Welcome to The Fellowship First Baptist Church of High Ridge
Fellowship First Baptist Church has a simple mission. The passion of our church is to experience God in worship, equip followers of Christ with His Word, and engage our culture with God’s love. This passion will lead us to witness to the lost and develop the believers into mature followers of Jesus Christ. Why not come and be part of a family, where you will be accepted and loved? Let Fellowship First Baptist be your church family and assist you on your spiritual journey.
OUR BELIEFS:
Authority of Scripture
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
Believers Baptism
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
Constitution of Church
“Let us not give up the meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
Priesthood of the Believer
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Salvation by Christ Alone
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV)
CHURCH COVENANT
Having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, its knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinance, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of, and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready in reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and principles of God’s Word.
CHURCH HISTORY
Fellowship First Baptist Church started as a mission under the direction of the First Baptist Church of Affton, in the summer of 1948. The mission pastor was Bro. George F. Kemper. The first meetings were held in the basement of the High Ridge Elementary School and then later moved to the old Bowles Schoolhouse on Old Sugar Creek Road near Murphy, Missouri.
On February 3, 1949 is was voted to organize into a church and to affiliate with the Jefferson County Baptist Association. The mission was organized into Fellowship Baptist Church of the Southern Baptist Convention on May 15, 1949 with 32 charter members. Brother Kemper continued to serve as pastor until November of 1949. Reverend Ralph Tomek served from November 1949 through December 1950. In April of 1950 the church conducted its first revival and in the summer of 1950 it’s first Vacation Bible School.
One of the church’s highlights of 1950 was the groundbreaking ceremony for its new building in High Ridge, in June of 1950. The building was occupied on December 17 of the same year. Reverend Paul E. Powell was called as pastor in December of 1950. In May of 1951 the church ordained James Russell and Robert Taylor as its first deacons. Reverend Powell resigned in May 1955 to enter seminary and was replaced by Reverend Hershel Thornell who was called in June 1955. In March of 1960, Reverend John Sulliven was called as pastor. In 1966, the name of the church was changed to Fellowship First Baptist Church. The church was saddened when on March 10, 1967 Brother John Sulliven passed away after the serving the church as pastor for 7 years.
On May of 1967 the church called Reverend A. A. Lyle as pastor. In 1968, during Brother Lyle’s pastorate, 92 baptism were reported. In March of 1971 Brother Lyle left and in August of 1971 Reverend Paul E. Powell was again called as pastor. In 1983 Dr. Robert Curtis was called to be pastor and served until 1989. Brother Brad Bean was called in 1990 and served until September of 2005.
In January of 2006 Brother Chris Lybarger joined the church and a new chapter of the Fellowship First Baptist Church history was begun.