Our Call

We are a church built on its progressive foundations and carry that forward into the 21st century in the heart of Missouri. Located in The District—the vibrant downtown of Columbia (affectionately called CoMo)—the church is positioned in the academic center of Missouri, surrounded by the University of Missouri, Columbia College, and Stephens College.

We are a diverse congregation that celebrates that our unity does not require uniformity. We are a progressive church with a long history of women in ministry, tradition of being welcoming and affirming of the LGBTQIA+ community, focus on social justice, and commitment to ecumenism. We believe that all people are created in the image of God; thus, all are welcomed to participate fully in the life of our church and can serve in leadership. We believe in religious liberty, soul competency, priesthood of the believers, and local church autonomy. The church maintains alignment with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and American Baptist Churches.

Our worship services are characterized by inspirational preaching, theme-related music, integrated art and worship elements, and lay participation. We explore our faith by blending biblical teachings with intellectual integrity, respecting a person’s right to think freely. We are committed to two worship services—contemporary and liturgical—that honor God and allow for various worship styles.

Our congregation sees itself as a strong voice for progressive Christianity, seeking to mirror Christ’s ministry of acceptance, and striving to be a place of healing and reconciliation. The Rev. Dr. Carol McEntyre served as senior pastor from May 20, 2012, to November 30, 2023, providing inspired and gifted leadership. She leaves our church in a strong and healthy position and prepared for continued growth. We look forward to our next senior pastor joining with us in ministry for the next chapter in our 200 years of witness and building the Kin-dom.

Our Process & Timeline

The Process So Far:

• January & February 2024: We engaged in a self-study process to reflect on who we are as a congregation and what we seek in our next Senior Pastor.
• March 2024: The Pastor Search Committee was selected by the congregation. The committee is comprised of 14 members. Seven members represent one of the seven leadership teams within the search and were selected by their respective team. The other seven members were selected by church vote, with each representative receiving majority support from those present and casting votes.
• April 2024 & Early May 2024: The search committee began its work. We met with denominational partners who provided guidance and resources to the committee and began developing and drafting our Congregational Profile.
• Mid-May 2024: Our Congregational Profile was finalized and released. We began accepting candidate applications.

Anticipated Future Timeline:

• Summer 2024: We will collect and review candidate applications as they are submitted.
• Late July 2024: We anticipate beginning to reach out to candidates and starting to schedule first round conversations. We plan on these conversations being held over Zoom. The search committee will continue to accept and review new applications as we begin conversations with candidates. Please do not hesitate to express your interest.

The search committee is striving to balance time with a reflective and prayerful approach to our search. While it is our goal to find and call our next Senior Pastor as quickly as possible; we want to ensure that we call the right individual to the role. Currently, we anticipate utilizing the following steps and conversations as part of our process.

1.  Introductory / First-Round Zoom Conversation
2. Follow-up / Second-Round Zoom Conversation
3. In-Person Conversation (location TBD)
4. Call Visit to First Baptist Church for final candidate

Our Congregational Profile

The Pastor Search Committee invites all interested candidates to review and prayerfully consider our full Congregational Profile here

The Senior Pastor Search Committee seeks God’s wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide the next pastor to us. If you feel moved and called to minister with us, please contact us at or submit a cover letter and resume to

Congregational Profile

Members of the Pastor Search Committee: