About Us
Live Sent.
Follow Jesus and Invite others to come along.
What We Believe
Proclaiming Christ. Rooted in Scripture. Alive in the Spirit.
At our church, we follow Jesus and invite others to join us on the journey. Recognizing Him as Lord over every part of our lives, we seek to abide in Him, allowing His life to flow through us by the power of the Spirit. Each of us is uniquely equipped to glorify God in all we do, trusting His provision as we fulfill the Great Commission.
We don’t just want to know about Jesus—we want to embrace Him as our very life. Grounded in the authority of the Bible, we trust God’s Spirit-inspired Word to guide us in every aspect of life. At the heart of Scripture is John 3:16—the good news of God sending His Son to save and unite us with Himself. A relationship with Him gives our lives meaning, and together, we find joy in discovering His plan for us.
This relationship is more than just knowing about God—it is being drawn into the very life of the Trinity. From eternity past, the Father has delighted in His Son, and through our union with Christ, we are invited to share in that same divine love and fellowship. Jesus took on our humanity, lived in perfect obedience, and gave His life on the cross to rescue us from sin. In His resurrection, He not only conquered death but also opened the way for us to experience new life in the Spirit, restoring us to relationship with God.
Through faith in Christ, we are not only forgiven but also brought into the intimate communion of the Trinity. Sealed by the Holy Spirit, we share in Christ’s sonship, experiencing the love of the Father as our own. This life in the Trinity is both our present reality and our future hope. We trust in Christ’s promise that He will return to bring His people fully into the presence of the Father, where we will dwell forever in the joy of His love.
Until then, we cherish worshiping together—glorifying God, celebrating His grace, and encouraging one another to grow in love and likeness to Jesus.
We invite you to follow Jesus with us.
The Gospel: God For Us
Before we ever reached for God, He came for us. Though we turned away, choosing created things over our Creator, He relentlessly pursued us in love. In Jesus Christ—fully God and fully man—God entered our world to restore what was broken.
Jesus assumed our humanity, lived in perfect obedience, died in our place, rose in victory, and ascended to the Father. Even now, He intercedes for us as our Great High Priest. His entire life—from incarnation to ascension—is the way by which we are brought back to God.
In Him, we are not merely forgiven—we are made new and welcomed into the very life of God.
Life in Union with Christ
To be a Christian is to be united with Jesus. Through faith, we participate in His death and resurrection. By the Holy Spirit, we are joined to Him and drawn into the eternal love of the Father. This union is not an idea—it is the living reality that shapes our identity, empowers our calling, and anchors our hope.
The Word of God
We believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. It is a perfect treasure of divine truth, without error. Through the Spirit’s illumination, Scripture brings us into living contact with Jesus Christ, the Living Word, who still speaks by His Spirit. All of Scripture points to Him and reveals the heart of God. It is the foundation for what we believe and how we live.
The Triune God
We worship one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—eternal, glorious, and full of grace. From eternity, the Father has loved the Son in the fellowship of the Spirit. Through union with Christ, we are invited into that same communion. The gospel is nothing less than God drawing us into His own life.
The Church and Her Mission
We are not saved into isolation but into a people. The Church is the Body of Christ, called to display His glory and declare His gospel. We gather to worship, grow in grace, and go into the world as witnesses—empowered by the Spirit, grounded in truth, and compelled by love.
Our Faith – Together with the Church Through the Ages
We stand in the stream of historic Christianity, contending for the faith and joyfully affirming the Nicene Creed, which has served for 1700 years as the Church’s articulation of the gospel and the Triune God who saves.
We believe:
- In one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, who lovingly sustains and governs all He has made.
- In one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father—God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God—of one essence with the Father.
For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, assumed our humanity, was born of the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, buried, rose again, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will never end.
- In the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], and who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets and now indwells, illumines, and empowers the Church.
- In one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, marked by one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and the sure hope of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
This creed is not just a summary of doctrine—it is a doxology, a confession, and a proclamation:
Our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has acted in history for us, and He brings us into His life by grace.
A Personal Invitation
Everything we believe leads to this:
God is not distant. He is present.
He came to us in Jesus Christ—for us and for our salvation—so that we could know Him, walk with Him, and live forever in His love.
You were created for a relationship with the living God.
Through Christ, that relationship has been made possible.
If you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, today is the day. He stands ready to forgive your sin, give you a new heart, and make you His own. If you are His already, He invites you to walk more deeply with Him—day by day, step by step, in the power of the Spirit and the joy of His presence.
Don’t wait to experience the life God has made available to you in Christ.
The gospel is not just news to believe—it’s life to receive.
“To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12
For more details, we invite you to explore the Baptist Faith and Message, which serves as a fuller statement of our doctrinal beliefs.
Our History
The story of First Baptist Church Starkville began in July of 1839, when a small group of believers gathered in a borrowed Presbyterian church to establish a Baptist congregation. Thirteen charter members, including one who was enslaved, came together in faith and unity to adopt a covenant—committing to support the gospel and to worship faithfully, as long as they were able. With missionary J.C. Keeny serving as the first pastor, the church began welcoming new members and celebrated its first baptisms that August. In those early days, worship took place wherever space allowed—under an open arbor, in a schoolhouse, or in the Presbyterian church.
By 1842, the congregation had built its first church building for just over $322. After the Civil War left the structure in poor condition, a new brick sanctuary was completed in 1889. As the church grew in both size and influence, its pastor received what was then called a “handsome salary,” and the church took its place as a spiritual anchor in the community.
Through historic events like the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, and World War II, First Baptist remained a place of hope, prayer, and service. Even in times of hardship, the church stood firm—caring for its members and reaching out to its neighbors.
As the city of Starkville grew, so did the church. In 1956, the Ray Memorial Building was constructed to support a growing membership, which had reached 1,500 and required two Sunday morning services. A new sanctuary was dedicated in 1962, and additional property was acquired in 1970 to create space for expanded ministries. That space eventually became home to the Applegate Education and Music Building, dedicated in 1980.
Throughout the social and cultural shifts of the 1960s and ’70s—including the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War—First Baptist remained active in prayer, outreach, and support, offering encouragement to families with loved ones serving overseas and working toward unity during a time of great division.
From Operation Desert Storm in 1991 to the Mississippi Ice Storm of 1994, and later, the national heartbreak of 9/11, First Baptist continued to be a steady presence—lifting up the hurting, supporting military families, and offering peace in uncertain times.
In the early 2000s, the church expanded again, transforming the VanLandingham warehouse into a dedicated Outreach Center, which opened in 2007. A few years later, in 2012, the church launched a campaign to build a new children’s ministry facility to address the growing needs of the church’s families. In 2015, the Children’s Creative Learning Center moved into a brand-new children’s building. In 2024, it became an independent entity known as the Starkville Creative Learning Center.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the church—like so many others—was forced to adapt. Though in-person gatherings paused, the mission continued through online worship, digital outreach, and creative ministry. The season brought new challenges, but also new ways to connect and serve.
By 2025, First Baptist Church Starkville had grown to a membership of over 4,000, along with a vibrant and growing online community. Weekly worship is now shared both in person and across digital platforms, with active ministries for children, students, college students, and adults of all ages. In a milestone for global outreach, the church appointed its first mission-based pastor in 2025, marking a new chapter in fulfilling the Great Commission.
For nearly 200 years, First Baptist Church Starkville has stood as a place of worship, discipleship, and service—a faithful witness to God’s work in our city and around the world. As we look to the future, we do so with gratitude for the past and hope for all God will continue to do through this church family.
