ABOUT US

One of the most helpful ways of thinking about the Christian life is to see it as a journey. The Bible itself uses this imagery for various men and women and sometimes whole people groups who were in pursuit of something greater than this world has to offer.


Perhaps the greatest of those was the forty-year journey of the people of Israel from their harsh captivity in Egypt to the promised land of Canaan. Abraham stepped out in faith, leaving everything he knew, to journey to a place chosen by God. He did not know where he was going, but he knew Who he would be traveling with – and that was good enough.


We read of the people of Jerusalem on a journey home after a long period of exile in enemy territory. Even a lingering promise that their journey is still not yet over.


In the New Testament, it reminds us of one of the earliest identities used for Christians was ‘those who were of the Way’ (Acts 9:2). They were travelers on a journey because this world is not all that there is in life.


Thinking of the Christian life as a journey through this world offers us a meaningful way of understanding the life of faith. We're going somewhere that God Himself has prepared for us. One day we will reach our destination but until then we journey onward.

Here at FBC we want to partner with you to help you on your journey and to partner with you as we trek the next leg of the journey of faith together.

WHO WE ARE

OUR MISSION

Together we are a community of believers. What does that mean, the word community? We believe that together in fellowship we grow closer to God and one another. The bible speaks about iron sharpening iron. We believe that together we grow stronger. We are a community of believers. 

OUR VISION

We strive to be a church without walls. Jesus calls for us to go outside the walls to reach the lost and the broken. It is there that the lost will be found. Most churches find it is comfortable to stay within the walls, but we make it an effort to be like the church from the book of Acts, to see our city changed.

OUR VALUES

Our core values can be summarized into 4 "S" statments: Show Up. Serve. Sacrifice. Submit. We want our community of believers to show up to the services offered at FBC and to Serve the church and the community through Sacrificing our time, talents and treasures, by Submitting to the authority of God's Word in all we do. 

What We Believe

The Bible
God
Jesus
Holy Spirit
Man
Salvation
Assurance
Eternity
Christ's Return
Church
Baptism
Prayer
Creation
Marriage

OUR HISTORY

  1. Founded in 1894 by Pastor R. McCullogh, with a small group of family and friends meeting at Limberg's Hall in Panassus. 
  2. As the church body grew we were able to build our first building in 1895  in New Kensington.
  3. By 1907 we outgrew (membership had tripled in just three years and then steadily grew) our first building, and additions were made to the existing building and classrooms were added. 
  4. Steady growth over the next years created a need to erect a new building that was erected in 1917.
  5. By 1946 there were needs to remodel to add rooms and Pastor's study. This was followed by even further expansion in 1965.
  6. Due to exponential growth, God led us to move our location to our current facility in Upper Burrell, in 2002. 
  7. Plans are being laid for some remodeling and updates to better serve our church and surrounding communities. 
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OUR TEAM

Tim Kitchen

Lead Pastor

Pastor Tim and his wife Jennifer joined FBC in 2020 right as the COVID pandemic became an issue. He has a true heart for FBC, the lost of this city and this area. He wants to see true life-change in this area and will not stop until that dream is fulfilled. He loves it when "the light comes on" in peoples eyes as they see the Word of God come to life for them. Pastor and Jennifer have 4 kids at home, 3 that are married and have 4 grandkids they adore. 

Steve Muphy

Youth and Music Pastor

Pastor Steve joined the FBC team in 2018, he married his wife Maggie in 2021. They are the proud parents of 2 kids. He has a passion for authentic Biblical worship and a huge heart for the youth of our community. Pastor Steve wears many hats and has a great set of team leaders to help get the job done. 

Gloria Myers

Administration

Gloria and her husband Steve are faithful members of FBC, and she joined our staff in 2023. Her dedication to our church and the task at hand keeps our office organized and running.

Mike Arrington

Tim Kitchen

Dick Lingenfelter

Dave Murphy

Bob Sutton

Elders

FBC is led by a "plurality of elders". This means that the church is not governed by one single individual but by a group that has been identified as meeting the Biblical qualifications for an Elder.

Mike Hefferan

Maintenance

Mike has been a part of FBC since 1999 when he came with his family to the church. Mike's dad, Dave, served as Senior Pastor of FBC until the Lord called him home in 2019. Mike faithfully keeps our facilities clean, sanitized, and in good working order. 

Gary Francart

AWANA Commander

Gary and his wife Georgene joined FBC in 2004. Gary's love for kids cannot be missed. He coordinates and leads our AWANA Clubs. 

The Journey of Faith...Built on the Book.