A 143-Year-Old Church That Grew Into Three Campuses
First Baptist Church of Rogers sits at the heart of one of the fastest-growing corners of Northwest Arkansas. What began on March 6, 1883 with twelve members and a single pastor named Reverend John Dunnegan has grown into a three-campus congregation that worships in four languages on any given Sunday. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and affirms the Baptist Faith and Message, but the thing that defines First Baptist Rogers today is the breadth of its reach: a flagship campus on Pleasant Grove Road, a multiethnic downtown campus on Olive Street, and a church plant partnership in Siloam Springs called Family Church.
The Journey From a Living Room to a 60-Acre Campus
Early members met in C.D. Rearick's home and a handful of other borrowed spaces until 1887, when the first building was constructed on land donated by J. Wade Sikes at Second and Cherry Streets. Growth came slowly. Pastor A.L. Jordan, who served at the turn of the century, summed up the era by writing, "Its growth has been quiet and healthy; its bane has been the unsettled condition of so many of the people." By the time that first building gave way to a new sanctuary, membership had reached about 200.
The second sanctuary, designed by architect A.O. Clark, opened on September 1, 1906 and featured stained-glass windows described as "the handsomest set of windows to be seen in Northwest Arkansas." In 1909, A.S. Teasdale donated a pipe organ that was formally dedicated by Governor Brough. A stucco Sunday School building followed in 1922, with a south wing added in 1945 and a second floor in 1947.
In the 1950s, the church allocated twenty-five percent of its budget to support the Benton County Baptist Association, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1951, the church planted Sunnyside Church, which remains active. The congregation moved to a ten-acre site at 8th and Olive Streets in the 1960s and dedicated a new building in 1967. Shortly after, the Second and Cherry sanctuary burned down, but the main stained-glass window was salvaged and reinstalled in the new buildings. It illustrates Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."
Further expansion followed: a youth building in 1975, a new auditorium in 1979, and additional facilities in 1996. After a season of replanting, the 8th and Olive campus eventually became a renewed place of ministry and mission in the heart of Rogers. In 2004, the church purchased sixty acres on Pleasant Grove Road to make room for sustained growth. A new worship center was built there and the congregation moved in on September 12, 2010. A larger worship center on the same campus was completed in April 2025.
Three Campuses, One Family
Today, First Baptist Rogers is really three congregations that share one mission.
Pleasant Grove Campus. The flagship campus sits at 3364 W. Pleasant Grove Rd. in Rogers. Worship services run Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in English. LIFE Groups (the church's name for Sunday School) meet at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:30 a.m.
Olive Street Campus. Located near downtown Rogers at 626 W. Olive Street, the Olive Street campus carries a rich heritage. It served as the home of First Baptist Rogers from 1967 to 2010 and was reopened in 2012 as a renewed place of ministry and mission. Worship is offered in four languages on a single Sunday: English at 9:30 a.m., Asian American at 9:30 a.m., Spanish at 11:00 a.m., and Korean at 11:00 a.m. English LIFE Groups meet at 11:00 a.m., Asian American LIFE Groups at 11:15 a.m., and Spanish LIFE Groups meet Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Family Church Siloam Springs. Family Church is a NAMB-approved church plant partnership with the Send Network and a campus of First Baptist Rogers, located at 1950 US-412 in Siloam Springs. English worship runs Sundays at 8:45 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 11:15 a.m., with a Spanish service at 12:30 p.m. Preschool LIFE Groups meet at 8:45 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 11:15 a.m.; Kids LIFE Groups at 10:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.; Students LIFE Groups at 10:00 a.m. Adult LIFE Groups meet off-campus in homes.
Each Olive Street and Family Church service is about an hour or so long and includes music and biblical teaching. Visitors can expect a warm welcome, a place to sit, coffee, and volunteers ready to help with children.
One Multiethnic Downtown Campus
What makes Olive Street especially distinctive is how four congregations coexist under one roof. The English congregation, the Spanish congregation led by Pastor Jaime Zamarron, the Korean congregation led by Pastor DoYoung Jung, and the Asian American congregation all share the same building and the same gospel, and each maintains its own language and flavor of ministry. Olive Street also serves as the central hub for many of the church's local outreach ministries, including the food pantry, community meals, an essentials closet, and the annual Thanksgiving Meals delivery. Under the leadership of Campus Pastor Brock Caldwell, the campus is described as a welcoming, multiethnic, and mission-driven congregation dedicated to sharing Christ with the city of Rogers.
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning
First-time visitors are warmly welcomed at every campus. Services last about an hour or so and include music and a sermon. After the service, the pastor is available to greet newcomers, and visitors are invited to connect with others on a similar journey by joining a LIFE Group. Coffee is served and there is a dedicated process for checking in children. The church's "I'm New" page encourages guests to register in advance, especially when bringing young children, so volunteers can be ready to help.
First Connections classes run periodically on Sundays after services at each campus. Pleasant Grove meets at 12:00 p.m., Olive Street at 12:00 p.m., and Family Church at 12:30 p.m. Lunch and childcare are provided free. The class covers what the church believes, why it believes it, and how to get connected. A First Connections for Kids class also meets every other month at Pleasant Grove from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in room B100, walking new believers through salvation, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and tithing.
