First Baptist Church (Raleigh, North Carolina) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids First Baptist Church of Raleigh
First Baptist Church in 2015
Religion
Affiliation	Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF)
District	CBFNC
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Organized 1812
Status	Active
Location
Location	99 N. Salibury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27603
State	North Carolina
Architecture
Completed	1859

First Baptist Church of Raleigh is a historic church located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the very first Baptist church in Raleigh, started in 1812. This makes it one of the oldest churches in the entire area.

You can find the church at 99 North Salisbury Street. It's right across the street from the North Carolina State Capitol building. First Baptist Church is part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF).

A Look at Its History

First Baptist Church began its journey in 1812. It started with a small group of 23 members. Among these first members were 14 African American people who were enslaved.

By 1826, the church had grown quite a bit. There were 157 African American members and 77 white members. This shows how diverse the church community was in its early years.

Forming a New Church

A big change happened in 1866. At that time, there were about 200 African American members in the church. These members decided to form their own separate church. This was a common event for many churches after the American Civil War.

The remaining 226 white members continued to be part of First Baptist Church. This event marked an important moment in the church's history.

Notable Members

One interesting person connected to the church was Charles Francis Meserve. He was a member of First Baptist Church. He was given permission to preach there, even though he had not yet been officially ordained as a minister.