First Baptist Church of Cheshire

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First Baptist Church of Cheshire has been serving the community and praising the name of Jesus continually for over 220 years. If you are looking to experience and feel the presence of a living God, we invite you to stop by and praise the Lord with us on Sunday mornings at 10:45 AM, with our all-age Sunday School classes preceding at 9:45 AM!

We have a time of fellowship, refreshments, and coffee following each service, as well as a potluck luncheon after Sunday service each first Sunday of the month, so feel free to stick around after the service! We also share a potluck dinner every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, with a Bible Study following afterward at 7:00 PM.

We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will bless and keep you in His perfect will and way!

“Our History”

Since our inception in 1789, we have had over 40 pastors from various walks of life, including great historical figures such as the Elder John Leland, a close friend of Thomas Jefferson. Leland served as the pastor from 1792 to 1797, and again from 1809 to 1841. A man possessing unusual personal magnetism and great eloquence, Leland planned to become a lawyer, but entered the ministry instead, where his zeal and enthusiasm became powerful implements of persuasion in his evangelistic efforts. A traveling evangelist, Leland baptized over 1500 people in various locations during his lifetime. The Lord worked thorough Leland to bring about a revival of God's people at First Baptist Church of Cheshire, nearly tripling the size of the congregation!

Leland was also involved in the Great Cheshire Cheese endeavor, which you may recall from your history books. The Great Cheshire Cheese was a 4 foot wide, 15 inch thick, 1,450 pound cheese gifted from the people of Cheshire to the newly elected President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. Due to both its size and its completion during the winter months, the cheese could not safely be transported on wheels. Instead, it was loaded onto a sleigh, which Leland himself steered. It took 3 weeks to complete the 500 mile journey to the White House! The cheese remained at the White House for over 2 years, and drew a personal letter of thanks from Thomas Jefferson to the people of Cheshire.

During the 1800's, First Baptist Church of Cheshire was also a participant in the Underground Railroad; providing safe hiding places for those escaping to safety using hidden rooms, and even utilizing the steeple of the church! A few of the hidden spaces are still intact to this day.

As in Leland's time, the Lord has recently wrought a similar work of revival. In 2006, First Baptist Church of Cheshire yearned for a similar outpouring of revival. There was no pastor, and number of regular attendees had dropped to around 15 people; a breath of new life was desperately needed.

Enter Rick Newton, an evangelist. Committed to the belief that the Cross is God’s lighthouse to the ‘lost’ in this world, he has dedicated his life to bringing that light to wherever God would lead, by shouldering a 12 ft, life size wooden Cross and carrying it around the world, evangelizing and spreading the Word of God.

His journeys led him past First Baptist Church of Cheshire in 2006, and as he passed the church, he felt the need to stop and pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon this little white church on the hill. Little did he know that he was praying himself into the pulpit. Within a very short period of time, the Lord had placed him in a temporary pastoral position at First Baptist Church of Cheshire. During this time, by following the Lord's guidance and His Holy Spirit, the congregation's size grew by leaps and bounds, with many salvations and baptisms occurring. In March 2010, the Lord called Rick Newton back to carrying the Cross, and First Baptist Church of Cheshire joyfully sent him forth as a missionary to a world that desperately needs to hear of Jesus Christ. Rick Newton is currently preparing to travel to Chile. Our prayers are with him! Visit his website at rncrosscarrier.org.