Welcome to First Baptist Spartanburg!

Where everyone can invite anyone to experience the Living One, Jesus Christ!

Whether you're brand new to FBS or you grew up in this church body, there is something exciting and inspiring to learn about what God has done in our city over the past 180 years and what He continues to do as we look forward to the future. I Love To Tell The Story is a collection of stories, facts, images, testimonies, and historical context organized in a loosely chronological manner to paint a picture of First Baptist Spartanburg from 1839 to today. Available online for a donation of $40 (shipping included) or more. Pick up your copy on campus for a donation of $30 or more.

FEATURES

300 pages of rich content featuring inspiring images, testimonies, historical information, and fun facts
Offset CMYK printed hard cover with nylon, matte laminate for protection and durability
Case bound, Smyth sewn binding allows pages to be opened and comfortably spread flat
Pages printed on premium satin finish paper for beautiful clarity in color while reducing glare on imagery
Book dimensions: 11.25" x 10.44" x 1.25" / Opens to full width of 23.125"
Each book individually shrink wrapped and packaged with care

DID YOU KNOW?

The History Book is filled with facts and information you might not know. Did you know:

WICKED VILLAGE Spartanburg was known by many as a "wicked village" in the 1830's, when 25 people formed our church to share the Gospel with its people. Originally, known as "The Baptist Church of Christ At Spartanburg", FBS was the first church of any kind in Spartanburg. Read more about how our church family was born on Page 9.
BURNED TO THE GROUND At our current main campus location in 1962, the church caught fire and burned to the ground? On Page 89, read the personal testimony of the photographer and church member who watched it burn.
BREAKING BARRIERS OF RACE, LANGUAGE, & CULTURE In 1857, years before the Civil War (1861-1865), our church began asking extra time each month from our traveling pastor, John Landrum, to share the Gospel with people of color in the community, despite the prejudice and racism that permeated The South during that time and decades beyond it. Immediately after WWII, in 1946, our church sent missionaries to spread the Gospel in Japan to the very people some church members fought against in the war. In 1947, FBS realized the need and began providing worship service interpretation to deaf members of our community. Beginning in 2015, FBS helped plant Spanish-speaking church The Gathering, and created an event called B1: Exploring Unity Together, bringing together leaders of local Hispanic, African-American, and Messianic Jewish congregations to discuss race, culture, and how our faith in Jesus makes us family in Christ. Read more about these subjects on Pages 18, 74, 76, 270.
DEDICATED LEADERSHIP FBS has been uncommonly blessed with faithful senior pastors. Since our church family started, 24 US States have been established. During that time, our church has only had 15 senior pastors total—a handful of whom served 15 years or more. Read detailed bios of each pastor and their ministry throughout the book, with a quick-access index in the back.