Berea First Baptist Church

Front: Berea Baptist Church was officially founded in Dec. 1843, but local tradition holds that the earliest meetings were held under a brush arbor in the yard of Isham J. Ward. The name “Berea” derives from Acts 17: 10-11, which was said to have been part of the first sermon, delivered by Rev. Samuel Gibson. The church would later lend its name to the surrounding area. Reverse: Dr. James C. Furman, first president of Furman University, became pastor in 1862 and would serve three separate terms as pastor from then until his death in 1891. A second sanctuary was built in 1892. In 1965 the name of the church was changed to Berea First Baptist Church to differentiate it from other Baptist congregations. The current church building dates to 1976.