375th Anniversary

In 1638 Roger Williams took the little congregation that had been worshiping in his home for nearly a year and re-baptized them as adult believers. He gathered a church that is still here, the first and oldest Baptist Church in the New World.

We will kick-off our year long celebration of the 375th Anniversary of our founding on October 27, Reformation Sunday with guest preacher, Walter “Buddy” Shurden. Shurden, the founding executive director of the Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University and a long-time friend of Pastor Dan and Libby Ivins, will be the first in a series of guest preachers and special events in the coming year as we mark 375 years of witness in Providence. Pastor Dan will preach our “birthday sermon” a year from now on October 28, 2013.

• October 28, 2012 – Buddy Shurden
• April 7, 2013 at 10 AM – Lucas Mason-Brown will discuss his cracking of the Roger Williams code.
• April 14, 2013 – Professors Caroline and William Blevins will speak on spirituality and the mind.
• April 26, 2013 at 9 AM – Arbor Day Celebration. We will be planting trees on the property.
• April 28, 2013 at 4 PM – ABCORI Annual Gathering at the Meeting House in celebration of the 375th.
• May 19, 2013 (Anniversary of the dedication of the Meeting House) – Dwight Lundgren, 32nd minister
• July 7, 2013 – Religious Liberty Sunday – James Dunn
• June 23, 2013 – The FBCIA choir will perform at the American Baptist Churches Biennial in Kansas City, Kansas
• September 8, 2013 – Kate Harvey-Jacobs, 33rd minister
• September 30, 2013 – Tony Campolo
• October 20, 2013 – Roy Medley
• October 25, 2013 at 6 PM – playlet on Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson created by the RI Council for the Humanities in the 1970′s will be presented by David Ely and Ruth Maris Macaulay.
• October 27, 2013 – Dan Ivins, 36th minister