About First Baptist Church of Jonesboro
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The Flint River Baptist Church, which was the beginning of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, was organized on January 25, 1825. At the time, the church was located on three acres of land southwest of Hines Spring (near what is now Spring Street and Highway 19/41). Rev. William Mosely, known as “Uncle Billy Mosely”, served as the churches first pastor. Mosely served as pastor for three years, in which time the church membership increased from the original 14 to 79.
In 1840, the church organized its first Sunday school class. Unfortunately, in 1850, the original church building was destroyed by fire. The church purchased property to build a new church building on in the city of Leaksville (modern day Jonesboro) and met at the Jonesboro Methodist Church until 1859, when their new building was completed. There were several periods throughout church history that the church was without a pastor, however the church body still regularly met. In September 1864 during the Battle of Jonesboro, the church was again destroyed, this time most likely by cannon barrage. Several years later, in 1868, the church changed its name and became “Jonesboro Baptist Church”. In 1892, the third church building was destroyed by windstorm and lightning.
The fourth church building, built in 1893, seated five hundred worshippers. First Baptist Jonesboro received its first full time pastor, Rev. Herbert Massey, in 1920. The fourth church building caught fire in 1922 and was destroyed. Ladies of the church raised money for a new church by selling cakes and candies, while men of the church pledged materials and their labor. When The Great Depression hit in 1929, members were asked to fast one meal a week and give the cost of the meal as an offering to the Kingdom of God. In 1948, an electric organ was purchased and the church library was organized. Then in 1951, an educational/recreational building with a fully equipped kitchen was built. Shortly afterwards, in 1954, the church hired their first minister of music.
In 1955, Jonesboro Baptist Church changed its name to First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. In 1982, the music ministry began the orchestra. From 1987 to 2000, First Baptist Church of Jonesboro mission teams built churches all over the world. College students began to go to foreign counties on mission teams and many high school students participated in missions on their campus. Other members carried out missions locally in apartment complexes, mobile home developments, and housing projects. Regrettably, in 2000 the church was once more destroyed by fire. The ROC building was built in 2002 and several years later, in 2008, our current pastor Dr. Melvin Blackaby was called to the church. Shortly afterwards, in 2010, the Worship Center and Administrative Buildings were renovated. To this day, the church continues to grow and thrive.
