Nurturing the Vision: First Baptist Church, Raleigh, 1812-2012 (James N. Griffith Series in Baptist Studies)

The First Baptist Church of Raleigh, North Carolina was

established on March 7, 1812. Throughout two centuries of existence it has become one of the most prominent Baptist churches in North Carolina and has been a steady presence for the religious community in the city of Raleigh.

This book examines the rich, 200-year history of this historic congregation from its inception in 1812 to the present. More than just a simple history of a congregation, the church's history is recounted within its context, nationally, regionally, and within the broader context of Baptist history. The contextualization of the history of First Baptist Church of Raleigh makes this a unique approach of history from the "bottom up" rather than from the "top down."

W. Glenn Jonas, Jr. is the Howard Professor of Religion and chairman of the

department of Religion and Philosophy at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. He is the author of A Critical Evaluation of Albert Henry

Newman, Church Historian, co-author

of A Journey of Faith: Introduction to

Christianity and Christianity: A Biblical,

Historical, and Theological Guide for

Students, and editor of The Baptist River:

Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse

Tradition. He has served as interim pastor

of twelve churches in Eastern North

Carolina. He and his wife Pam live in

Buies Creek and have two daughters,

Hannah and Gracie.