The History of First Baptist Church
Established 1859
Along the banks of the clear waters of Beaver Creek, the Native Americans
came following game trails and founded a village whose soil proved favorable in
the cultivation of corn and tobacco. Remnants of that era in Bristol's
prehistory have been unearthed within the city limits. Bones, pottery, and
flints affirm the existence of a Native American burial ground beneath the very
soil where Baptists held their first meetings in Old Temperance Hall.
Baptists were not the first to occupy this fertile field. Presbyterians and
Methodists had churches in Bristol before the First Baptist Church was
organized. Baptist churches had been established in Eastern and Northern
Virginia nearly a century before William Cate came to begin Baptist work in
Bristol.
Once designated as "The Territory South of the Ohio River," the land on which
Bristol now stands was also known as "Kings Meadows". On May 5, 1856, the town
of Goodson was incorporated, just two or three years before the Baptist church
was started; hence it was Goodson Baptist Church. Prior to 1856, there was
really no Bristol, nor a predecessor. However, neighboring Abingdon and
Blountville did exist, and they were the chief centers of trade and industry for
the region.
In 1859, Bristol was a struggling village of 200 to 300 people. The roots of
the First Baptist Church, then known as Goodson Baptist Church, were modest. The
earliest known recorded history of Bristol, including the history of local
churches and institutions, is preserved in an Industrial Supplement of the
Bristol Courier, published October 2, 1904. Under a picture of the First
Church as it existed in 1904 is an account detailing the origin of the Baptist
work in Bristol. "In the year 1859, Elder William Cate of Jonesboro, Tennessee,
organized the Goodson Baptist Church in Old Temperance Hall. In the minutes of
the Lebanon Association, Goodson is listed among the newly constituted churches
received on September 13, 1860. It had 28 members and contributed $19.60 to
State Missions and $2.50 to Foreign Missions."
The church has had three names and three buildings. From 1888 to 1895 the
name was Bristol Baptist Church, and from 1895 to the present it has been known
as First Baptist Church of Bristol, Virginia.
In 1904, when the above quotation was published, the church which had begun
with just seven members had grown to 475, prompting the pastor and deacons to
consider the need for a new building to meet the growing needs of the
membership.
History is not the science of dry bones. Nothing is as alive as history. It
is filled with people and events. It points out of the past to the future. It
encourages progress.
Intertwined in the history of Bristol is the story of First Baptist Church,
which has grown from seven in 1859 to a membership well over 1,000 in the year
2000. Since 1859, First Baptist Church has had significant influence in Bristol.
The church, whose building lies just beyond Bristol's landmark sign, remains
committed to minister to the needs of the community. Through the years, the
congregation has valued quality worship, has engaged in meaningful fellowship,
and has developed creative ways to share the message of the Christian faith.
The church family is excited about the opportunities before us and is
committed to following God's leadership to meet current needs and future
challenges on this fertile mission field called Bristol.
Excerpts taken from History of First Baptist Church
(1859-1949) compiled by H. G. Noffsinger.