Founded in 1892 at 4th Avenue and 6th Street, the church moved to its permanent home here in January of 1897. The first minister was Reverend J. S. Kelsey, who served the church from 1897-1901.

Rev. C.H. YOUNG (1901-Six Months)
In 1901, Rev. Kelsey resigned and Rev. C.H. Young of Americus, Georgia was called to pastor the church. After approximately six months, the church was again without a leader.

The present building was completed under his leadership. It was enlarged and improved during the long ministry of Rev. R. K. Paschal, 1901-1944. A dream of Rev. Paschal was realized in 1950 with the completion of the educational annex named in his honor.

Four other pastors served during the church´s first century:

  • A. W. Fortson, 1944-1967
  • W. H. Smith, 1968-1974
  • James H. Carter, 1975-1978
  • Emmett S. Aniton, Jr., 1979-2024

The Reverend Dr. Emmett S. Aniton, Jr. served as pastor of Friendship Baptist Church for 45 years. He retired April 7, 2024. 

  • Jesse Reese – Interim Pastor, April 2024 – October 2024
  • Arthur H. Mitchell – Pastor-Elect, Present

Our Mission is to be Christ-centered, people oriented, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to tell the world about Jesus.

Our Vision is to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ by making of disciples that are able to stand firmly in the knowledge of our ordinances, the doctrine of our faith, and willing to serve our communities through the evangelistic work of our many ministries.

What We Believe

Articles of Faith

We believe that the Holy Bible is the Word of God and that it is the supreme standard by which human beings are to be judged; That there is but one living God who encompasses the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;

That Christ is the son of God who died on the Cross but was raised from the grave and ascended into heaven to reign with his father;  That Christ died for the sins of all human beings and in so doing made it possible for all of them to be saved from sin through the Grace of God; that in order to be saved one must be baptized;

That the duty of a Christian is to live according to God’s Word and to spread that word to all corners of the globe;  That the pastor has been appointed by God to bring the true word to the people; that God is just, fair and forgiving;

That Christ will return to earth and gather all Christians, both living and dead, unto him and take them to heaven where they will joyfully dwell in paradise with God throughout eternity;  And that those, both living and dead, who chose a sinful life will be punished in hell throughout eternity.

Our Articles of Faith can be accessed by clicking (here)

Statement of Religious Freedom

We believe that religious liberty is a gift from God. We support the freedom of the individual conscience to choose to worship God according to the dictates of one’s heart. And while we celebrate our own liberty to embrace biblical truth without compromise, we also support the first amendment to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of religion for all Americans. In this light, as Americans, we join with other faith communities in supporting the right of Islamic and other religious bodies to worship according to the dictates and mandates of their faith expressions.

Statement of Faith

We Believe in the Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy; and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct

One God eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Our Lord Jesus Christ God manifest in the flesh, His virgin birth, His sinless human life, His divine miracles, His vicarious and atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His mediatorial work, and His Personal return in power and glory

The Salvation of lost and sinful man through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith apart from works, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life, to witness and work for the Lord Jesus Christ

The Unity of the Spirit of all true believers, the Church, the Body of Christ

The Resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.