First Baptist Church, Bristol, RI
About UsWe provide a holy place of respite in the tumult of life. So come, put aside the cares of the week and find yourself in the presence of God.
Our Story
Many faces, one faith.
We care about one thing more than anything else, Jesus Christ. First Baptist is a family of individuals that have found hope in Jesus, and simply want as many people as possible to experience that same freedom
We are a diverse group of believers – bankers, musicians, social workers, teachers, public servants, business owners, parents – united by our shared faith in a loving God.
What does this mean for you? Most importantly, you’re always welcome here. We’re saving a seat for you. Wherever you’re at in your faith journey, you’ll always be accepted as part of the our family.
Our Values & Beliefs
We believe Jesus Christ is the Risen Saviour
He died for our sins and rose to the right hand of the Father.
We believe in the Bible
We believe in the Trinity
Baptism
Believer baptism by immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Jake
Rev. Jacob McGuire was called to serve as head Pastor in January 2014. Jake and his wife Rachel reside in Bristol with their children Esther, Spencer, Bruce , and Ian.
Jake earned his Masters of Divinity at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and received a Bachelors of Science in Finance and Economics at Lake Superior State University.
Pastor Jake and Rachel’s first experience with ministry started as campus ministers at Anchor House. Years later, Jake felt the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry and enrolled in seminary while he served under Rev. Terry Morgan as an ordained deacon, and was a Sunday school teacher and preacher at Woodlawn Baptist Church, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Contact Pastor Jake directly at:
pastorjakemcguire@gmail.com
Pastor Mike
Mike Del Tatto and his wife Karen reside in Bristol and have two children and three grandchildren.
Mike began serving as Associate Pastor in January 2019 with a focus on Sunday School, Small Group Ministry and visitation. Karen serves in the women’s ministry.
Michael earned his Masters of Divinity at Bethel Seminary of the East and received a Bachelors of Science at Roger Williams University in Marine Biology.
Prior to coming to First Baptist Church, Mike served as deacon at Rehoboth Baptist Church, pastored North Christian Church in Dighton, Massachusetts, and he was the Director of Christian Education at Barrington Baptist Church where his wife Karen also served as a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) mentor and Women’s Bible Study facilitator.
1811 – On August 22, Dr. Nelson led in founding our church with 23 members.
1813 – Reverend James M. Winchell became our first ordained minister on June 23.
1814 – Dedication of the Federal style “Stone Chapel.” Our building is on land granted by the Town of Bristol. Built with granite blocks, it has a gable roof supported by post and beam construction.
1814 -Reverend Barnabas Bates became pastor; in 1816, at his suggestion, the first Sunday school in town was established. The Baptist and Congregational Churches often collaborated in this endeavor.
1868 – A pipe organ was installed for $1,100.
Children's Ministry
Ages: 5-10
We believe that kids should have a blast at church every single week - and at First Baptist, we make this a priority. We want them to love coming to church each week and use a variety of teaching methods so that learning about the Bible is fun and engaging.
Children’s Ministries partners with parents in the spiritual development of their families through a variety of programs and resources.
Small Groups Ministry
If you are feeling the need to strengthen your prayer life then this Zoom small group session is for you! Beginning on Wednesday January 20th at 7 p.m., Pastor Jake, Pastor Mike, and the Deacons will be leading teachings on the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer along with guided discussions of prayers of individuals from the Bible who exemplify each petition. Imagine discussing the prophet Elijah’s prayer against the 450 false prophets of Baal in the context of Jesus teaching to pray “Thy Kingdom Come”. We will also engage in a group prayer time and provide suggestions to enrich your personal prayer life. Please contact Pastor Jake for the Zoom link and discussion materials.
Email: pastorjakemcguire@gmail.com
Adult Ministry
Woman's Group -The women of the church will be gathering again for a women's Bible study via Zoom beginning Monday, January 25th at 9 a.m. for a nine-week study on the Book of James. The focus of the study -- "We all want a faith that won't let us down in times of trouble or loss, uncertainty or fear. A faith that can pull us through the worst - and best - times in our lives. This is the kind of faith that James writes about. It is the faith that we practice day by day. Studying James will help us grow a steadfast faith that can carry us through life." Contact Karen via email no later than Sunday, January 3rd, if you are interested in attending to allow time for her to place the Bible study book order.
Email: karen.deltatto@outlook.com