Although baptists are now associated with the South and the Bible Belt, New England was once one of the most baptist regions of the country. Our nation's first baptist church was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638. Baptists also established several New England colleges such as Bates, Brown, Colby, and Gordon. Baptists founded New England Baptist Hospital in Boston and helped create many charitable institutions. Even today the Elliot Hospital in Manchester requires a member of our church to serve on their board, reflecting the longstanding connection between churches and other charities in our area. 

Adoniram Judson (pictured left), one of the first American missionaries to the world, went to serve the people of what is now Myanmar with the support of the First Baptist Church of Salem, Massachusetts and other New England baptists. Although New Hampshire is now one of the least religious states in the country, churches in our state wrote one of most popular and influential confessions of faith for baptist churches in America: the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833). Baptists have a long and rich history here in New England, including our church which has been here in Manchester since 1837.  

All that said, many people in our church did not grow up baptist. Some grew up methodist or pentecostal, others grew up catholic or in no church at all. Whether the baptist tradition is familiar or not, we invite you to come and see what it's all about.