Faith Forward Future Campaign

“Now give me this mountain that the LORD promised me that day.” Joshua 14:12

Dear Church Family,

Thank you for your prayerful support over these past several months as we recover from the tornado and navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. These have been urgent times, but your love and faithfulness to the Lord have encouraged us greatly!

We are also grateful to God for your affirmation of the Campus Planning Team’s recommendation for a new worship center, and we are taking immediate steps to begin our capital campaign to raise the funding for this effort. Your participation and partnership are critical to the success of this campaign.

First Baptist has always met the challenges that have come our way. All that we enjoy today on our campus in both space and facilities has come because of the sacrificial heart and generous spirit of our church. God has indeed been good to us. He has been faithful!

Our church family has affirmed the proposal to build a new worship center as we expand our reach to our growing community. Remember that this really is the completion of the vision of our church that was also affirmed in 2007. Now is our time to move forward together by faith to see this vision through. The harvest around us is filled with broken homes, lost families, wayward children, and men and women that desperately need Jesus. If we do not reach them, who will? If we do not move now, then when?

We are naming our campaign "Faith. Forward. Future." You will see the branding for this campaign in this newsletter and we will be using it on all of our communication pieces over the next few months. We believe that God has led us to this transitional moment in the life of our church. We must move forward by faith to embrace the future for Kingdom impact.

We are asking that each of our families prayerfully consider a sacrificial commitment beyond our tithes and offerings that will be given over the next three years. This campaign is vital to our ability to move forward and we believe that God’s Spirit will lead each of us in a very personal way to rise to this occasion. We are not going to give out of pressure, but out of the leadership of God in our lives to be a blessing for His Kingdom. Our desire is to honor Jesus and to honor His people in this effort and together see God be glorified among us.

These are exciting days at First Baptist! To God be the glory!

Sincerely,

Dr. Phillip Dunn

Senior Pastor | First Baptist Church Mt. Juliet

FAITH.FORWARD.FUTURE.

Campaign Purpose: We intend to build a new 1,350 seat worship center with a beautiful new building facing Mount Juliet Road, expand our church office space, update and redesign our welcome facilities, and add additional parking on our campus. We feel God’s calling to be involved in sharing the truth of the gospel, and these facility updates will give us more opportunities to do so. This project will greatly expand our capacity to train students with a Christian worldview as part of our MJCA campus.

Worship Center

Commons Area

Why We Give

The History of First Baptist Mt. Juliet

1900

Mt. Juliet Baptist Church began with a group of 13 believers.

1903

The group made plans for a building on a lot given to them.

1905

The building was completed with much labor and sacrifice and dedicated on June 24, 1905.

1938

March 6, 1938, fire destroyed that building, but did not disrupt the mission of the church.

1944

A new building was completed and dedicated on December 17, 1944.

1946

Tragedy struck again on November 14, 1946, when the newest building once again was leveled to ashes. The church kept moving forward with plans to rebuild.

1947 - 1953

The church continued to grow, advancing evangelistic efforts and strengthening its educational program.

1963

Overcrowded conditions birthed a new vision to add an additional north wing to the educational building. A west wing was added in 1969.

1972 - 1973

Billie K. Friel was called to pastor First Baptist Mt. Juliet. The church voted to purchase 37 acres for a future building.

1978

The first church service was held in our present church building.

1979

Mt. Juliet Christian Academy was started with grades 1-3.

1979 - 2011

Campus improvements took place, with an addition of MJCA facilities, and children’s building, etc.

2018 - 2019

Dr. Phillip Dunn is voted in as the Pastor of FBCMJ as the church begins a new chapter of ministry.

2020

The church affirms a Campus Planning Team to complete the vision of a Worship Center expansion and master plan to meet the needs of dynamic growth. March 3, 2020, a tornado hit our campus heavily damaging our infrastructure and facilities. Our church joined in prayer and unity to move forward with a capital campaign to rebuild and expand the church and school campus for the glory of God.

2021

The church breaks ground on the new worship center, campus rebuild, and campus expansion.

Campaign Team Leaders

Senior Pastor:

Dr. Phillip Dunn

Capital Campaign Co-Directors: Don Wharton &

Mark Burnette

Media Team Leader:

Katherine Lynn

Education Team Leader:

Pam Carter

Events Team Leader:

John Burkeen

Program Manager:

Rich Ormsby