry that has been knitting and crocheting comfort shawls since 2006.
Around the world, the church has sent teams to the Arkansas Delta through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Together for Hope rural poverty initiative, traveled to Honduras for more than twenty years to work alongside partners in Altos de Santa Marta and El Carrizo on construction and backyard Bible clubs, and supported disaster relief trips to Louisiana and Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Heck-Jones Missions Offering, the NC Missions Offering, and the CBF Global Missions Offering are the three yearly mission offerings the church lifts up. The congregation also supports a White Flag ministry in downtown Raleigh.
On the campus itself, First Baptist is a community host for an Alcoholics Anonymous Gratitude Study Group, which gathers in the fellowship hall on Monday and Thursday evenings. The church also partners with Urban Ministries, the Raleigh Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, and the Hispanic pastoral counseling center TRI, offering space, volunteers, and financial support to a wide network of helping organizations in the city.
Music, Art, and the Artful Giving Banners
Artful Giving is a long-running First Baptist tradition. Instead of purchasing cut flowers for the altar, donors may place a handmade pulpit banner in memory or honor of a person, ministry, or group, with a donation to the Day Mission Fund in lieu of the cost of flowers. The Day Mission Fund supports mission trips and other mission endeavors of the church. The banners themselves are works of art, and a catalog of available banners is published for anyone who wishes to dedicate one.
Weekday Preschool and the Infant-Toddler Center
First Baptist Weekday Preschool is a half-day program for children that uses the city itself as a classroom, with walking field trips to the Capitol Building, Marbles Kids Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, R-Line rides, and local restaurants. The preschool is open to families of all races, ethnicities, religions, and abilities, including those with special needs, and offers multiple enrollment options at each age level, with chef-prepared lunches and snacks, parenting workshops, and a book club. Director Crystal Bacon leads the program, and tours can be scheduled online.
The Infant-Toddler Center, directed by Nikki Harris, cares for the youngest children of downtown workers and church families. Together, the two programs extend the church's ministry into the workweek and serve families at every stage of early childhood.
Identity, Mission, and Affiliations
First Baptist describes itself as a community of belonging, caring, serving, nurturing, and being downtown. The church's mission is to be a faithful witness to the presence of Christ, honoring each unique faith journey and following Jesus' commandment to love God and neighbor. Its vision is a world where everyone experiences connection, grace, and transformation.
The church is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, and is one of the founding members of WMU, the missions organization that grew out of a vision of FBC member Fannie E.S. Heck. FBC is also affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance and the North Carolina chapter of Baptist Women in Ministry, and partners with Baptists on Mission. In February 2026, the church adopted a Statement Condemning Violence affirming the dignity of every human being and calling the congregation to be a sanctuary for all who come through its doors.
Leadership and Staff
The ministerial staff is led by Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. Christopher C.F. Chapman and includes the Rev. Warren Howell as Minister of Music, Lynn Lingafelt as Minister of Children, the Rev. Leah Reed as Minister with Community, the Rev. Michael Hood as Minister of Youth and College, Maureen Howell as Organist and Music Assistant, the Rev. Jun Matsuzaki as Pastor of the Japanese Baptist Church of Raleigh, and the Rev. Dr. J. Daniel Day as Pastor Emeritus. Wayne Hager serves as Church Administrator, with Jennie Herrick and Deborah Mastrodonato providing administrative support. The Weekday Preschool, Infant-Toddler Center, and Food Service are each led by a managing director.
Visiting First Baptist
Visitors are welcomed at 99 North Salisbury Street, on Capitol Square in the heart of downtown Raleigh. The Lewis Building doors open at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings, the government lot door is locked at 10:15 a.m., and the front sanctuary doors on Capitol Square open at 10:30 a.m. for the 11:00 a.m. service. Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m. for all ages. A guest registration form is available for those who wish to share their contact information, and a welcome desk on the first floor of the Lewis Education Building can help with directions to Sunday School classes and other questions. The 11:00 a.m. service is also livestreamed on YouTube for those who wish to join from home. Whether coming for a single Sunday, for a long-term spiritual home, or for one of the many community programs the church hosts, First Baptist invites everyone to find a place at the table.