Ten years after Carthage became the county seat, a group of pioneers organized a Baptist church. In April 1858, the Rev. J.H. Whitmore became its first pastor. By the end of that year, the congregation had agreed to support missions and join the Central Baptist Association, and membership stood at 21, including a slave named Margaret Moore. The congregation dwindled during the Civil War, and in 1860 the remaining members decided to disband. The church did not meet again until 1867, when the Rev. G.W. Butler reorganized it. Consecration services for the church building were held in June 1878. In August 1901, a split over the dispersal of missionary offerings led dissatisfied members to form Central Baptist Church, while the original group adopted the name First Baptist Church. The new century was difficult for those who continued with First Baptist Church, and the Ladies' Aid Society tirelessly raised money for the pastor's salary and other necessities through the early years and the Depression. Prosperity came in the 1940s. A new building was dedicated in 1947, a radio ministry began in 1952, structures were added and removed as needed, and the congregation flourished, celebrating 140 years in 1998.