First Baptist Church is made up of people "following Jesus on a journey of faith and service." We have strong beliefs concerning the Church, the Bible, and the ways in which we should work together to serve God's Kingdom. Our church began well over a hundred years ago, and has steadfastly maintained a Baptist witness in the Independence, MO area. We have a strong Senior Adult program, and are blessed to have a number of third and fourth-generation First Baptist members. We are committed to staying in the urban setting with all the challenges that brings, and are making great efforts to reach those in our immediate neighborhood. We are linked with two major organizations for the purposes of Missions involvement, and large-group participation. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ( CBF ) is a nationwide group of Baptist who support missionaries and organize missions ventures and projects, and helps us to connect to other service organizations. The Baptist General Convention of Missouri ( BGCM ) is a group of Baptists in Missouri who provide us additional opportunities for service, as well as educational opportunities. We also work with other groups on a short term basis, such as Habitat for Humanity and Hillcrest Transitional Ministries, so that we might be engaged in service projects in our area.