Former Pastors
1933-1943
Rev. P.T. Tyson
Reverend P.T. Tyson was the founding Pastor of First Baptist Church in July of 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression. Although attendance remained low for a few years, God gave him the strength to continue and the church eventually thrived. He was called home from labor in the year 1943.
1943-1962
Rev. Cornelius Lemon
Reverend Cornelius Lemon became pastor in the year 1946. Under his leadership, church services were able to be heard over the radio and Pastor Lemon led a prayer segment on the first all-negro radio show created by the first African-American radio disc jockey. He was called home from his labor in 1961.
Reverend Floyd Preston Piper was called to pastor our church in the year 1962. He was met with a challenge to secure the membership of our church when a portion of the Ogden Avenue church was ravaged by a fire in 1964, which forced us to use temporary locations until the work was completed. Due to his love and dedication to the responsibility God gave him, under his leadership, the edifice we currently call home was built in the year 1970.
After establishment of this new church, it was a few years later that the mortgage was burned which was met with great praise and joy unto the Lord. Due to deteriorating health, Pastor Piper retired as pastor in 1987 and served as Pastor Emeritus until his death in the year 2001. The education center was renamed in Pastor Piper's honor by his successor, Pastor O. Everett Piper.
1963-1987
Rev. F.P. Piper
1988-1996
Rev. Dr. O.E. Piper
Reverend Dr. O. Everett Piper was elected and called by God as pastor of our church in the year 1988. It is through the vision of God, that Pastor Piper envisioned the renaming of our church First Baptist Institutional Church and properly teaching the word of God. Pastor Piper was a true organizer. He was the founder/organizer of the Midwest Baptist District Association and the Ministers United for Ministerial Development. Pastor Piper was well know for his community outreach and his love for Christian Education. Our dear Pastor was called from his earthly duty in the year 1996, but by God, he knew the type of Pastor we needed, but the church had to accept the challenge to elect.
Pastor Piper's Prayer: "Inspect Us Lord Jesus. Take thy finger and wherever it is too high in us, bring it down. Wherever it is too low in us, bring it up. Take thy finger and whatever is crooked in us, straighten it out.