The History of First Baptist Church

The first church service was held in 1869 at the home of Friederich Scheel in McNab Township, five miles from Arnprior. There was not a church building at the time as money and labour were sparse. This early congregation was composed of German speaking immigrants who shared the scripture readings with one another. In 1871, the membership of this church was 11.

Rev. Valkenaar and The German Baptists wanted to lead more of their countrymen to Jesus Christ. They felt that new German immigrants would want to come to a church where their own mother tongue was spoken. So in 1872, a piece of land was purchased by the elders on the northwest corner of Mr. Harrington's farm, where the church still stands today. The church was erected, with a log cabin adjacent to it which became the manse. The name of First Baptist Church was adopted. The Pastor visited people on foot, by horseback and wagon. As the people became accustomed to having a Pastor, they began to visit him in his home, the manse. Wages for the Pastor were minimal due to the economic uncertainty of the immigrants' farming income. There was not a great deal of employment during this time and the money earned from farming was used to house and clothe their families.

In 1897 the church began receiving income from the Home Mission Board of Ontario and Quebec. The elders agreed to offer the use of their church to the English-speaking Christians for $200 a year. The English-speaking Christians' services were held at different times, apart from the German service. The English Baptists were eventually able to build their own church on what is now Elgin Street with the monetary aid of $400 from the German congregation of First Baptist Church. German Meeting Note

Early Congregational Photo

Click here to enlarge.
Changes began to take place during the 1920's for the church and parishioners. The church was remodeled on the outside and inside. This included changing the entrance, a brick tower, basement windows and a furnace in the basement. The church was heated by two wood-burning box stoves with pipes running across the ceiling that were held by two wires. One aspect of the earlier times, in comparison to now, is the absence of a lock on the door. During that time it was not needed.

The new pews were a welcome addition as well. However, a few days before the dedication service they still had not arrived and the men of the congregation grew concerned. A great deal of prayer brought the arrival, finally, on the morning before the dedication. Rev. Strobel and the men were able to set them up in time for the Sunday morning dedication service. In the offering plate that morning was enough to money to pay the loan on these pews.

There was great change within the society in the 1920's and 1930's . The people were unable to support the church and their own families due to the Depression and the crash of the stock market. It was during this time that churches began to do fund-raising and offering food for others for a nominal fee. Bean suppers were common. FBC in 1926

By 1936, automobiles as a mode of transport was becoming more common, which presented more challenges for the area surrounding the church. The old driving shed was torn down and replaced with a shed and a double garage to accommodate the new cars. With these changes, also came new changes for the parsonage. A new roof was put on and the upstairs was completely remodeled including a new hardwood floor and kitchen.

During the 1930's and 1940's the German population began to diminish due to the First World War. The emigration from Germany stopped and more English began using the Church. It was in 1940 that the last sermon was preached in German. From that point in history until now the services have been conducted in English.

On February 17, 1946 a new organ was donated by the congregation and dedicated "To The Glory of God". This organ became a memorial to all the men of the church who served in the Armed Forces during the Second World War.

FBC in 1980 1968 saw the addition of a reconstructed entrance and foyer, which is still present today. Since then, the Christian Education wing was added (which included another entrance, kitchen, community hall, more washrooms and six classrooms), and finally, the north wall of the original building was knocked out, a new basement added, the layout of the sanctuary was rotated 90 degrees more than doubling the capacity.

In the 90's a parcel of property on Division Street was purchased for future expansion and growth.

FBC has never avoided change. Its history is one of consistent Biblical teaching, evangelistic programming and a willingness to follow God's leading. The early leaders of the Church owned the vision of growth and disciple making as do the current leaders. Expansion for the sake of turning unchurched individuals into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ has also been a consistent theme in our history, as it will be in our future. It is the desire of the Church to be an agent of positive, Godly change in our community and in the surrounding area. Our mission is to "make disciples" and to be the "salt and light" of our society. We will accomplish this goal as we strive daily to focus our energies, maximize our impact and commit more fully to the lifestyle and love of Jesus Christ.