Church History

1857 saw the country being divided over issues that would eventually lead to the bloodiest war our country would ever fight on its own soil. Here in Newark Valley, however, issues were uniting people that would cause them to establish a Baptist church in their community for the purpose of ministering to the area.

Men and women desired a local Baptist church in our community to meet the needs of their families. They met and discussed the possibility. They decided to organize themselves and called a church council of area churches on October 27, 1857 and eight churches attended. A charter membership was established with 26 men and women. They formed an independent Baptist church and adopted the New Hampshire Articles of Faith for their doctrinal statement. Thus began the First Baptist Church of Newark Valley.

The following year, they applied for admission into the Northern Baptist Convention. According to the records, the first church building was built in 1868 on Main Street. Our current building on Whig Street was built in 1869 for a cost of $10,000. By the early 1930's, the church became aware of a loss of spirituality in the Convention and voted to withdraw from it. On March 3, 1937, the church united with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches.

During the 40's, the church did some needed renovations, and purchased the the north of the church where the current auditorium now stands. A Sunday School annex was added to the facility in 1956. A few years later, the auditorium was renovated to seat 300 and a gymnasium was built. In 1972 a new auditorium was built, and the original church building was remodeled into the educational wing. The church has maintained its doctrinal position through the leadership of godly pastors which came, each in their turn, to lead the congregation and to strengthen their convictions found in God's holy Word.

The church remains today a lighthouse in the Valley to spread the light of the gospel to the residents of this area.