Karen Graves

The First Baptist Church of Granville began as the "Baptist Church of Christ in Granville and St. Albans," established in a barn in 1819 by 19 settlers. From early on in its history, it had a tendency to be very involved in social issues that affected people in Granville and the surrounding community. When Denison University was founded, in 1831, the First Baptist Church was heavily involved. Denison's first classes were held in the church building. But as Denison continued to refuse admittance to women, in 1859 the First Baptist Church created a college for women. In 1978, the First Baptist Church was the first church in the American Baptist Church to ordain a woman as an area minister, and has since ordained 12 women and 3 men. The First Baptist Church was also heavily involved in the abolition movement. While there are few actual records involving the Underground Railroad, Granville was most definitely a stop, and William Whitney, a minister of the First Baptist Church during the 1830s, was a well-known abolitionist. It is highly likely that at least some of the congregation, including Whitney, were involved in the Underground Railroad. Denison University was also a center of abolitionist activity, and the First Baptist Church was heavily involved with Denison, which remained a Baptist institution until the 1960s. In more recent times, the First Baptist Church has done a great deal of charity and service work. This was spearheaded by Pastor George Williamson, who served from 1981 to 2004. In 1990, the church funded a project where members of the congregation loaded an old school bus with medical and school supplies and drove it to Nicaragua. They presented them to students at CEPAD, an agricultural university in Managua. The First Baptist Church also founded the Licking County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. They have worked on multiple house-building projects. In this vein, the church has also provided assistance to local homeless people, as well as political refuges from Central America and West Africa. Sources: Reiswig, Julie "History of First Baptist Church of Granville," 5/2/2009 http://www.firstbaptistgranville.org/sundaysermons?id=64142 First Baptist Church of Granville Collection Ohio Historical Society, MSS 1469