Before Michigan even became a state, the First Baptist Church of Howell's roots were starting to form, with the visit of a Baptist Minister in 1836.
In the early part of 1838 two church organizations - the Presbyterian and the Baptist were formed in Howell. These small congregations held their worship in the frame school house built in the preceding year. The Rev. Thomas Baker, from Highland in Oakland County, became pastor of the Baptist Church here in the same year.
Also in 1838, several people holding letters from Baptist Churches in New York and New England States, having settled in or near the village of Howell, felt it their duty to organize for sustaining of religious worship and a meeting was called in the village schoolhouse on April 14, 1838.
At this meeting, after uniting in devotional exercises, and a mutual exchange of views on uniting together in the relation of church fellowship, a resolution was unanimously passed by which they were formed into a body to be subsequently recognized according to the usage of the denomination as a regular Baptist Church. This was the first of the meetings held by what is now known as the First Baptist Church of Howell.
The Baptist Church of Howell began construction of its first permanent building in 1846 at the same location that the current building is located.
The church received large accessions to its membership through a revival which occurred in the winter of 1866. The membership of the church reported in the fall of 1867 was 130.
In March of 1869 Rev. J.S. Boyden entered as Pastor. During that year the church building was thoroughly refitted its interior for roughly $475, and soon after the exterior was repainted. But its days were numbered. In 1873 a new church complex was expanded on the same site as the original building at a cost of about $11,500. It was completed, dedicated and occupied as a house of worship for many years, predating even what is now known as the Old Livingston County Court House.
The old wooden building which housed that First Baptist Church had deteriorated due to age and termite damage and was torn down in 1953. The current building was constructed on the same spot and was dedicated in 1955.
First Baptist Church of Howell has been instrumental in starting new churches in the surrounding area beginning in the 1930's. In the first hundred years of the church's history few pastors stayed over 5 years. Since the 1930's First Baptist Church has had only 5 pastors. The original group of believers sought to build a church, not just a building, but part of the body of Christ. We pray First Baptist Church of Howell may continue that work.