First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill

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About FBCCH
Our History
Founded in 1865 and continuing to serve the entire Nashville community
1834 – 1865
Roots and Early Development: The First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, originated from the First Baptist Church, Nashville. In 1834, the congregation allowed black members, including slaves and free Negroes, to hold monthly prayer meetings. Under Pastor R. B. C. Howell, the church established the First Colored Baptist Mission in October 1847. The black members began separate church services in January 1848, under associate minister Samuel Davidson. In 1853, Nelson G. Merry was ordained and appointed the first Negro pastor of the Mission.
1860 – 1928
Civil War, Independence, and Division: The Civil War impacted the First Colored Baptist Mission, leading to its independence. The Union Army occupied Nashville in late February 1862, and many fugitive slaves and free Negroes flooded the city. Despite the Union Army arresting the pastor of First Baptist Church and confiscating the building, the First Colored Baptist Mission continued operations. Significant events during this period included the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Freedman’s Banks in 1865, and the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. On March 7, 1865, the First Colored Baptist Mission petitioned for independence, which was granted on August 13, 1865. The church, now named the First Colored Baptist Church, hosted founding meetings for the first national Baptist Conventions and grew to 2,800 members by 1884. From 1885 to 1928, the church struggled through internal dissensions and changing times. The congregation split over moral issues in 1887, leading to the formation of the Mount Olive Baptist Church. The church burnt down in 1893, causing further disputes and splits. Despite these challenges, the church rebuilt and continued to grow under various leaders.
The Rev. Kelly Miller Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church, discusses plans April 4, 1964 for building a new structure at the present church site, 319 Eighth Ave., N. Behind him is the historic, 69-year-old church building that will be razed when the new one is constructed. Photo credit: Jack Corn / The Tennessean
The Rev. Kelly Miller Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church, discusses plans April 4, 1964 for building a new structure at the present church site, 319 Eighth Ave., N. Behind him is the historic, 69-year-old church building that will be razed when the new one is constructed. Photo credit: Jack Corn / The Tennessean
Diane Nash, left, Fisk junior and chairmen of the student protest group, and the Rev. Kelly Smith, pastor of the First Baptist Church and president of the Nashville Christian Leadership council, confer before releasing a statement to reporters on their views of the sit-in demonstrations April 9, 1960. Photo credit: Gerald Holly / The Tennessean
Diane Nash, left, Fisk junior and chairmen of the student protest group, and the Rev. Kelly Smith, pastor of the First Baptist Church and president of the Nashville Christian Leadership council, confer before releasing a statement to reporters on their views of the sit-in demonstrations April 9, 1960. Photo credit: Gerald Holly / The Tennessean
The group of sit-in demonstrators returns to their home base Nov. 24, 1962, the First Baptist Church, after two-hour sit ins at different locals on Church Street downtown Nashville. Photo Credit: J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean
The group of sit-in demonstrators returns to their home base Nov. 24, 1962, the First Baptist Church, after two-hour sit ins at different locals on Church Street downtown Nashville. Photo Credit: J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean
A group of Nashville black and white aboard a couple of buses Aug. 27, 1963, at the First Baptist Church downtown for a trip to Washington D.C. for the "March for jobs and freedom." They were part of 200,000 that massed before the Abraham Lincoln Memorial and hear the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. In the white hat at the bus' door is one of the student demonstrator leaders, Lester McKinnie. Photo Credit: Bill Preston / The Tennessean
A group of Nashville black and white aboard a couple of buses Aug. 27, 1963, at the First Baptist Church downtown for a trip to Washington D.C. for the "March for jobs and freedom." They were part of 200,000 that massed before the Abraham Lincoln Memorial and hear the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. In the white hat at the bus' door is one of the student demonstrator leaders, Lester McKinnie. Photo Credit: Bill Preston / The Tennessean
Paul Good, left, ABC News' Southern bureau chief, interviews Lester McKinnie and John Lewis at the sit-in demonstrators base of the First Baptist Church on 8th Ave. N., April 30, 1964. The group is getting ready march downtown to stop briefly at five restaurants on their way to the trials of demonstrators arrested earlier in the week. Photo credit: J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean
Paul Good, left, ABC News' Southern bureau chief, interviews Lester McKinnie and John Lewis at the sit-in demonstrators base of the First Baptist Church on 8th Ave. N., April 30, 1964. The group is getting ready march downtown to stop briefly at five restaurants on their way to the trials of demonstrators arrested earlier in the week. Photo credit: J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean
Programs for 1971 groundbreaking and 1972 dedication ceremonies of the new FBCCH facility
Programs for 1971 groundbreaking and 1972 dedication ceremonies of the new FBCCH facility
