For the glory of God, FBC is committed to: Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ; preparing people with the Word of God; penetrating our community and world with a Spirit-filled lifestyle, and Christ-like love; and producing disciples for Christ built up in truth and grace.
A Brief History of First Baptist
First Baptist Church of Kannapolis, North Carolina was chartered on October 11, 1908, when a small group of Baptists gathered to form a Missionary Baptist Church. With Reverend J. L. Kirk and eleven people signing the charter, our humble beginnings were directly tied to the influx of people who moved here to seek their fortune at the beginning of North Carolina's industrial revolution. The congregation met first in a room above a drugstore, following soon after to meeting in a tent while the first sanctuary was being built. One hundred and six years later (2014), the church formed that cool October evening is our First Baptist Church.
On August 14, 1912, Cannon Manufacturing Company transferred to the trustees of the new Baptist church a tract of land where First Street met with Main Street, the same land our congregation has occupied ever since. The land was a gift from J. W. Cannon and was transferred "in consideration of the sum of one dollar and no cents." Within three months, the first service was held in the new sanctuary on Thanksgiving evening. Since that time, we have constructed two more buildings on this same wedge of land. Our church was fortunate to purchase 11.59 acres of land at the site of the old Midway Ball Field several blocks away that may one day hold our Family Life Center.
People still come to Kannapolis just as they did in the 1900s with the start of Cannon Mills. This time, however, they are coming for the North Carolina Research Campus that stands on the site of the former mill property, directly next door to our church building. There are new and exciting times ahead for First Baptist Church, but our steadfast goal remains to build a community of disciples for Christ.
On August 14, 1912, Cannon Manufacturing Company transferred to the trustees of the new Baptist church a tract of land where First Street met with Main Street, the same land our congregation has occupied ever since. The land was a gift from J. W. Cannon and was transferred "in consideration of the sum of one dollar and no cents." Within three months, the first service was held in the new sanctuary on Thanksgiving evening. Since that time, we have constructed two more buildings on this same wedge of land. Our church was fortunate to purchase 11.59 acres of land at the site of the old Midway Ball Field several blocks away that may one day hold our Family Life Center.
People still come to Kannapolis just as they did in the 1900s with the start of Cannon Mills. This time, however, they are coming for the North Carolina Research Campus that stands on the site of the former mill property, directly next door to our church building. There are new and exciting times ahead for First Baptist Church, but our steadfast goal remains to build a community of disciples for Christ.