1836
Spring Creek Baptist Church was organized. It was created on the Military Road near the present Lee Cemetery. A few months later Arkansas became the 25th state.
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OUR HISTORY
Scroll to view significant markers in the life of our church.
1849
The first reference of the church being in revival.
1851
Thirty people joined the church, twenty-one by baptism.
1878
After relocating years earlier to Benton, "a motion was made to change the name of the church, formerly Spring Creek, to First Baptist Church, Benton (because it was the first Baptist church in town)."
1915
First Baptist plants its first church in the eastern part of town. The new church took the name Spring Creek Baptist Church
1927
The church held its first Vacation Bible School to reach the growing number of children in the city with the Gospel.
1928
Church membership rose from 347 to 750, with over 500 consistently attending Sunday School
1938
Miss Amanda Tinkle is sent out as a missionary to Nigeria. She was the first foreign missionary from First Baptist Church.
1949
The church voted to establish a work on Owasso Hill in the southern part of Benton and named it Ridgecrest Mission. This mission was organized into a church in 1954.
1950
Bernes Selph begins a 27-year pastorate
1955
A building was erected on Alcoa Road, establishing a new mission named Highland Heights Mission, which eventually organized into Highland Heights Baptist Church in 1960.
1958
What is currently Selph Hall, was opened as the new sanctuary with educational space located in the basement. The cost was around $265,000.
1962
Yet another building was constructed in Bryant, forming the Bryant Mission. This too would organize into the Second Baptist Church of Bryant in 1965 (now First Southern Baptist Church of Bryant).
1964
The Salem community became the site of Lake Salem Baptist Mission. In 1968, this fellowship organized into Salem Baptist Church.
1970
The church voted yet again to advance the Kingdom through church planting by starting the Hurricane Lake Mission, eventually organizing into a church in 1975.
1980
The Together We Build campaign was launched to fund and construct an Educational Building and Family Life Center (FLC). The FLC was completed in 1982, and the Education Building in 1987.
1984
Randal Everett begins a 6-year pastorate. The church added a second worship service that would continue until 2004, when a new worship center was constructed.
1986
First Baptist celebrates her 150th Anniversary
1990
Greg Kirksey begins an 8-year pastorate.
1991
The Personnel and Budget Committees unanimously recommended that the church hire a Minister of Youth and realigned the staff responsibilities.
1994
The Missions Development Council recommended and the church approved a three-year partnership with International Baptist Church in Sigonella, Sicily.
1995
The church showed continued growth in church membership and an average Sunday School attendance of just over 900.
1998
The church broke ground on what would become the Preschool and Children's Building.
1999
Rick Grant begins his 25-year pastorate, after having served on staff since 1986.
2001
The Mission Development Council established new goals including: expanding five existing ministries (ESL, Care Center, Dixsonville, Christian Care Clinic, and CJOHN), developing an Associational Disaster Relief team, and establishing at least five mission partnerships around the world.
2005
First Baptist joined the Apostles Build program of Habitat for Humanity of Saline County to build housing for the community.
2006
Sunday School attendance reached an average of 1020.
2024
Clay Cunningham installed as current Senior Pastor after having served on staff since 1999.