Longtime member Janet Pitts and her teammates were busy transforming the church\u2019s ministry center into a beautiful dining setting for a historic occasion.<\/p>\n
Outside, smiling greeters awaited the opportunity to welcome guests and members for worship.<\/p>\n
The day had come to celebrate the church\u2019s 150th<\/sup> anniversary with a special service, followed by a churchwide dinner. Throughout the year, Pitts, the anniversary team and others had planned and promoted the event throughout the community. Pitts said she couldn\u2019t have felt more privileged to serve.<\/p>\n “Our eyes should not only look backward but also should look forward to the future. God is not near finished with First Baptist Bartow. This church is a beacon of the gospel here in Bartow, Polk County, the state of Florida and beyond.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Established in 1875 with 10 founding members<\/strong><\/p>\n The church was founded Sept. 21, 1875, by 10 people as Concord Church, which later was named Bartow Baptist before becoming First Baptist Church of Bartow. The founding of the church came as Bartow was in its formative years. In 1866, Jacob Summerlin, a cattle businessman, wanted to help the town and donated land to establish government buildings, a school and local churches. Twenty acres were gifted to establish the Baptist church.<\/p>\n Elder Jeremiah M. Hayman led the founding members and became the first pastor of First Baptist Church of Bartow. Later, Hayman became a missionary in central Florida and helped start many churches throughout the state.<\/p>\n On Sept. 7, the church unveiled a Polk County Heritage Site marker on its grounds. The marker was sponsored by the church and the Polk County Historical Commission.<\/p>\n The marker is both special and personal to church member Emmett Ferguson Griffin, as he is related to Elizabeth A. Griffin, one of the 10 founding members noted on the sign.<\/p>\n The 85-year-old Griffin and several members of his family attended the anniversary service. They were part of the 333 people who gathered in the 100-year-old sanctuary, where at age 9, Griffin was baptized. He and his wife of 45 years, Margie, were also married in the historic sanctuary.<\/p>\n \u201cI just feel comfortable in this church, and it feels like going home every time that I go,\u201d said Griffin.<\/p>\n \u2018Lord has blessed this church\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n At the beginning of the service, a congratulatory video welcomed the congregation. About 20 people, which included pastors, friends and various leaders from all over the country, sent their well wishes to honor the church\u2019s milestone anniversary. Later in the program, another video was played that featured several members who gave their thoughts on the church\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n Senior pastor Matt McCraw, the church\u2019s 28th<\/sup> pastor, stepped forward to thank and welcome special guests such as Betsy Deaton, the widow of former pastor Norman Deaton, and local dignitaries, including Bartow Mayor Tanya Tucker and several city commissioners. McCraw then shared a congratulatory letter from former pastor David Sutherland, who served the church 1977-1982.<\/p>\n McCraw paused and smiled at the congregation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lord has blessed this church. Amen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018A beacon of the gospel\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhile it is good and right to celebrate all that God has done,\u201d McCraw reminded the church of its mission to develop disciples and to look to its future.<\/p>\n \u201cOur eyes should not only look backward but also should look forward to the future. God is not near finished with First Baptist Bartow. This church is a beacon of the gospel here in Bartow, Polk County, the state of Florida and beyond,\u201d said McCraw.<\/p>\n McCraw then introduced his lifelong friend and guest speaker Aaron Burgner, senior pastor of Lakes Church<\/a> in Lakeland, formerly First Baptist Church of Lakeland. Burgner and McCraw grew up together in Lakeland. Both men also serve on the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors\u2019 Conference. Burgner is president of the conference, and McCraw is vice-president.<\/p>\n Burgner drew his message, \u201cAn Authentic and Faithful Church,\u201d from 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10. He commended the church for always being faithful and Word-centered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important that we know that what we\u2019re celebrating today is not that we\u2019re 150 years as a church but 150 years of God\u2019s faithfulness to a people and a people\u2019s faithfulness to God and His Word.<\/p>\n \u201cFor 150 years, you\u2019ve been tethered to the Word of God,\u201d said Burgner.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd (McCraw) has always had his heart tethered to God\u2019s Word,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u2018Biblical truths alive in our hearts\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Member Sandra Waters said she appreciates how McCraw preaches from the Word.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really, really wonderful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Waters is an advisory board member, and she and her husband of 64 years, Larry, have been members of the church for 50 years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In September 2017 when McCraw came to serve as pastor, the church was struggling, Waters recalled. Attendance was down, and the church had been without a pastor for about 18 months.<\/p>\n \u201cGod had impressed upon my heart that we needed the Word,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew when (McCraw) came, God had sent him here, and there was no doubt in my mind,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Waters also admires how McCraw reaches out to people.<\/p>\n \u201cHe cares about people, and that shows in what he does. And he cares about reaching beyond the four walls of the church too,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n During the first couple of years McCraw served, he didn\u2019t see much growth as attendance was running about 160-180. Also, several members passed away.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the Lord started blessing (us), and we started growing,\u201d said McCraw.<\/p>\n The church grew every year since, except during the pandemic when attendance fell. Now the church averages about 200 in attendance on Sundays and continues to reach new people in the community. In 2025, the church had 12 baptisms.<\/p>\n McCraw gives credit to the Lord and the members for the growth. He said members invite their friends and neighbors to the church.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot remember a Sunday when we haven\u2019t had at least one guest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd often we have multiple guests from multiple households,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Don Scarbrough, chairman of deacons, likes how the church is growing under McCraw.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Pastor Matt our church is headed in the right direction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Scarbrough also thinks people come because they like hearing how McCraw preaches from the Word.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt preaches directly from the Bible, and I think that\u2019s what keeps people coming back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want people to know that they are welcomed in our church, and that spreads pretty quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Member Matt Ferrell and his wife Manda and their family felt the church\u2019s welcome when they joined the church four years ago. The family with six children, now ages 13 to 21, had moved from Ohio to Florida.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Matt Ferrell also appreciates how McCraw teaches the Bible.<\/p>\n \u201cNumber one is that (McCraw) preaches the Word of God, and second is that it\u2019s very much like being in a family here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a church, everybody is so loving and caring for each other. We immediately felt like we were loved and taken in by the church. That\u2019s been great,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Member George Grubbs calls McCraw \u201cRabbi Matt\u201d because of his Bible teaching.<\/p>\n \u201cPastor Matt has been a blessing to the church and especially to me. He\u2019s taught me a lot about the Bible and explains verses to me, and I am thankful for that and enjoy that very much,\u201d said the 30-year member.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lord has blessed us with good Christian families and is building the church up with Pastor Matt and his family,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything is going great,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jayme \u201cDeeDee\u201d McKinnish, 31, who serves as assistant children\u2019s ministry coordinator, is also pleased with church growth with the new families and children.<\/p>\n McKinnish, who was baptized at age six in the church, grew up in the church and values all of her church teachers throughout her childhood.<\/p>\n \u201cI am excited about the future of how we can continue to make disciples with these children and really just make a difference in their lives,\u201d said McKinnish.<\/p>\n Member Cherylann McGirt, who joined the church by baptism about four years ago, enjoys working with the youth and with McKinnish.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a new disciple, and I hope people know that biblical truths are alive in our hearts,\u201d said McGirt who was baptized in her 60s.<\/p>\n\n
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