First Baptist Church Capitol Hill members and friends march from the old church on Eighth Avenue, North on March 5, 1972 to the new church located at 900 James Robertson Parkway
First Baptist Church Capitol Hill members and friends march from the old church on Eighth Avenue, North on March 5, 1972 to the new church located at 900 James Robertson Parkway
First Baptist Church Capitol Hill members and friends march from the old church on Eighth Avenue, North on March 5, 1972 to the new church located at 900 James Robertson Parkway
First Baptist Church Capitol Hill members and friends march from the old church on Eighth Avenue, North on March 5, 1972 to the new church located at 900 James Robertson Parkway
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1929 – 1984
The Activist Church: Russell C. Barbour (1897-1944) served as pastor from 1929 until his death. He was followed by Acting Pastor Ralph W. Riley (1944-46) and Pastor Herbert L. B. Wilkins (1946-50). In March 1951, Kelly Miller Smith Sr. became pastor of the 800-member congregation. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) began school desegregation. Smith became president of the local NAACP and founded the Nashville Christian Leadership Council. The church served as a center for local civil rights activities. Several whites joined the church, and Community Baptist Church reunited with the church. The 1895 charter was amended in 1965 to read: “First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill.” On March 5, 1972, the congregation marched from the old edifice (1896-1972) two blocks down Charlotte Ave. to its new edifice at 900 James Robertson Parkway (625 Rosa Parks Blvd.). On May 11, 1977, First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill chartered First Baptist Capitol Hill Homes, Inc., for the elderly. U. S. Vice President Walter Mondale visited the church in 1979. In 1980, First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill began to ordain women as deacons, trustees, ministers, and chairs of the board of deacons and trustees. The church paid off the mortgage on the new facility. Pastor Kelly Miller Smith Sr. died in 1984.
Cover for FBCCH $200,000 Endowed Chair of Excellence for American Baptist College, 1989
1985 – 2009
Readjustment & Revival: Assistant Pastor Ottie L. West (1984-85), and Pastors Wallace Charles Smith (1985-91), Sherman R. Tribble (1992-98), Victor M. Singletary (2000-08), and Assistant Pastor Arrold N. Martin (2008-10) provided pastoral leadership. In 1991, FBCCH hosted opera singer Leontyne Price in a citywide concert at the downtown Tennessee Performing Arts Center to help raise funds for the FBCCH Chair of Excellence at American Baptist College. From August 2004-Nov. 1, 2009, the congregation worshipped in the Pearl-Cohn High School auditorium, while the church facility underwent renovation.
Cover of the publication of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, 1865-2015: A Photographic Journal—the First 150 Years
Cover of the publication of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, 1865-2015: A Photographic Journal—the First 150 Years
Osiligi Baptist Church, Longido, Tanzania Africa (2023)
Osiligi Baptist Church, Longido, Tanzania Africa (2023)
FBCCH Exterior post 2020 renovations
FBCCH Exterior post 2020 renovations
2010 – 2023
Refocusing Strengthening the Foundation for the Future: First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill (FBCCH), in Nashville, Tennessee, experienced a transformative period of growth, historical celebration, and renewed commitment to its mission. Under the leadership of Pastor Kelly Miller Smith Jr., who became pastor in September 2010, the church strengthened its foundation by adopting revised by-laws and a new Membership Handbook to support its mission and programs. In preparation for FBCCH’s 150th anniversary in 2015, Pastor Smith and the congregation organized several milestone events, including the Roots Service, a memorial to its longest-serving pastors at Mt. Ararat and Greenwood Cemetery, a Homecoming Service, a rededication of the Kelly Miller Smith Sr. Bridge, and a culminating celebration dinner. The Sesquicentennial celebration also featured a time capsule, a children’s book, and the publication of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, 1865-2015: A Photographic Journal—the First 150 Years, complete with CD/DVDs documenting the church’s rich history. Pastor Smith introduced the “Selah Year,” a period of spiritual reflection and alignment intended to move the church from “membership to discipleship” through nurture series and empowering spiritual sessions. In 2017, the church celebrated its 152nd anniversary by ceremoniously paying off its remaining $1.85 million debt within five years, an achievement reflecting the congregation’s shared dedication. This period also welcomed new members and expanded the church’s reach through updated facilities, online worship, and a renewed partnership with Nashville First Baptist, the church’s original parent congregation. FBCCH developed a global connection with Osiligi Baptist Church in Longido, Tanzania, with members traveling annually for mission trips, fostering a meaningful relationship with this distant congregation. Locally, FBCCH expanded its ministries with revitalized music, performing, and visual arts programs, showcasing theatrical plays, musical performances, art crawls, Stations of the Cross, and line dance classes. In the spirit of inclusivity, the church also opened its doors to a Burmese congregation, allowing them to hold worship services following the traditional Sunday service. Through these initiatives, cultural preservation efforts, and a steadfast commitment to social justice, First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, continues to uphold its legacy as a dynamic, faith-driven institution within Nashville’s spiritual and social landscape.

