First Baptist Church of Rochester, PA

Who We Are

First Baptist is a well-established church. Founded in 1874, it has served the Beaver Valley area for almost 150 years. The sanctuary, built in 1916, with its high vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows, and pipe organ, provide a beautiful worship space, but don't let the age of the building fool you about who's inside...

We are a vibrant congregation representing multiple demographics across Beaver County. We gather together to worship, study God's Word, proclaim the Gospel of Christ, and fellowship. We don't have greeters at our doors because everyone who enters is warmly greeted by multiple individuals. Many churches claim to be welcoming, but First Baptist truly is.

We are probably best known as "that church in Rochester that does a live nativity every Christmas." Yes, that is us! It is just one of several outreaches to the community we do each year. If you have visited the nativity in recent years, you have already met our pastor (the one outside in the black cowboy hat) and several of our members.

We offer two worship services to accommodate schedules and styles. The Saturday service at 5:00 PM has hymns with pipe organ accompaniment. The Sunday service at 11:00 AM has blended music with track accompaniment. The message theme for 2023 is Rebuilding by Revival. The verse-by-verse exegetical messages originate from Ezra and Nehemiah. The same message is presented in both worship services.

Dr. Huggins, or Pastor Phil as we like to call him, is an engaging and energetic speaker. He preaches expositionally, primarily using the KJV. The congregation uses a wide variety of translations. Prayer is an important part of our worship and personal lives. We celebrate the Lord's Supper, i.e. Communion, the first Sunday of every month. It is open to all those trusting in Christ alone for their salvation. We practice believer’s baptism by immersion.

We are part of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through that relationship, we help further the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and build the Kingdom of God. However, we remain a self-governing body of Christians and do not fall under the authority of any denominational organization.

We financially support International, North American, and State Missions, as well as Disaster Relief and Mission Dignity through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program and special offerings. We also send support to local ministries such as Beaver County Child Evangelism Fellowship, Beaver County Jail Chaplaincy Program, and Choices Pregnancy Services.

This is but a brief overview of who we are. We invite you to explore this website to learn more about First Baptist Church, the grace of God, and redemption through Jesus Christ. Better yet, come and visit us!