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History Of The Baptists

 

The history of Baptists is given in the following survey by Curtis Whaley:

 

      Baptists do not trace their heritage to the Protestant Reformation, but back to Jesus Christ and the apostolic churches, as we see in the following overview by Curtis Whaley:

 

      Though many Baptist groups sprang up during the Protestant Reformation, according to Collier’s Encyclopedia, the Baptists have ‘descended from some of the evangelical “sects” of the preceding age during which the Roman and Orthodox Churches dominated all of Europe and suppressed all dissent.’  A Catholic, Cardinal Hosius, president of the Council of Trent(1545-1563), wrote during the early years of the Reformation period, ‘Were it not that the Baptists have been grievously tormented and cut off with the knife during the past twelve hundred years, they would swarm in greater numbers than all the reformers.’  This should convince anyone that the Baptists are not a by-product of the Reformation, and are not even Protestants in the popular sense of the term.

 

      If the Baptists did not begin with the Reformation, when did they begin?  We will let a great American and world historian answer.  John Clark Ridpath (1840-1900), a Methodist by denominational conviction, wrote, ‘I should not readily admit that there was a Baptist church as far back as 100 A.D., although without doubt there were Baptist churches then, as all Christians were then Baptists.’  Yes, all Christians were then Baptists, because the doctrines that Baptists believe and teach today are the same as those taught by the Lord Jesus Himself, by Peter, John, Paul, and all the Apostles. 

 

      We have not always been called ‘Baptists.’  The name is not a self-chosen one. Following what we believe to be apostolic precept and example, the Baptists rejected infant baptism, insisted on a ‘regenerate membership,’ and baptism sought intelligently by the candidate as a condition for church membership.  For these reasons they were stigmatized as ‘Anabaptists,’ ‘Cata-baptist,’ and sometimes as simply ‘Baptists.’  This was to say they were [called by their enemies] ‘rebaptizers, perverts of baptism,’ or as unduly emphasizing baptism and making it a reason for schism, simply ‘baptizers.’  We are proud of the name, because it distinguishes our doctrinal position which is set forth in the New Testament and identifies us with a host of saints who have believed the same precious truths and were identified with the same denominator.

 

      The premise that first century Christians were Baptists runs counter to the Roman Catholic claim that the first church was Roman Catholic.  To this we need only point out that the first church was organized by Christ and His Apostles, and those Apostles became the nucleus of the church at Jerusalem, not Rome, and James was its leader, not Peter.  We also contend that the bishop of Rome did not win primacy over other bishops until the fourth century, and that it wasn’t until Gregory ascended the Episcopal throne in 590 A.D. that the Roman bishop began to claim his supremacy over other bishops.  Thus we see that Roman Catholicism dates back to the fourth century at the earliest.

 

      While we do not contend that only Baptist are going to Heaven, we do contend that the first church was organized according to principles historically maintained by Baptists, and that Baptists have existed since that day.  First called Christians, then by other names down through the centuries until they received the name that has distinguished them from Protestant and Catholic groups alike (Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity. 2nd Edition. Edited by David W. Cloud. Pub. October 1997. Curtis Whaley, Who are the Baptists?)

 


 

 

History of First Baptist Church

 

We started as a Minute Man project of the Arizona Conservative Baptist Convention, this project was dedicated to starting 56 churches in Arizona in 1956.

 

Dr. Claude Moffett and a friend came to Bagdad to discuss with the manager of Bagdad Copper Corporation the possibility of starting a Baptist Church here.  The company had the authority to grant or deny permission for a church or any venture because they owned the town of Bagdad, all the land, the houses, the store, the gas station, everything.  Dr. Moffett was told that Bagdad already had enough churches and permission was denied.  Not easily discouraged, they went to their car and had lunch; during this time they prayed and asked God to intervene.  They went back to the manager’s office after lunch and asked again, this time permission was granted for them to start what would become the First Baptist Church of Bagdad.  

 

The first meeting was held on Mother’s Day, May 12, 1956 with about 125 people in attendance. Rev. Longsberry preached that day and there were several decisions for salvation made that day.  This service was held in a mobile chapel which was used until a permanent building could be secured.

 

On Mother’s Day, May 13, 1957 the church was organized and officially became the “First Baptist Church of Bagdad,” it was at this time that the first pastor, John T. Cain, was called.  In July of 1957 ground was leveled and prepared for the arrival of an Army Barracks from the old Army Air Force base in Kingman, AZ.  This building was refurbished and used as the main sanctuary until the early 1970s when a new block Sanctuary was constructed.  The old sanctuary now serves as the Fellowship Hall and also houses the nursery, Sunday School classrooms, and the pastor’s office.

 

The following men have served as pastors through the years to the present time:

 

                        John Cain                                          1957 – 1963

                        Denny Parsons                                1963 – 1966

                        Kenneth Evins                                 1966 – 1969

                        Merton Hibbard                             1969 – 1972           

                        Thurman Ullman                            1972 – 1979

                        Robert Irvine                                   1980 – 1984

                        Sam Cutshall                                    1984 – 1986

                        Stan Peachey                                   1986 – 1991

                        Robert Irvine (2nd time)                1991 – 1994

                        Robert VanderBurg                       1994 – 2000

                        Nick Minerva                                   2000 – 2003

                        Douglas Culver                                2004 – present

 

It was under the direction of Pastor VanderBurg that the church left the Conservative Baptist Convention and became an Independent Baptist Church.