A rich history prepares the way for a powerful future.

In 1812, the founding pastor of First Baptist Church in Barnesville, John Milner, was baptized by Jesse Mercer at the Sardis Baptist Church in Wilkes County, Georgia. Milner came to “Barnes Store” as a result of the Land Lottery of 1821 and founded the Sardis Baptist Church in Barnesville, naming it after the church in which he was baptized. Records of the Flint River Baptist Association demonstrate that Sardis Baptist Church was admitted to membership in the association in 1825 with a total church membership of 21.

By 1828, Sardis Baptist Church reported to the Flint River Baptist Association a membership of 100 members with most coming by baptism, a remarkable growth in only three years. Through our history, Barnesville First Baptist has continued to grow. Today, membership stands at almost 1,400 with nearly 500 attending gospel-centered ministries each week. Barnesville First Baptist has been an unusually unified church, having had thirty-four pastors without a single termination. What’s more, our church has started two other congregations in our community, but has never had a split throughout our long history. No matter the name or the room in which we gathered, God has richly blessed and poured out His favor on Barnesville First Baptist Church for 200 years!

Our mission is to fulfill God's purposes for His people. This is what drives us...

Our Vision

To be living proof of a loving God

Our Values

We live to embrace God’s Word as our sole authority (Scripture)

We live to equip people to follow Christ (Discipleship)

We live to engage all people with the Gospel (Missions)

We live to empower people to joyfully serve others (Ministry)

We live to express our adoration to God (Worship)

We live to encourage Christ-Centered togetherness (Community)

We live to excel in sacrificial living (Generosity)

Our Vitals

Excellence in everything

Love and look after everyone

Express Jesus everywhere

Honest, humble, helpful, and hopeful every day

We want to see God move in our community.

First Baptist Church of Barnesville is a church that believes in “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). A church that neglects “truth” is permissive and ultimately harms the people it pretends to help. A church that neglects “love” is cold and too callous to help people.

When it comes to truth claims, the Bible is our final authority for answering all of the important questions of faith and life. We believe that “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) is sufficient for all of our needs today. Our theology centers around those fundamental beliefs that all Christians have in common:

• The Virgin Conception of Christ (Matthew 1:18-25) 
• The Sinless Life of Christ (John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15) 
• The Atoning Death of Christ (Romans 5:8) 
• The Bodily Resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:1-6) 
• The Visible Second-Coming of Christ (Acts 1:11)

The risen Christ left His church marching orders: to take the Good News of His salvation to people everywhere (Matthew 28:19-20). Knowing that all people have failed and are hurting because of sin, love compels us to seek to reach hurting humanity with the only permanent solution – a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Once a person comes to Christ in saving faith, then the great goal of the Christian life is to grow in Christ-likeness.