What We Believe

At First Baptist Church Capitol Hill, our beliefs are firmly anchored in the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. We hold fast to the power of the Gospel, the love of Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we live out our faith. From Baptism to the Communion, our foundational beliefs shape how we worship, serve, and grow together as a church family. As we follow Christ, we are dedicated to building, restoring, and revitalizing lives through His grace. ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7), trusting God’s Word in all we do.

The Bible
The Bible consists of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired word of God, and is truthful in all that it affirms. It is the final authority for Christian faith and practice. 2Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21
Jesus
Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son. Being both fully God and fully man; He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, rose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven to prepare a place for believers and to intercede on their behalf. Matthew 1:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Acts 1:9-11
The Trinity
There is one true God who eternally exists as three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Distinct in relationship, the three persons of the Trinity are fully God and are one in essence and purpose. God has revealed Himself to be the infinite personal Creator, who is sovereign over all things. Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 1:9-11
The Church
The Church is the living Body of Christ on earth and comprised of all true believers in Jesus Christ. He is the head and source of the Church’s life, which exists to glorify God. The Church fulfills its mission by celebrating the glory and goodness of God, cultivating personal growth in Christ, caring about one another in biblical community and communicating the gospel in word and action to the world. Matthew 16:15-19, Ephesians 4:14-16, Acts 2:41-47
Baptism
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace, symbolizing the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is an essential act of obedience that publicly declares one’s faith and commitment to follow Jesus. Through baptism, we acknowledge the cleansing of sin and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38
Communion (The Lord’s Supper)
Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, is a sacred act instituted by Jesus Christ to remember His sacrifice and celebrate the new covenant established through His blood. It is a time for believers to reflect on the significance of Christ’s body and blood, to examine their hearts, and to proclaim His death until He returns. Communion fosters unity among believers and deepens our relationship with God. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 22:19-20, John 6:53-54
Relationship with God
We believe that every believer should be in a growing relationship with Jesus by obeying God’s Word, yielding to the Holy Spirit and by being conformed to the image of Christ. See Philippians 3:12-13.
Separation of Church and State
The separation of church and state, which ensures that the government remains neutral in matters of faith and that individuals are free to practice their beliefs without interference. This separation safeguards religious liberty and promotes a society where diverse beliefs can coexist peacefully. We affirm that while the church plays a vital role in guiding moral and ethical values, it should not wield political power, nor should the state impose religious beliefs. Matthew 22:21, Romans 13:1, Galatians 5:1

Congregational Polity

We are committed to a congregational polity that reflects our understanding of Scripture and the nature of the church. Our governing structure is characterized by a pastor-led, congregation-governed model, which we believe aligns with biblical principles.

