A Hundred and Sixteen Years on the Corner of Center and Main
First Baptist Church of Rogersville stands at 101 West Center Street, on the corner where Center Street meets Business Highway 60 in downtown Rogersville, Missouri. The historic sanctuary on the west side of the property, with its entrance facing Main Street, was built in 1910, just two years after a small group of believers first organized the congregation in 1908. That 1910 building is still in use, and the original church bell still rings at 8:15 a.m. each Sunday morning, calling worshippers to the early service across the town.
The Rogersville fellowship grew beyond its first meeting place within a year of its founding and has expanded several times over the decades since. Many early records were lost or destroyed by fire, and everything from 1908 to 1920 is missing, along with the years 1929 and 1930. One story from the church's first decades captures the spirit of those years: when smoke began coming into the building where the stove pipe met the flue, the preacher kept preaching, the congregation listened patiently, and finally one of the members went home, changed clothes, and returned with buckets for a bucket brigade.
Over more than a century, First Baptist has grown alongside Rogersville itself, a small town in Webster County in the Ozarks. A 1958 mural painted by Anna Moore, with help from girls attending Vacation Bible School, still hangs in the historic sanctuary. The Family Life Center, built in 2001 with final flooring and basketball goals added around 2003, gave the congregation a regulation-size basketball court, shuffleboard, and a kitchen used for church gatherings. The church's longest-serving pastor, Winston Burton, came in May 1976 and served for more than 45 years, overseeing significant growth in both membership and facilities; he and his wife Phyllis remain part of the FBC family.
Today the church carries a simple motto: "To Know Him and To Make Him Known." It describes itself as a Bible-believing, Southern Baptist congregation that is community and family oriented, providing support, love, help, and the Good News of Jesus to Rogersville and the world.
Three Sunday Services, One Church Family
First Baptist offers three Sunday worship services, each with its own character, along with Sunday School in between.
The 8:15 a.m. Early Service takes place in the historic 1910 sanctuary on the west side of the church, with its Main Street entrance. It is also called the Fragrance-Free Service: because of allergies and sensitivities among several members, worshippers are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes or other strong fragrances. The early service features traditional hymns, Bible reading, prayer, and a message from Senior Pastor Aaron Ipock, and typically lasts about an hour.
Sunday School meets at 9:30 a.m. for all ages, from babies through seniors, with classes running concurrently across the campus.
The 10:45 a.m. Morning Worship in the Main Sanctuary is the largest gathering of the week. Visitors walking through the front doors are greeted by the Welcome Team, who hand out a bulletin with announcements and a connection card. Music is led by the Praise Team, blending traditional church hymns with worship songs familiar from Christian radio. Worship Choir members and other musicians also perform special music throughout the year. Pastor Aaron teaches a Bible-based message with practical application for daily life, and communion is observed during some services. The morning service ends around noon, and visitors are welcome to stay and fellowship afterward.
Children are part of the 10:45 gathering in their own way. Children in PreK through 1st grade begin in the sanctuary with their parents for the music service, then come forward for a short children's message around 11:15 a.m. After that, they are invited to Children's Church (Worship Kid style), though parents may choose to keep their children with them. An Extended Pre-School class for preschoolers runs alongside the adult service at 10:45 a.m. For children under 3, a team of volunteers staffs the nursery in the entryway of the church foyer.
The 6:00 p.m. Evening Service returns to the Main Sanctuary for a second sermon from Pastor Aaron, typically running about an hour.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Wednesday evenings follow a simple rhythm at FBC Rogersville: families eat, then they learn. Dinner is served at 5:50 p.m. in the Family Life Center, and programming begins at 6:00 p.m. and wraps up by 7:30 p.m.
For children ages 3 through middle school, the AWANA Club runs concurrently with the school year, from August or September through May. AWANA combines Bible teaching, game time, and a shared meal, and registration is open to kids from every background in the community. In the summer, Cross Kids takes its place, with Bible lessons, food, crafts, and activities for children ages 3 through sixth grade on Wednesday nights from 5:50 to 7:30 p.m.
