Our History

The history of the First Baptist Church and Kalamazoo College are closely interwoven. The same year that the church was organized, 1836, the Reverend Jeremiah Hall persuaded the Michigan and Huron Institute, now Kalamazoo College, to settle in this city.

Constructed in 1853, this is the oldest church building in Kalamazoo. Titus Bronson, the city's founder, donated the entire block surrounding Bronson Park with the stipulation that it be used only for churches, thus the name " Church Square". The Bronson Park churches formed an alliance and still work together as a team to support each other and bring the many areas of religion to the downtown area.

For many, many years the clock built into the bell tower was the "town clock" because it could be seen from many outlying areas surrounding downtown. For a long time, FBC was known as the church with the clock.

The Baptist faith reached the Kalamazoo River Valley in 1826 when missionary Leonard Slater preached to the Indians. In 1836 fourteen settlers led by Jeremiah Hall, a Baptist minister from Vermont, met in the home of Ezekiel Ransom to organize the First Baptist Church.

The second Pastor, Dr. James H.B. Stone, was an early President of the college and many of his successors in that office have been active in this congregation.

Over the years the First Baptist Church has served as the parent church of several parishes that branched out into outlying areas. First Baptist Church is a proud member of American Baptist Churches USA, as well as American Baptist Churches - Michigan.