The Church at the Corner Where Farmville Began
First Christian Church sits at the corner of Church and Main Streets in Farmville, North Carolina, on a one-acre plot that has belonged to this congregation since 1854. The town of Farmville grew up around the church, not the other way around. Historical records indicate that the boundaries of Farmville were set around First Christian Church and that single acre, and that members who traced their roots to the original deed built homes and started businesses nearby. The congregation is now a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the oldest continuing institution in town.
A Building History on One Corner
Major Benjamin May, a Scottish-born settler, received thousands of acres from the State of North Carolina in 1750. His grandson, James William May, inherited and bought land in the area and eventually developed what would become Farmville. On December 12, 1854, James May deeded an acre to Antioch Church, and the deed noted that the church was already on the property when the transfer was recorded. Ninety-six members came from Tyson's Meeting House on Stantonsburg Road, later joined by the entire congregation of Corinth Church at Lang's Crossroads. The community grew up around Antioch Church, which was renamed First Christian Church as Farmville took shape.
The original frame building served until 1908, when it was moved to another part of town and the present sanctuary was completed in 1910 in the same location. In 1954, a connected education and fellowship hall was added with a courtyard between the two buildings. The congregation has continued to update the campus over the decades with modern bathrooms, a new carillon, a playground, and modern video and audio equipment, and the original basement has been fully renovated into usable space.
Sunday Mornings in the Sanctuary
Worship begins at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary. The service is traditional in character, led by the senior minister and lay leaders, with music from the piano, the organ, and the FCC Choir. The preaching follows the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle of scripture readings drawn from the Old and New Testaments that carries the congregation through the Christian year from Advent to Pentecost. Communion is celebrated weekly as part of the Sunday service in keeping with Disciples of Christ practice, and the table is open to all who follow Jesus Christ.
Sunday School and Bible Study
Christian education meets on Sunday mornings before worship, currently at 9:45 a.m. A class for children ages three and up is led by Penny and Malinda Fillingim, drawing on nature, music, and sign language to teach about God. The adult class meets in the room across from the church library and rotates through Bible studies taught by members of the congregation, including recent studies on prayer led by John Mark Batchelor. Most Sunday School groups gather in the education building adjacent to the sanctuary.
Children in Worship
Children of all ages are welcome to stay for the full worship service. Those whose families prefer begin the hour with their parents in the sanctuary and, after a children's time with the minister, are escorted to Children Worship and Wonder by an experienced volunteer. Childcare is available during the Sunday School hour and during worship, with a trained professional caring for children in the nursery.
Wednesday Nights and Fellowship Meals
Wednesday evenings bring the church family together in the fellowship hall. The Wednesday Night Supper gathers members and friends for a no-charge meal in the fellowship hall and kitchen, often featuring spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and dessert, with everyone invited to drop in just for the food and fellowship. On months with a fifth Sunday, the church gathers for a churchwide lunch after worship, with a different ministry team taking a turn in the kitchen each time.
"The Least of These": A Food Ministry Born in Crisis
The most visible outreach of First Christian Church grew out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the congregation partnered with the volunteers who deliver for Home Delivered Meals (Meals on Wheels) each weekday, slipping an extra "bag of love" into the deliveries to homebound seniors - extra food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. The arrangement was meant to be temporary, but the need did not end with the pandemic.
What began as an emergency response has become an ongoing food ministry, now including partnerships with the USDA Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Members and friends continue to drop off fresh produce on Wednesdays and shelf-stable goods at any time. Funding comes from member donations along with grants from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)'s Week of Compassion, the National Benevolent Association, and federal CARES Act support.
The food ministry is only one part of how FCC reaches out. The church supplies and supports Farmville Benevolent Ministries with food and financial help, contributes gifts and donations to area schools, sends supplies and cleanup teams after weather disasters, helps at the community Soup Kitchen, and gets fans into the homes of elderly neighbors without air conditioning.
CMF Ramps: Building Accessibility Since 2014
Since 2014, a group of dedicated men from First Christian Church have spent many Saturdays building accessibility ramps for neighbors in need around Farmville. The volunteer team saws, hammers, and hauls materials so that people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility can get in and out of their homes safely. The work is supported through the church's outreach budget, and the volunteers say the joy of the recipients rivals their own.
Camp Caroline and Summer Ministry
First Christian Church supports Camp Caroline, the Disciples of Christ camp in North Carolina, with both financial contributions and supplies. Camp Caroline is part of the wider Disciples camping and retreat network and serves campers and adult groups from across the region.
Faith, Identity, and the Disciples of Christ
First Christian Church identifies with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and lives within a wider network of regional and national ministries. The congregation belongs to the Hookerton District and to Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in North Carolina. The congregation affirms the preamble of the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, celebrates baptism into newness of life, gathers at the Table of the Lord with thanksgiving, and rejoices in God's covenant of love that binds the community together.
The church's mission statement calls FCC to provide an environment where all who come can learn, fellowship, worship, and grow spiritually closer to God, and to spread the good news of Jesus Christ by being of service to the community and the world. Members are active in Disciples Women, Disciples Men, Week of Compassion, the National Benevolent Association, Green Chalice (the Disciples environmental ministry), and Reconciliation Ministries, the denomination's racial justice initiative.
Music and Leadership
The senior minister is Rev. Morgan Daughety. Rev. Malinda Fillingim is also active in the church's ministry, leading Bible studies and the children's Sunday School class and preaching when needed. John Mark Batchelor teaches the adult Bible study class and presides at the weekly communion celebration. Penny McCreary directs the piano and organ music. Soloists such as BJ Lawrence and instrumentalists such as violinist Chris Ellis join the FCC Choir for special services.
Parking, Building Access, and What to Wear
The church building sits at the corner of Church and Main Streets in downtown Farmville. Visitors will find a small church-owned parking lot along Church Street, with additional Sunday parking available in adjacent lots at BB&T, the Farmville Public Library, and across Main Street at the Pitt Community College satellite campus. Street parking in Farmville is free where permitted. A handicapped entrance is available from the Church Street parking lot, and the sanctuary's front doors face the intersection. The sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, education building, and church library are all accessible.
Services are traditional in tone, so most members dress in Sunday business or business-casual attire, but visitors are welcome in whatever they are comfortable wearing. Bibles and hymnals are provided in the pews, and visitors are not put on the spot.
Office, Giving, and Reaching the Church
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The church can be reached at 252-753-3179 or office@fccfarmville.org. Online giving is available through PayPal. The mailing address is PO Box 205, Farmville, NC 27828, and the church is at 3776 S Main Street. Worship services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and a sermon video is typically posted on Sundays.
A Congregation With Town Roots
First Christian Church in Farmville is unusual in being older than the town it sits in. Members trace their history to the May family, who donated the land, and to the 96 charter members who walked from Tyson's Meeting House and Corinth Church in 1854. They continue to see the church's work as part of Farmville's past, present, and future, and they show it most clearly by feeding their neighbors, building ramps, opening the sanctuary for prayer, and welcoming whoever walks in on Sunday morning.