Middle school and high school students gather for the Student Ministry, which meets every Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. The youth group also meets on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for Bible study. Throughout the year, the youth take part in rallies, lock-ins, community service projects, fun trips, and sometimes summer camps and mission trips.
Adults meet for an Adult Bible Study in the historic sanctuary from 6:40 to 7:30 p.m. The class mixes topical studies with book studies, and newcomers are always welcome.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
First Baptist's work with children goes well beyond Sunday morning. The Children's Ministry includes Children's Church (Worship Kid style) for PreK through 1st grade, AWANA Club during the school year, and Cross Kids during the summer. Vacation Bible School is usually held each June. Jacob and Jennifer Suter, longtime members of FBC Rogersville, stepped into the role of Youth Directors in 2025 and now lead the middle and high school ministry.
The church's policy for weather-related closures is simple: if Rogersville Schools are cancelled or dismissed early because of inclement weather, so are all church activities on those days.
Singing the Story, Acting It Out
Music is woven through every Sunday at FBC Rogersville. The Praise Team leads congregational singing at the 10:45 a.m. service each week, mixing traditional hymns with contemporary worship songs. The Worship Choir, directed by Worship and Choir Director Bradley Hunt, performs special music throughout the year and presents two cantatas each year, one for Easter and one for Christmas.
The Drama Team, led by Cheryl Anderson, gathers several times a year to produce short skits for special services and church events, including the Easter celebration each spring. Musicians, singers, and actors of all ages find a place to serve through these ministries.
The Drive-Through Live Nativity
Each December, First Baptist Church of Rogersville presents a drive-through Live Nativity on the wooden lot west of the church at the corner of Center and Main Street. More than 90 volunteers and performers bring eight scenes from the Christmas story to life, with live animals (sheep, donkeys, camels, chickens, and roosters) supplied by TenderHeart Animal Clinic, Rusted Rail Ranch, and The Rainey Farm. Visitors drive through the scenes at their own pace in about five to ten minutes, listening to a narration by Pastor Aaron. Before each car leaves, members of the church's Prayer Team are available to pray with families.
The Live Nativity grew out of the church's long-running walk-through "Journey to Bethlehem" production. In 2023, the congregation reimagined the event as a drive-through experience so families could stay together in their vehicles, and it has grown every year since, drawing more than 1,000 visitors in a single recent season.
The Live Nativity is free to attend. Visitors are encouraged to bring canned and non-perishable food items and monetary donations to support SafeHaven Now, a local food pantry. FBC Rogersville's location in downtown Rogersville, near the intersection of Center and Main, makes the production a short drive for families in Rogersville, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Willard, Strafford, Marshfield, Seymour, Diggins, and Fordland.
Reaching Beyond Rogersville
"You enter the mission field by simply walking out your front door," the church writes on its mission page. FBC Rogersville supports several outreach efforts locally and around the world.
- SafeHaven Now is a Christian-based non-profit thrift store and food pantry that serves those in need; FBC Rogersville provides financial support and collects donations through events like the Live Nativity.
- Project H.O.P.E. organizes short-term mission trips to Nicaragua, including home building, medical and dental clinics, and soccer tournaments, all to share God's love with the people of Nicaragua. Roger Lea coordinates the ministry.
- Operation Christmas Child is supported each year through shoebox gifts that share the love of God with children around the world. Shirley Keller coordinates FBC's participation.
- The North American Mission Board receives support through the Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon Offerings, mobilizing Southern Baptists as a missional force across North America.
- Homebound Communion brings the Lord's Supper to members who cannot attend regular services.
- Stephen's Ministry, coordinated through Dorothy Fann, provides personal ministry to those in need and sends Stephen Ministry grief books to those who are grieving.
