First Baptist Church was organized in 1883.  It was originally affiliated with the Northern Baptist Convention.  On December 18, 1921, Calvary Baptist Church of Fairfield was organized, and it affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.  First Baptist met at the present location on South First Street, while the official location of Calvary became a basement building on West Delaware.

On May 6, 1924, First Baptist Church and Calvary Baptist church voted to combine and be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.  Thereafter, the name was to be First Baptist Church, and the location remained on South First Street.  The place of meeting at the time of the union burned on November 22, 1944, leaving the church homeless.  Services were held in the Wayne County Court House until December 12, 1944, when it was decided to construct a new building at the location on South First.  Many difficulties ensued, the worst being a failure to gain a priority building permit from the “War Production Board.”  After much consideration, Pastor U.G. Salter asked Carrie E. Gaston to compose a letter to the President of the United States seeking such priority.  In just a few days, the church received a telegram from President Truman that priority would be granted.  The existing structure was completed in 1945 under the leadership of Pastor Salter.

Fairfield First Baptist sponsored Northside Baptist Church as a mission when it was organized on January 1, 1957.

Our largest building program ever to be undertaken in church history was our present educational wing in 1955 and our sanctuary in 1963.  The pastor at the time of the initial planning of the education wing and sanctuary and later the building of the educational wing was Harry L. Garrett, whose leadership helped to make this building program a success.

A dedication service for the educational building was held on Sunday, June 5, 1955.  Some members who took part in this building program are still members of First Baptist.

The Building Committee was composed of Ray Baker, Chairman, John Williams, and Carson Stanley all deceased.  These men were blessed with vision and a determination to grow.

Dr. George L. Karr was pastor during the actual building of the sanctuary in the early 60′s.

The new fellowship hall was constructed in 1982.  The pastor during the planning and actual construction was Charles Dampeer.  The financial arrangements were with the “Together We Build” program and with the theme “not equal gifts but equal sacrifice.”  The first Thanksgiving banquet was held in the new fellowship hall in November, 1982.  Boyd and Son was the general contractor for all four additions to our present complex.

First Baptist Church has completed many projects during the past few years.  Some of those projects include:  building a shelter, restoring the Stain Glass windows, installing a projection system which is used during worship services, and purchasing new buses.  First Baptist has implemented the F.A.I.T.H. program and a local Food Pantry.

First Baptist Church celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary as a Southern Baptist Church on May 6, 1999.

Pastors serving First Baptist Church since its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention in the order of their pastorate include:  Roy M. Gabbert; J.S. Bright; J.E. Dixon; F.J. Weir; J.A. McCord; J.S. Bright; C.L. Butler; Edwin Settle; T.F. Lowrey; William Carlton; George Leathers; Arthur Smith; J.H. Brown; U.G. Salter; Lowell Matheny; Harry L. Garrett; James Merriman; George L. Karr; V. Bradford Curry; David R. Dean; Ted O. Padgett; Charles R. Dampeer; Roger W. Ellsworth; Robert Jay Adrian; T. Dale Bitting, Ron Coppock, and our present Pastor, Bro. Bennie Tomberlin.