Our Story

In 1864, about one year after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, a small band of former slaves armed with their freedom and their faith met for prayer.  Seeing spiritual renewal and hope, they moved from place to place worshiping in small dwellings and eventually built a wood framed church in the 400 block of 28th Street, beneath what is now knows as the 28th Street Bridge.  The church was named First Baptist Church and became the first form of organized religion located within the original city limits of Newport News.