The church supports these ministries through the Missouri Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, sharing the gospel locally, regionally, and internationally.
Bible Study and Discipleship
Beyond Sunday School and the Wednesday evening Adult Bible Study, FBC Rogersville runs a Ladies Bible Study on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. throughout the year. Dorothy Fann leads the women's study, which has walked through books such as "Walking with God" by Beth Moore. The church's library, located on site and open during worship services and church activities, holds more than 5,200 Christian fiction, non-fiction, and reference books and videos, including a children's section with its own check-out process.
Joyful Seniors, a ministry for people 55 and older, meets every other month on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the church. Donna Kelley coordinates the group's gatherings and outings.
What FBC Believes
First Baptist Church of Rogersville holds to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention. The full statement covers eighteen articles, beginning with the full truthfulness and trustworthiness of Scripture as God's revelation, and continuing through the nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the creation and fall of man; salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; the church as an autonomous local body of baptized believers; baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper; the Lord's Day; the Kingdom of God; last things; evangelism and missions; Christian education; stewardship; cooperation among churches; the Christian's relationship to society; peace and war; religious liberty; and the family as the foundational institution of society, defined as the union of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.
The church's mission, "To Know Him and To Make Him Known," flows from the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19. Salvation, in the church's teaching, is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, with regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification as aspects of the believer's growth. The church practices baptism by immersion and observes the Lord's Supper as acts of obedience; both ordinances are open to those who have professed faith and joined the congregation.
The Family Life Center
The Family Life Center is the hub of midweek life at FBC Rogersville. Built in 2001, with final flooring and basketball goals added around 2003, the center features a regulation-size basketball court, shuffleboard, and a large kitchen. AWANA, Cross Kids, youth dinners, and many other church gatherings take place here. The facility is also available for community rentals; the church publishes a usage policy and reservation form for groups interested in booking the gym, kitchen, and serving area, with reservation slots from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days and reduced hours on Wednesdays and Sundays to accommodate church programming.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
Senior Pastor Aaron Ipock came to First Baptist Rogersville in October 2023 after pastoring North Star Baptist Church in Strafford. His call to ministry began at First Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri, in 2016 as a Student Pastor; he began preaching in 2018. Aaron and his high school sweetheart, Julie, married in 2009 and have two children, Haven and Cohen. Their family verse is Joshua 24:15: "As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." In August 2024, Pastor Aaron moved to full-time ministry at FBC.
Bradley Hunt joined the staff as Worship Director and Choir Director in January 2024; he and his family have been members of the church for nine years. Jacob and Jennifer Suter stepped into the role of Youth Directors in 2025. Dorothy Fann has been part of the congregation for about forty years; she leads the Tuesday morning Ladies Bible Study, works with third and fourth grade girls in AWANA, supports Vacation Bible School, and serves as a leader and minister in Stephen's Ministry, also sending Stephen Ministry grief books to those who are grieving. MaryMartha Ponder serves as Treasurer, and Jim Chase, a member since 1999 and a deacon since 2003, leads the deacons as Head of Deacons. Debbie McGuire, who joined with her husband Greg in 2024, plays piano for the Worship Team; she has played for sixty years.
Visiting FBC Rogersville
First Baptist Church of Rogersville sits at 101 West Center Street, on the corner of West Center and Business Highway 60 in downtown Rogersville, next to the four-way stop. The historic sanctuary entrance faces Main Street. The dress is casual to business casual, and many people wear jeans. Visitors can sit anywhere, and members of the Welcome Team are glad to help find a seat. A "Plan Your Visit" form lets first-time guests pre-register so a welcome host can be ready when they arrive, and a "Let's Connect" form helps newcomers sign up for ministries and indicate whether they would like to know more about salvation, baptism, or church membership.
The 10:45 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and sermons are also published on Spotify through Pastor Aaron Ipock's podcast. The congregation can be reached at (417) 753-2926 or contact@fbcrogersville.org.