Know Christ
Christianity revolves around the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the center of the Christian faith. At First Baptist Church of South Greenfield, we desire for every person to know who Jesus is, what He has done, and why it matters. Because knowing Jesus changes everything.
Christianity revolves around the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the center of the Christian faith. At First Baptist Church of South Greenfield, we desire for every person to know who Jesus is, what He has done, and why it matters. Because knowing Jesus changes everything.
Grow In Your Faith
Healthy Christians grow in their faith. They grow by reading God’s Word and praying. They grow by giving, serving, and sharing the gospel. At FBC, we desire for every Christian to grow in their faith and become a fully-committed follower of Jesus Christ. The call to spiritual growth is the call to be a disciple of Jesus. It’s a call to be more like Jesus.
Healthy Christians grow in their faith. They grow by reading God’s Word and praying. They grow by giving, serving, and sharing the gospel. At FBC, we desire for every Christian to grow in their faith and become a fully-committed follower of Jesus Christ. The call to spiritual growth is the call to be a disciple of Jesus. It’s a call to be more like Jesus.
Go Share The Gospel
The mission of the church is to share the gospel, both locally and globally. The church accomplishes this mission by training, equipping, and sending out Christians to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with an unbelieving world. At FBC, we desire to help every believer participate in the mission of the church by taking the gospel to the South Greenfield area and the nations.
The mission of the church is to share the gospel, both locally and globally. The church accomplishes this mission by training, equipping, and sending out Christians to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with an unbelieving world. At FBC, we desire to help every believer participate in the mission of the church by taking the gospel to the South Greenfield area and the nations.
What We Believe
We believe the Bible is inspired by God and is without error (2 Timothy 3:16).
We believe in the virgin birth (Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:27).
We believe in the Holy Trinity (John 1:1, 2 Corinthians 13:14).
We believe in the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
We believe Jesus will come again (Acts 1:11).
We believe man is sinful (Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23).
We believe salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Romans 5:8, 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:8-9).
We believe in the eternal security of the believer (1 John 5:11-13).
We believe in a literal heaven for those who accept Jesus as Savior and a literal hell for those who reject Him (John 14:1-6, 2 Thessalonians 1:8).
We believe a New Testament church of Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-42).
Excerpts are from the 2000 Baptist Faith and message.
Prior to the year 1881, there were no railroads in Dade County. In that day, Greenfield was the metropolis of the county and all the horse tracks in the road pointed in that direction. The old railroad survey, to which Dade County had subscribed bonds in the sum of $250,000 touched the townsite of Greenfield on the southwest but when the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad was built, it missed the town by three miles. It followed a natural depression out of the Turnback and Limestone hills to the prairie, leaving the county seat stranded on high and dry ground.
People in their enthusiasm and speculation expected to see Greenfield with her business interests and county offices move bodily to the railroad point. Various new businesses were established, and in a few years, the new city attained a population of 600 (a general store, gas station and two hotels were in operation at one time). At this juncture the unexpected happened. T. A. Miller conceived the idea of building a brand new railroad from Greenfield to South Greenfield by popular subscription. Greenfield business men took kindly to the idea and in a short time, the Greenfield and Northern Railroad was a reality. With the building of this railroad, the county seat hope of South Greenfield folded and finally vanished into thin air. (History of Dade County and Its People, Vol. 1, pp. 217-218-219.)
First Baptist Church (FBC) was established in 1885 in South Greenfield, Missouri, by a small group of believers. This group consisted of the Stapp, Russell, and Poe families. They were determined to start a Baptist church in the growing community. The new work was led by C.F. Fain and S.L. Collins, with a very small membership, which increased to twenty-five after four years. The original church building was constructed in those early years, on North 2nd street, for the amount of $3,500 (this would be approximately $95,000 in 2018). The original building, 32 x 48 feet, was composed of a large single room, with large curtains hung as dividers for Sunday School classes. A pot belly wood stove was used for heat in the winter. The early pastors were S. L. Collins and W. A. Dyson. Many baptisms took place in Limestone Creek. (History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties – Missouri, Goodspeed Publishing 1889 - Religious Matters Pg. 483-494)
FBC became an anchor in the community, as a church known for a firm foundation built on the Bible. It became known for summer Bible schools, and having a friendly congregation. In 1960, the original church building was expanded to include, a basement with a kitchen and a fellowship hall, with classrooms. The upstairs expansion included a nursery, restrooms, and educational space. In the early 2000's, a generous donation provided funds to add a baptistery. In recent years, renovations have included new carpet, new windows, additional power outlets, updated lighting, electrical re-wiring, and a heating & cooling system. A paved parking lot, with a walking ramp and railing was also added with the labor provided by the members.
Over the years First Baptist Church has been a stable influence in the South Greenfield area. Our church supports local, national, and international missions through direct support and through the Cooperative Program of giving. As an Independent Southern Baptist Church, we are a member of the Ozark Prairie Baptist Association, the Missouri Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention.