Picture this congregation's 1812 start with 23 members, here in downtown Raleigh across from the Capitol. This congregation was the first Baptist church in the city, organized in 1812, and is one of the oldest churches in the area. It began in 1812 with 23 members, 14 of whom were described as "black slaves.
By 1826 the congregation had grown to include 157 black members and 77 white members. In 1866 the 200 black members organized a church of their own, while the 226 white members stayed at First Baptist. Charles Francis Meserve was a member and was licensed to preach here despite not being ordained.
Today First Baptist is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a link that ties its long past to present networks. Stand here and you can sense the layers of community growth and change - from 23 people in 1812 to the complex membership shifts that followed. First Baptist still faces North Salisbury Street, with the North Carolina State Capitol directly across the way.