We hold the Bible as the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice. The Scriptures guide our decisions, teachings, and governance, ensuring that both the pastor and congregation remain accountable to God’s Word.

We believe that God has appointed pastors to shepherd, lead, and equip the congregation for ministry. The pastor serves as a spiritual leader, providing vision, teaching, and guidance while modeling Christlike behavior. The pastor’s leadership is exercised in collaboration with the congregation, fostering an environment of mutual respect and encouragement.

We affirm that all members of the church have a voice and a role in decision-making processes. The congregation is called to collectively discern God’s will, exercising their rights and responsibilities through prayer, discussion, and voting on significant matters of church life, including the calling of pastors, budget approvals, and ministry initiatives.

We view church membership as a serious commitment that requires active participation in the life of the church. Members are called to hold one another accountable, encouraging spiritual growth and unity within the body of Christ. The pastor and church leadership are equally accountable to the congregation.

We recognize that our congregation may consist of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We are committed to fostering unity in Christ through love, respect, and open communication, ensuring that every voice is valued and heard as we seek to fulfill our mission.

Our polity emphasizes the church’s mission to spread the Gospel and serve our community. Together, we strive to fulfill the Great Commission, using our collective gifts and resources for the glory of God.

Our congregational polity reflects our belief in the priesthood of all believers, the importance of spiritual leadership, and the responsibility of every member to participate in the life of the church. We commit ourselves to this model, seeking to honor God in all that we do.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Peter 5:2-3, Acts 6:3-5, Matthew 18:20, Galatians 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Ephesians 4:3, Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Peter 4:10

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Our Leadership
REVEREND SHANE B. SCOTT, DMIN.
Senior Pastor

“Be strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift; We have work to do and loads to lift; Shun not the struggle, face it, ‘tis God’s gift.”  -Maltbie Babcock

For more than 30 years, The Reverend Doctor Shane B. Scott has served as a spiritual and community leader meeting the needs of both church and community.  He serves as the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, Nashville, Tennessee.  He is recognized, and well sought after, for his powerful preaching, inspirational teachings, and visionary leadership that transforms and strengthens community.

Pastor Scott’s unique passion seeks to address not only the health of the church, but also the health of the city. He firmly believes, and has successfully put into action, that the church should provide relevant and engaging ministry opportunities that ultimately lead individuals into living better lives through Christ Jesus.  As such, his vision extends beyond the pulpit and pew.  Pastor Scott is the founder and Chairman of the Macedonia Community Development Corporation (“MCDC”).  MCDC’s purpose is to create and implement creative, sustainable, and transformative opportunities for the community to flourish.  Through MCDC, Pastor Scott has built a robust and instrumental network consisting of small and large business owners, community leaders, school administrators, healthcare professionals, nonprofit organizations, and elected officials. This network of colorful stakeholders, under direction of Pastor Scott, has proven to increase awareness and effectuate optimistic change.  

An influential and anointed messenger, teacher, activist, and speaker, Pastor Scott offers a unique perspective into purposeful Christian living. The meaningful lens from where he communicates and leads encourages spiritual growth, accountability, and fosters influential opportunities around a ministry of discipleship and mission that transforms the very soul of the community.

Prior to his current assignment, for twelve and a half years, Pastor Scott faithfully served as the Senior Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church, located in the historic Watts section of Los Angeles, California.  Dr. Scott, also pastored the Saint Rest Baptist Church which experienced significant growth and progress under his tenure. During this time, he was the awarded the prestigious NAACP President’s Award.  He has also served as youth & young adult pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, California and as the Youth Minister at the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, California. Pastor Scott has been a featured speaker for Jack & Jill of America, Incorporated.

He holds a Doctor of Ministry Degree from New York Theological Seminary, where he was an Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Fellow, a Master of Divinity Degree from the Berkeley School of Theology, Berkeley, California and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion and Philosophy from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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Mrs. Da’Vet Scott
First Lady

Rev. Royal S. Todd

Assistant to the Pastor, Children, Youth, & Young Adults

Rev. James Turner, II

Assistant to the Pastor, Congregational Care
Trustee Paul E. Luter
Church Administrator

Ministry Teams

Ministry of Stewardship Management Council
Deacons
Trustees
Ushers