History
A Brief History Of Saint Mary’s Free Will Baptist Church
The earliest available records tell us that the first agreement to begin a church was in 1740 when six Baptists of New Bern petitioned the Craven County Court of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas to register and build a church. The appelants were sentenced to a public whipping. The following September the church members began constructing the first church after having requested the benefits of the Act of Tolerance. This church building was used until it burned down during the Revolution.
On March 14, 1862 the city of New Bern fell to Federal Forces. It is believed that the Federal Army burned the then existing church. By 1893 the congregation had managed to build a wooden plank church and between 1893 – 1899 then changed its name to Saint Mary’s Free Will Baptist Church.
Saint Mary’s has been noted for its “firsts.” In October, 1907, the “Ladies Aid Society” was organized by Mrs. Alice E. Lupton. This was the first such organization in the denomination for women anywhere in the state. The FWB League also had its origin in New Bern in 1915 under the leadership of the Reverend W. B. Everette, a pastor well known across the state.
The Armenian theological position of the Church is predicated upon the strong doctrinal position that God has created man to be responsible. Though we insist on the sovereignty of God, we must believe that humankind is responsible to the Creator. Through this position, we believe that every person has the opportunity to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and as much as the Holy Spirit calls, the response is up to the individual.