Celebrating 200 years

The First Baptist Church of Campbellton, originally known as Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, holds the distinction of being the oldest Baptist church in Florida. It was established on March 12, 1825, in Campbellton. The church began with twenty charter members under the leadership of Reverend E. H. Calloway. Those members were John Beasley, Sarah Beasley, Miller Brady, Sextus Camp, James Chason, Lucy Chason, Elizabeth Chambers, Ephriam Chambers, Elizabeth Daniel, Benjamin Hawkins, Clark Jackson, Susannah Jakson, Robert Louckston, Martha Parker, Martha Peacock, W. Peacock, Nancy Philips, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sarah Williams. 

In 1826, the congregation acquired ten acres of land for $50 to construct a church building and establish a public school. The initial meeting house was a log structure, which was replaced in 1858 by the current wooden building. This building was erected with the assistance of enslaved individuals who also worshiped there and has remarkably stood the test of time and remains in use today. 

The church was inclusive, welcoming landowners, slaves, and the poor into its fellowship. Demonstrating a progressive spirit, Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church organized Florida’s first Women’s Missionary Society in 1848. In 1859, the congregation changed its name to Campbellton Baptist Church, and later to First Baptist Church of Campbellton. The church began holding full-time services in 1954. 

We were told that some of the ladderback chairs used in the building had cane bottoms. Church member Danny Taylor said, “After a period of time, the cane bottoms started breaking and tearing up. They stored a bunch of them. Doug Sellers knew a man in Forks of the Creek that could re-bottom them with corn shucks. Along then at that time, corn wasn’t being combined a lot back then. I think he hand-pulled the ears of corn. He took and twisted it and twisted them in kind of like ropes and wove it in and out there. He re-bottomed those chairs with that corn.” 

The adjacent cemetery dates back to the Civil War era, serving as a historical testament to the church’s long-standing presence in the community. 

Today, the First Baptist Church of Campbellton stands as a significant landmark, reflecting the rich history and enduring faith of its congregation.