Our History

In 1860, the First Baptist Church of Lebanon, New Hampshire, was formed by a group of 26 men and women to meet the needs of the growing community of Baptists in Lebanon. In 1862, a small chapel was built and used for worship until 1869, when it was replaced. Standing on the corner of Green Street and School Street in downtown Lebanon, the building is protected as a historical landmark. The ministry of the church through the years has included such activities as a choir, Sunday School, a mission society, a Philathea class, youth groups, and other organizations. Today, the First Baptist Church of Lebanon remains a friendly and welcoming church. Average Sunday attendance is approximately 50 people. Members hail from towns all over the Upper Valley and represent a diverse collection of ages and backgrounds.

How we have changed in the past 25 years?

In the past 25 years, our church has grown and been transformed. We have moved from a formal worship service where the pastor wore a robe, to an informal style of worship where our pastor moves from behind the pulpit. Wearing your Sunday best is always welcome, but not required. Many attendees of our congregation come to worship in comfortable clothing and attire. Two unexpected events have greatly transformed our family. The first was the Supreme Court decision regarding marriage. The pastor in place at that time had changed his position away from the region and ABC position of traditional marriage, unbeknown to the congregation. The lack of a clear organizational method to deal with this difficulty caused much dissention and frustration. The troubles led to a reduction in attendance. Recovering from this set of troubles, with a seasoned interim minister at the helm, we were gathering up the pieces and regaining our identity. In late December 2016, tragedy struck, and our church building was destroyed. We have been meeting at Lebanon Middle School since then. Our diminished numbers and lack of facility has reduced the robustness of our activities, but we press on. We continue with Community Dinners and a small food pantry at the Senior Center. We have a smaller worship team with a faithful leader a lot like Moses – “I am not qualified to do this!” Our small groups continue to meet. We have an active Sunday School and nursery. Our Building Committee has proven to be a band of dedicated champions. We broke ground on our new home in October 2018.We hope to be in our new home in November/December 2019.

First Baptist has a congregation that encompasses all age ranges. Infants and small children are welcome in our service. Men, women, teenagers, families, young and old, make up our church family. A visitor would see men and women in leadership roles within our church. These leaders take an active part in the Sunday morning worship service and in the church life. As we look toward our next 25 years, First Baptist continues to be led by the Holy Spirit. Our congregation stands on a firm foundation of Christian love, and we are bonded with our faith as we worship our true Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Pastoral Leadership

  • 1862–1868 John McKinley
  • 1869–1870 E. E. Cummings
  • 1870–1871 J. Tucker, Jr.
  • 1871–1874 H. Barnes
  • 1874–1875 J. H. Gannett
  • 1876–1899 N. F. Tilden
  • 1899–1903  W. L. Stone
  • 1903–1912 F. L. Knapp
  • 1912–1918 J. K. Miller
  • 1918–1922 C. L. Chamberlin
  • 1923–1927 H. H. White
  • 1927–1930 J. K. Miller
  • 1930–1943 W. J. B. Cannell
  • 1943–1956 F. K. Neary
  • 1957–1968 R. J. Bracey
  • 1968–1975 F. K. Emerson, Sr.
  • 1976–1982 B. S. Howe
  • 1983–1985 K. B. Solheim
  • 1985–1986 R. Varnum (Interim)
  • 1986–1999 D. Edwards
  • 1999–2001  P. Barnes (Interim)
  • 2001–2012 D. Edwards
  • 2012–2013 D. Brown (Interim)
  • 2013–2015 Eliot Fay
  • 2016–2023 Rick Pinilla (Senior Pastor)
  • 2020-2023 Ryan Gabel (Assoc Pastor)
  • 2024-Pres Ryan Gabel