first pastor of First Baptist was Rev. Jesse Howell, who served as pastor for 26 years over a period of three pastorates.

The small congregation established four churches very soon after its own beginning; Mount Herman in 1848, Berea in 1858, Hopkins Grove in 1878, and Yates Baptist in 1878.

In 1850 the Rose of Sharon Church moved near Prattsburg (the former name for Durham) after building the first church building near where the Union Railroad Station formerly was located. The church faced Pettigrew Street and was near Mangum and Roxboro Streets. Four years later the NC Railroad was constructed after a gift of two acres of land by Dr. Bartlett Durham. It was called Durham Station and the town became Durham and the name Prattsburg was lost. The railwayright-of-way included a portion of the church property. The noise from the locomotives frightened the horses in the church yard and was a detriment to the orderly conduct of religious services.

The congregation decided to find a new location. A mounting stone used by the congregation for ladies to mount the horses is now at the present church on Cleveland Street near the Rose Garden. The church was given four acres of land on what is now Cleveland Street and the builder took in exchange the property near the railroad. The second church building was completed in 1854. In 1877 the name “Rose of Sharon” was changed to Durham Baptist Church. The year 1878 brought another change in location. The property on Cleveland Street was sold except for a