About Us

First Baptist Church has been an active congregation in the Ashtabula community for 199 years. We take great pride in being the “Light on the Corner” for generations of families in our neighborhood and it is our call to serve Jesus by providing a supportive church environment for our members and neighbors. We see ourselves as ambassadors for the Kingdom, sharing the Word with those who seek to know Christ better or to those who have yet to come to Christ. We also work to be connected to our surrounding neighborhood, working with those who find themselves in need, both physically and/or spiritually, We are committed to following the tenants of our faith.

Who We Are

What to Expect

We are a group of believers committed to growing together in our walk with Christ through
biblical preaching that is applied to everyday living. We strive to put our faith into action in our community.

The purpose of First Baptist Church is to make a great commitment to:

The Great Commandment

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:37-39)

The Great Commission

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(Matthew 22:37-39)

Statement of Belief

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, inerrant and infallible, and is our authoritative guide for living and worship.

We believe in the Holy Trinity, one God in three persons: Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His return in power and glory.

We believe all humankind is created to have a loving relationship with God, is sinful by nature, separated from God, in need of reconciliation through faith in the death of Jesus on the Cross and His resurrection from the grave.

We believe our responsibility is to love God and please Him in everything we do, according to the teachings of the Bible and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe we demonstrate our love for God by our love for others, and it is our responsibility and privilege to share God’s loving gift of salvation with the rest of the world.

We believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone and a person’s eternal destiny to either Heaven or Hell is determined by acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ.

First Baptist Church, Ashtabula observes two ordinances: believer’s baptism by immersion following the example of Jesus Christ, and the Lord’s Supper open to all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Membership at First Baptist Church, Ashtabula is open to all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and have demonstrated this through baptism by immersion

Our Pastor and his wife

Rev. Joseph P. and Laura Woods Jr.
Just call me “Pastor Joe”