The Story of
the First Baptist Church
of Dinuba
The First Baptist Church of Dinuba was founded in 1882. In 1929 construction began on the church’s first permanent building on the corner of Kern and K streets. Tragically, a fire destroyed the facility on New Year’s Eve, 1929, shortly before the people were to occupy it. The estimated value of the building was $60,000, but the insurance policy covered a mere $10,500. Although the Great Depression had recently struck and would continue through the 1930s, First Baptist members launched out in faith in 1931 by purchasing a facility on the corner of Merced and J Streets, where God blessed the congregation for 65 years.
In 1948 an unfortunate disagreement erupted among the people, and a division took place. Departing members formed Calvary Baptist Church. The Lord graciously blessed both congregations in the years ahead, but God had a surprise in store for them that they never would have guessed!
Throughout the church’s first century, the longest tenure of any pastor was five years. Then, as our church was celebrating its centennial anniversary in 1982, our current pastor, Dr. Tom Carter, began his ministry here. Now our leader for more than 31 years, Pastor Carter has baptized and welcomed into our membership about 500 new people. When Pastor Carter began his ministry with us, he was our only pastor.
In 1986 the Calvary Baptist Church found itself without a pastor, and godly members of both churches thought it might be an opportune time to reunite. After months of prayer, the deacons of both First Baptist and Calvary Baptist recommended to their members that Calvary Baptist merge into First Baptist. With the shared conviction that the Holy Spirit was signing his autograph on their merger, the believers voted to let God perform their “remarriage” ceremony. God’s surprise had now been discovered!
The reunited congregation dared to dream about the future and questioned the ability of their building to meet the needs of the next generation. By faith they purchased 5.5 acres on the corner of Lincoln and Nebraska Avenues in north Dinuba, where they planned to construct a new facility to the glory of God. For more than seven years the people prayed and gave generously to a work they could see only with the eye of faith.
On Sunday, May 15, 1994, the joyful servants of Christ held a special worship service on their new property in an official groundbreaking ceremony. Chet Pharis, a member of the church and a building contractor, gave his services freely as the superintendent of the building program. Harold Newton was the chairman of the hardworking building committee. For more than two years a team of about a dozen volunteers—mostly retired men—worked five days a week on the new building. A crew of about eight middle-aged men served for a year for several hours each weeknight to install the electrical system. Pastor Carter dubbed all these volunteers “The Thousand-Hour Club,” because each man put in well over 1,000 hours of volunteer service. This volunteer service led to a savings of more than $1,000,000, compared to a turnkey job.
The new church facility measured 30,000 square feet. It included a beautiful worship center, a large fellowship hall, a spacious kitchen, many classrooms, a baptistery, and office space. It was valued at $3 million. Two months before the people moved in, they took out their only loan—$250,000—to complete the building. Five years after moving in, the new facility was debt-free!
On October 4-6, 1996, the congregation celebrated the Grand Opening of their new building, and hundreds of people came from far and near. Over 400 attended the Dedication Service on Sunday afternoon, October 6. In the next three years the attendance grew 37%, with the largest service on Easter Sunday, 1999, when 631 worshipers came together to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Currently the church is preparing to add another building to serve as a larger fellowship hall. Nearly $700,000 has been raised for this from 2005-2013.
The members of the First Baptist Church thank God for the thousands of people who, through their ministry, have found Christ, are serving him at home and abroad, and have learned to become channels of his blessing to their hurting world.
The people of the First Baptist Church stand in awe at the changes God performed in their midst. But they continue to build on the same foundation (Jesus Christ), to do the same work (ministering the love of Christ and the life-changing power of God’s word to Dinuba and the world) and to have the same purpose (to glorify God).
In 1948 an unfortunate disagreement erupted among the people, and a division took place. Departing members formed Calvary Baptist Church. The Lord graciously blessed both congregations in the years ahead, but God had a surprise in store for them that they never would have guessed!
Throughout the church’s first century, the longest tenure of any pastor was five years. Then, as our church was celebrating its centennial anniversary in 1982, our current pastor, Dr. Tom Carter, began his ministry here. Now our leader for more than 31 years, Pastor Carter has baptized and welcomed into our membership about 500 new people. When Pastor Carter began his ministry with us, he was our only pastor.
In 1986 the Calvary Baptist Church found itself without a pastor, and godly members of both churches thought it might be an opportune time to reunite. After months of prayer, the deacons of both First Baptist and Calvary Baptist recommended to their members that Calvary Baptist merge into First Baptist. With the shared conviction that the Holy Spirit was signing his autograph on their merger, the believers voted to let God perform their “remarriage” ceremony. God’s surprise had now been discovered!
The reunited congregation dared to dream about the future and questioned the ability of their building to meet the needs of the next generation. By faith they purchased 5.5 acres on the corner of Lincoln and Nebraska Avenues in north Dinuba, where they planned to construct a new facility to the glory of God. For more than seven years the people prayed and gave generously to a work they could see only with the eye of faith.
On Sunday, May 15, 1994, the joyful servants of Christ held a special worship service on their new property in an official groundbreaking ceremony. Chet Pharis, a member of the church and a building contractor, gave his services freely as the superintendent of the building program. Harold Newton was the chairman of the hardworking building committee. For more than two years a team of about a dozen volunteers—mostly retired men—worked five days a week on the new building. A crew of about eight middle-aged men served for a year for several hours each weeknight to install the electrical system. Pastor Carter dubbed all these volunteers “The Thousand-Hour Club,” because each man put in well over 1,000 hours of volunteer service. This volunteer service led to a savings of more than $1,000,000, compared to a turnkey job.
The new church facility measured 30,000 square feet. It included a beautiful worship center, a large fellowship hall, a spacious kitchen, many classrooms, a baptistery, and office space. It was valued at $3 million. Two months before the people moved in, they took out their only loan—$250,000—to complete the building. Five years after moving in, the new facility was debt-free!
On October 4-6, 1996, the congregation celebrated the Grand Opening of their new building, and hundreds of people came from far and near. Over 400 attended the Dedication Service on Sunday afternoon, October 6. In the next three years the attendance grew 37%, with the largest service on Easter Sunday, 1999, when 631 worshipers came together to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
Currently the church is preparing to add another building to serve as a larger fellowship hall. Nearly $700,000 has been raised for this from 2005-2013.
The members of the First Baptist Church thank God for the thousands of people who, through their ministry, have found Christ, are serving him at home and abroad, and have learned to become channels of his blessing to their hurting world.
The people of the First Baptist Church stand in awe at the changes God performed in their midst. But they continue to build on the same foundation (Jesus Christ), to do the same work (ministering the love of Christ and the life-changing power of God’s word to Dinuba and the world) and to have the same purpose (to glorify God).
