A Little History
IN CASE YOU REALLY WANT SOME HISTORICAL BACKGROUND...
Our story began in the spring of 1959 when Lieutenants James Rose and James Gerrish, who were stationed in Middletown, entered a season of prayer and covenanted to start a Sunday School in Portland, Connecticut. The first Sunday seven people attended. The next Sunday worship services commenced.
Manhattan Baptist Church in New York City assumed responsibility for the group during the fall 1959. Rev. Elmer Sizemore, then Area Missionary for the entire Northeast, traveled from New York each Sunday to conduct services and guide the young mission. Seeking a more central location for the approximately thirty attendees, services moved to the Hartford YMCA. In December 1960 the small group called its first pastor, Rev. Charles Pollock.
In 1961, after much prayer and consideration, the group relocated to the YMCA Center in East Hartford. Fifty-one charter members constituted First Baptist Church of East Hartford, the first Southern Baptist church in central Connecticut. Rev. Pollock continued as pastor until his resignation in fall 1962 to accept a pastorate in Florida. With the assistance of the Home Mission Board, First Baptist initiated a pastor search.
Rev. Walter Agnor, of Dover Delaware accepted the call as second pastor. During his tenure the church continued to experience growth. First Baptist established a special building fund in May 1963. A parsonage was purchased in Glastonbury in January, 1964. By November, members purchased land on Main Street, East Hartford, for a building site. Rev. Agnor remained with the church until 1966, when he returned to Maryland to assume a pastorate.
As First Baptist continued experiencing God’s provision and real growth, members began looking beyond their own congregation to other areas of need. A survey conducted in the Willimantic area identified a desire and opportunity to establish a Bible study. By mid-1966, this Bible study had grown steadily into a group large enough to call Rev. Jack Schneider as pastor. Baptist Fellowship of Columbia was constituted as a church in July 1967.
In July, 1966, Rev. Norwood Waterhouse accepted the call as Pastor of First Baptist. September 27, 1967, the construction permit to build the First Baptist Church of East Hartford was issued. Just twelve months later, on Saturday evening, October 19, 1968, the Dedication Service was held. The next morning regular morning worship services began.
Throughout the building program and beyond First Baptist remained a missions-minded church. Several laymen from First Baptist began mission work in Danbury. From this Candlewood Baptist Chapel was constituted on November 1, 1970. Al Schukoske, a First Baptist deacon, initiated the Middlesex Baptist Fellowship in 1967. This Fellowship became Middlesex Baptist Church on February 10, 1974. First Baptist was also led to sponsor a mission effort in New Britain, led by Peter Gordiejew, who relocated from Poland, to be a part of the ministry. That mission constituted on November 20, 1969.
The Spanish ministry in Connecticut began in 1968, when Spanish services began at First Baptist. It also served as one of the first Spanish ministries in the Baptist General Association of New England (now the Baptist Churches of New England.).
Rev. Waterhouse led First Baptist five exciting years before resigning October 17, 1971, to become the full-time area missionary to the State of Connecticut. Dr. Charles Conley accepted the call to lead First Baptist in June 1972.
God provided a new mission opportunity in Torrington during 1978, which eventually became Friendship Baptist Church of Torrington. That church later relocated to Litchfield. In 1980, another mission activity began in the Simsbury/Avon area. It constituted as Fellowship Baptist Church. Meanwhile, First Baptist initiated a deaf ministry. An interpreter signed in all services and weekly sign language classes began. Kevin Kreutzer accepted the pastor position to the hearing-impaired in 1981. The work, Living Hope Baptist Church, continues to the present, sharing space in our building, led by Pastor Jon Hayhow.
Because First Baptist continued to experience steady growth through the early 1980’s, it outgrew the small building on Main Street, East Hartford. The members agreed to purchase land for the present location on the East Hartford/Manchester town lines and initiated a “Together We Build” program. The first building was erected with the help of many volunteers. January 1, 1982, marked a new era as the membership voted to rename as First Baptist Church of Manchester at the first service on the new site, which is located in the town of Manchester.
Dr. Conley led First Baptist Church of East Hartford for fourteen years. In May 1985, he resigned to become a Director of Missions in Tennessee. The church then called Dr. Billy Scott, a Chaplain in the United States Navy, who served until 1992.
During the latter 1980’s First Baptist sponsored two church planter apprentices who began new work in South Windsor and Rocky Hill. The South Windsor mission constituted as Connecticut River Valley Church, later known as River Valley Baptist Church. First Baptist also offered its facility to Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, an African-American mission under the leadership of Dr. Harrie Williams. Mt. Zion constituted on October 11, 1998, and obtained a building for its services.
After an extended search, Rev. David Saylor accepted the pastorate in early 1994. A period of steady growth in attendance and membership began. In 1995, renovations were made to the worship space, and rooms were repartitioned to allow for more Sunday School classes. As attendance and the request for additional ministries continued to increase, First Baptist agreed to create a second ministry position. Leo Sayles accepted the call as Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship in 1997. He served in that position until 2000, when he accepted a position in Illinois.
By 2000, it became necessary to hold two Sunday morning worship services. The church commissioned a new building committee which proposed a multi-phase project to address long-tem needs while maintaining financial prudence. With the help of many faithful members and Builders for Christ, a new worship center and classrooms were added in 2004. Additional renovation of existing space was completed in 2007 providing sufficient space for ministries to function effectively.
Around 2001 a Hispanic Mission was begun with Carlos Coppin serving as pastor. Since then he has been ordained by First Baptist Church and the work, which share the building, continues to grow. Since then it has constituted as a independent church and currently is meeting in East Hartford with new pastoral leadership.
In 2003, Pastor Russell Atherton accepted the position of Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship. Ministries continued to thrive. Youth ministries saw particular growth as many junior and senior high youth served in short-term summer mission programs. An increased number of adults began to participate in short term mission projects as well. In late 2007, when Atherton accepted a call to begin a church plant in the Storrs-University of Connecticut area, First Baptist agreed to partner with The Bridge in prayer and financial support.
January 18, 2009, the church called Rev. José Lopes as our next Associate Pastor. José has been a member of First Baptist Church since childhood and currently serves as an associate pastor of Youth and Worship.
First Baptist currently hosts two mission churches. One is the deaf work, Living Hope Baptist Church and the second is a Ghanian mission led by church planter Joshua Boamah.
First Baptist Church of Manchester is presently serving an enthusiastic congregation who seek to honor the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim the Good News of His saving and sustaining power in each person’s life. They hold to the historic faith without apology, which they try to express in ways that communicate to the generations.