Becoming a Member

There are numerous questions that arise when one is considering joining a local church. Some wonder why membership is even emphasized. Others wonder what the qualifications for church membership may be and what expectations the church has for members and what expectations the members can have for their church. These and other questions are addressed in our monthly New & Prospective Members Class. We encourage all who are considering joining the church to attend this class, as it is required for membership.

First and foremost, a person must be a born-again baptized (by immersion) believer in Christ. It is not possible to be a member of this local church apart from being a member of God’s family. Our Statement of Faith explains our understanding of believer’s baptism and also delineates other distinctive doctrinal beliefs of our church.

A person may join First Baptist Church by…

  • Surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ as Lord and being baptized by immersion as an obedient step and symbol of new life

  • As a baptized believer in Christ, but coming from another church with like teachings and doctrines, by statement of faith

  • As a member in good standing of another Baptist Church, by moving one’s membership

All this and more is covered in our New & Prospective Members Class.

New & Prospective Members Class

On the first Sunday of each month we host our New & Prospective Members Class. This class meets at 9:15am in our church library (located in Building C - located in the middle of our campus.) One of our pastors leads the class and covers our church history, doctrinal statement, structure, mission and ministry emphases, and more. Ample time for questions is provided and this class provides a relaxed atmosphere were potential members can learn about First Baptist Church and better discern our understanding of membership. Opportunities to join FBCOP are provided as well, but this is not a “hard sell” as we seek to help prospective members follow God’s lead related to church membership. Click here for our church calendar, or go to “Calendar” in the menu to see when our next class is held.

We have created an online church directory for members of First Baptist Church of Orange Park.

Our directory is made available to members for the purpose of prayer and connecting one another. Realizing that often we benefit from “putting a face to a name” this allows us to remain connected and pray for one another well.

For safety reasons, only names and contact information of adult church members are provided. Access is available only for members in good standing of First Baptist Church. If you have questions about membership, please contact the church office at 904-264-2351 or firstbaptist@firstfam.org.