Visiting a new church can be a little scary and overwhelming. We invite you to explore the options below to make your visit something to look forward to.
We are here because of the good news of Jesus Christ.
We are sinners who have been rescued from sin by Jesus Christ. Though we have different backgrounds, ethnicities, opinions, and personalities, we find commonality in the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We gather each week to worship the one true God revealed in the Bible. We're grateful for the privilege He has given us to worship, live, and serve in our local community.
We rely on God's grace to give us true unity to function together as one body in Jesus Christ, submitted to the Word of God and committed to living that Word out in our daily lives.
Who We Are
We strive for an intentional culture of grace, vibrant worship, and discipleship.
Since 1883 the First Baptist Church has gathered to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to Baker County. Through the great depression, two world wars, and now a viral pandemic we have continued to worship, make disciples, and serve our neighbors in the name of Jesus Christ. We believe that the greatest days of our church’s history are not in the past, but the present. We would invite you to join us on this journey of following the Lord Jesus and bringing as many people as possible into his Kingdom with us.
A Culture of Grace
We seek to be a community characterized by grace. We pray for and actively strive for grace to permeate every aspect of our church culture. Because we recognize our deep gospel neediness, we are quick to extend grace to those in our church family, to other local churches, and to the people of our community.
A Culture of Vibrant Corporate Worship
We seek to be a community characterized by vibrant, full-hearted, participatory, unified, Christ-centered corporate worship. Because we believe that the worship of the gathered church should be corporate, not individual, we see every aspect of worship as an act the entire congregation joins in, rather than observes. We strive to sing, pray, and preach the Word in a way that encourages the participation of the entire congregation in our worship.
A Culture of Discipleship
We seek to be a community characterized by disciple-making followers of Jesus. Because we believe that the mission of the church is making disciples of Jesus Christ, we develop intentional relationships for the purpose of encouraging each other to pursue Christ, and we actively pray for and seek out relationships for the purpose of calling others to follow Christ.
What to Expect
Walking into a church for the first time can be intimidating, so we want to help you know what to expect when you visit.
We promise not to embarrass you or point you out. If you wish you can fill out a connection card and we’ll follow up with you later. You can come knowing you are in the midst of a group of broken people, who all need God’s grace.
What to Wear
Our congregation is made up of people from all walks of life and that means there is a variety of dress. You’ll find anything from shorts and flip flops to suits and dresses. We encourage you to come as you are most comfortable.
Sunday School
On Sunday morning at 9:30 am, we come together for Sunday School for all ages, where we learn about God’s Word and its application to all areas of life.
Sermon
Preaching at FBC is generally expositional, meaning that it seeks to work through passages of Scripture, declaring the point of a particular Biblical passage, with practical application rooted in the redemptive story of Scripture. Sermons usually last around 40 minutes and are packed with relevant material for reflection. Our sermon series regularly alternate between the Old and New Testaments. All preaching is driven by the Gospel, the Bible’s main message of God saving sinners through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Children
We believe children are a blessing from the Lord and we work hard to equip parents to train their children to worship as part of the church. We provide a nursery for younger children and a Children's Church option for 1st-5th graders on most Sundays. Some children remain in the service the entire time, and we welcome their presence.
Service Format
Our worship is a response to who God is and what he has done. We want God to hear from us and we want to hear from Him. We sing songs, offer prayers, hear Scripture read and preached, and give our offerings and tithes. We gather at 10:45 each Sunday morning with the typical service being about an hour.
Music
Our music team leads us to sing vibrant songs historic and modern in a Christ-exalting way. Our main desire is to sing what is true about God, offering God our praise and thanksgiving. We believe the voices of the congregation should be the primary instruments and we work hard to encourage congregational singing.
Listen to our playlist here.
Meet the Team
Dr. John Shultz
Senior Pastor
He has served as the Pastor of One Church Jacksonville Beach (December 2020-January 2024). He served as an Associate/Executive at Fort Caroline Baptist Church (April 2006 -September 2019). He served as Lead Pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church in Benton Kentucky (2003-2006) and he served as the Children and Preschool Pastor at Fort Caroline Baptist (1998-2003). John served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years and rose to the rank of Master Chief Fire Controlman.
John is a graduate of Luther Rice University with a Bachelor's in Biblical Studies, and graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and then a Doctorate in Church Health with a sub-specialty in Small Group Ministry. John is a certified facilitator of Wavechangers, Results Based Conversations. John loves spending time with his wife and family. He enjoys helping people learn to grow spiritually and spiritually reproduce.
Tim Wilder
Director of Worship & Administration
Tim grew up near Savannah, Ga but feels at home here in Baker County having lived and served here over 25 years. He is a graduate of Brewton Parker College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Tim loves serving God, the church, and the community and leading God’s people in God centered worship. He is married to Kristi and they have a daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren. Tim enjoys most outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, playing golf, camping, and even mowing grass.
Jacob Hanson
Youth Minister
Jacob was born in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up in Middleburg, Florida. He is a student at Trinity Baptist College and will graduate in the spring of 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Theology. Jacob has been married to his sweet wife, Jade, since March of 2023. He likes to read, fish, and relax on the beach with his wife. Jacob has a passion to help families with children and students grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What We Believe
We seek to be Word-driven and Christ-centered.
The Word of God governs our life, and we believe the Bible points to Jesus Christ. The Bible is God's written Word—His communication to us of who He is, what He does, and what He expects of us. The Bible alone holds the authoritative answers to the questions of life and eternity.
The written Word is a reflection of the Living Word, Jesus Christ. It is our reliable, sufficient rule for faith and practice.
We seek to be timeless in our message.
Because we believe the gospel is central and that our church life should be governed by the Word of God, we practice expository, Christ-centered preaching. We strive to make our message accessible to everyone, while still preaching the full counsel of God.
Our message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We seek to share this message compassionately with the hurting to make a difference in our community, while also engaging in committed missions efforts throughout the world.
We seek to be relevant in our vision.
We believe that the Bible is relevant and contains everything we need to face the problems of life today. We are ordinary people who submit to the work of God in our hearts to change us to become more like His Son, Jesus. We desire to change, not because we thereby gain favor with God, but because we desire to grow in our love for Him.
Membership
Church membership is for people who love Jesus, love the church, and want to help the church bring the love of Jesus to the world. We believe at FBC that it is very important for Christians to be committed members of a local church.