Our History

First Baptist Church, East Stroudsburg began in the 1880s out of the vision of several families who were part of Beakleyville Baptist. The Lord laid on their hearts the desire to begin a new Baptist work that would be closer to town and to families coming from a distance. So a group began meeting. Twenty-nine members organized a new church and sought to be part of a regional group called the Reading Association, part of the old Northern Baptist Convention. In the beginning, a supply pastor would be in charge for the summer months. The first full time pastor was a Rev. F. C. Bardens who directed the work for several years. In 1901, the association sent Rev. Francis Walker to stabilize the church. A succession of pastors who held brief and in some cases, difficult pastorates, followed.

In 1886, a foundation was laid on the corner of East Broad and North Courtland Streets in East Stroudsburg, on the spot where the old church is that is now used as a children's Christian education building. The building was constructed from local hardwood logs and brick from Zacharias brickyard.

The congregation began to truly take shape when Rev. Alfred Stokes was called in February 1925. He served until he retired in the spring of 1942 and the stability he brought was crucial. A parsonage was also constructed during this time at 97 East Broad Street. On May 10, 1942 the church called Pastor and Mrs. Norman Savage. Pastor Savage had been the founding pastor of Rhawnhurst Baptist in Philadelphia, a church that began in a barn and is still ministering. In 1963, a youth center was built, and adjacent houses and land were bought for classes and parking, including an old hotel on the site of the present parking lot. The Savages served until Jan. 1, 1975 when he retired, and the church gave them living rights to the parsonage. Andy and Virginia Weiss were the first couple he married, and in God's providence, Virginia left her estate to the church, and that has enabled us to purchase our new land.

On January 17, 1975, the church was badly damaged by fire and the congregation began meeting in the youth building until the present auditorium was constructed. Doug Metzgar was called early in 1975 to be the pastor. He was saved as an officer in the U.S. Navy and then left the Navy for the seminary. This was a short but rich time of Christian growth, and Doug's life and ministry are still deeply loved, though he left in 1977. In 1977, the church called Pastor John Michael, who served from 1978 to November 1979.

In May of 1980 Pastor David Cornell was called and began August 1, 1980. The Lord added to the church and in 1988, what was to be a long quest for additional facilities and land began. At the same time, several men served as youth pastor until Pastor Dawes Dunham was called in the spring of 1997 to serve as Associate Pastor for Youth. In 1996, a small group of members began to meet in the power room for the purpose of beginning a daughter church in Brodheadsville which is now fully self-supporting and thriving. In 1998 two properties were purchased to help with Sunday School, office space, and parking. In 2000 the borough granted an abandoned section of Dearr St. which connected the church properties. In 2003, in another act of God, the church closed on 52 acres of land on Franklin Hill Rd. as its future location. We have a great and faithful Lord!