1st Family

Our Story

The First Baptist Church of Bradenton began March 10, 1889 when Elder T. J. Sparkman preached in the Manatee County Courthouse. Following the service, twelve people expressed an interest in establishing a Baptist Church in what was then Braidentown. The church was formally constituted two months later.

Over a century later, First Baptist is still standing. In 2003, Dr. Rick Lineberger became our Senior Pastor. He brought with him a powerful vision to reach this rapidly growing community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we began renovating our current worship center in 2006, as well as improving other areas of our now sprawling campus.

In addition to the physical improvements on our campus, there is a new spirit in our worship services! It can be heard in the passionate singing and preaching, and seen in the demonstrations of love and fellowship among our membership. We feel God calling us, yet again, into the harvest field where, with hands and hearts united, we are committed to Sharing Jesus with this community.