Character Statement
God sent His Son to live among us to stand amid the crush of humanity, to teach to the masses, to heal in the marketplace. God doesn’t reside at the edge of human endeavor. He stands in the middle of it. He is Lord of all aspects of our lives. And so, since 1820, First Baptist Nashville has been blessed to stand in the middle of human activity at the heart of downtown Nashville as Christ’s body among us in the marketplace. Performing the work of Christ. Reaching up and reaching out. Loving God and loving people.
First Baptist Nashville stands in the middle of human endeavor interrupting the daily rush of commerce and entertainment, business and recreation, to direct our sights above to the Father. At the top of the Broadway hill in downtown Nashville it stands as a beacon, a light, a respite amid the rush, a refuge, a place of worship and comfort, of song and sincere searching, a place to pause on the road between work and home, between coming and going, to stop and learn and gain greater understanding. First Baptist Nashville’s place in the heart of the city contributes to the character of the congregation. These are a people literally willing to go the second mile to gather and worship. A people willing to leave the comfort of home to journey with Jesus on the road and into a marketplace filled with those so in need of Him. A people of all socio- and economic backgrounds coming from all corners of the city to this place, this common ground of faith – First Baptist Nashville.
Written by Nelson Eddy of Dye Van Mol & Lawrence, in consultation with the Planning Council of First Baptist Nashville, 2004.
