First Baptist Church

The 1950’s saw the beginning of development on Hilton Head in what is now considered the modern era. Before the bridge was opened in 1956 homes were being built and a few families had moved to the island.

Several of the new families with Baptist backgrounds starting meeting on Sundays for bible study and fellowship. With help from Ridgeland Baptist Church a meeting was held on Thursday, July 16, 1956, to organize the Hilton Head Baptist Sunday School and elect officers. The first service of the newly established group was on August 5, 1956, with 56 people in attendance.

The Baptist Church of Beaufort adopted the Hilton Head Baptist as a mission in December, 1957, and arrangements were made to construct a building for Sunday School and worship services on 5 acres of land on the South Forest Beach Drive that was donated by Sea Pines Plantation Company. The building was dedicated on July 6, 1958.

By late in 1961 the members desired to organize as a separate church and on February 18, 1962 the mission church formally became the First Baptist Church of Hilton Head. Lacking support from the Baptist Church of Beaufort for this change, the new church began meeting at the William Hilton Inn and later at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Wilson while a new building was constructed on Woodward Avenue.

The membership grew and more space was needed than could be added at Woodward Ave. so in March 1976 an agreement was made with the Sea Pines Company to exchange the Woodward Ave. property for the original mission chapel and acreage. A new building and renovations to the original mission chapel were dedicated in October 1977, and a new sanctuary in 1979.

The church has held an annual Easter sunrise service on the beach since 1957. In addition to regular bible study and worship services, the church has been host to summer missionaries and has been active in missions work both at home and abroad.

From humble beginnings the membership now numbers more than 1,000.

100 S. Forest Beach Drive
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Phone: 843-785-4478

Website: https://fbchhi.org/
Email: info@fbchhi.org