Kids, Preschool, and Students
First Baptist Rogers takes the next generation seriously. The preschool ministry engages children from birth through kindergarten with weekly LIFE Groups and special events. Pleasant Grove offers LIFE Groups for Nursery through age 3 at 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., and 11:00 a.m.; PreK at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.; and Kindergarten at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Olive Street offers the same for Nursery through Kindergarten at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Family Church Siloam offers Preschool LIFE Groups at 8:45 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 11:15 a.m., plus a Wednesday PreK through Kindergarten gathering at 6:30 p.m. April Brown serves as Preschool Director.
The Kids ministry serves grades 1 through 5. Pleasant Grove offers LIFE Groups at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and Kids Church at 9:00 a.m., with Awana on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for grades 1 through 4 and Kids 5.0 on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. for fifth graders. Olive Street offers Kids LIFE Groups at 11:00 a.m., Kids Church at 9:30 a.m., and Awana on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Family Church offers LIFE Groups at 10:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. and a Wednesday program at 6:30 p.m. Shay Caldwell serves as Kids Pastor. The Kids Choir program meets Sunday afternoons during the school year from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Pleasant Grove Campus, and a summer Vacation Bible School is offered at each campus.
The Student ministry serves grades 6 through 12. Pleasant Grove offers Sunday LIFE Groups at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. and a Wednesday night service at 6:30 p.m. Olive Street offers Sunday LIFE Groups at 11:00 a.m. and a Wednesday night service at 6:30 p.m. Family Church offers Sunday LIFE Groups at 10:00 a.m. and a Wednesday night service at 6:30 p.m. Will Dunlap serves as Interim Student Pastor.
The Young Adults ministry serves ages 18 to 29, single or married. The Gathering meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., and gender-specific D-Groups meet throughout the week in homes across Northwest Arkansas, including Rogers, Bentonville, Centerton, Cave Springs, Elm Springs, and Fayetteville.
Adult LIFE Groups, D-Groups, and Semester Studies
LIFE Groups are the church's small-group structure for all ages, designed to be a place to build authentic relationships, deepen understanding of God's Word, and live out faith in a lasting way. Once they find one that fits, members can simply show up.
Semester Bible studies are offered in both spring and fall, including women-only studies and a five-week men's study called Valiant Warrior that meets Mondays at 6:30 a.m. at Family Church and 6:30 p.m. at Pleasant Grove. The church also hosts traditions like the Festival of Tables and a Spring Retreat.
Worship and Music
The Worship Ministry uses music to glorify the Lord and encourage others to do the same. Opportunities include the worship band, choir, orchestra, worship singers, and Saints Alive (a senior adult choir). Mark Maier serves as Executive Pastor of Ministries and Kent Wiles as Olive Street Worship Pastor. The church also runs a Worship Kids Choirs program for preschoolers through fifth grade on Sunday afternoons during the school year.
Missions and Church Planting
Church planting is central to the church's identity. First Baptist Rogers has planted three additional churches under the Family Church name: two in Siloam Springs and one in Centerton. The church's Acts 1:8 strategy begins in Rogers, extends to Arkansas and North America, and reaches to the ends of the earth. The Global Mission Fund (GMF) underwrites mission trips, local and global ministry partners, the International Mission Board, the food pantry, community meals, and all church planting efforts. Steve Ellis serves as Executive Pastor of Missions and Church Planting, with Bose Varghese as Missions Associate Pastor. Church Planting Residents Robert Yang and Geur Chang are part of the team. Mission trips are offered for kids, students, and adults and are updated throughout the year.
Community Assistance
The Olive Street Campus serves as the hub for practical outreach to the city of Rogers. A weekly community meal, a food pantry, and an essentials closet meet real material needs, while the annual Thanksgiving Meals delivery serves families across the area during the holiday season. The church also maintains resource pages specifically tailored to people coming from Mormon or Catholic backgrounds who are exploring Christianity.
Schools: First Academy Christian School and Kids Day Out
First Academy Christian School is a separate ministry school accessible through the church's site. The church also runs First Friends Kid's Day Out (KDO), a two-day-a-week program on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for children ages six weeks through three years old. KDO operates August through May. Raelene McKinnis serves as KDO Administrator.
What the Church Believes
First Baptist Rogers teaches classic Southern Baptist doctrine. God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, eternally existing in three co-equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-equal with the Father, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross for the sins of all, rose again after three days, ascended to Heaven's glory, and will return to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son and lives in every Christian from salvation, providing power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Bible is God's word to all people, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Man was created in God's image but is marred by sin, which separates humanity from God. Salvation is a gift from God, received by trusting in Jesus Christ; eternal life begins the moment one receives Christ by faith. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence. Baptism does not save but is an important step of obedience and a public profession of faith. The Lord's Supper is a vital act of worship that reflects on Christ's sacrifice, symbolized through the bread and the cup, and proclaims the gospel until He returns.
Senior Pastor and Leadership Team
Dr. Wes George has served as Senior Pastor since 2002. He focuses on preaching, teaching, praying for the church family, and providing directional leadership. He and his wife, Lisa, have four sons. Dr. George holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas, an M.Div., and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served in various leadership roles within the Southern Baptist Convention.
Around him sits a leadership team of five executive pastors: Dr. Jim Shaw (Strategic Initiatives), Mark Maier (Ministries), Steve Ellis (Missions and Church Planting), and Ben Browning (Operations). Brock Caldwell has served as Olive Street Campus Pastor since 2022, after serving as Middle School pastor of the Pleasant Grove Campus. Jaime Zamarron, originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, leads the Spanish congregation at Olive Street and previously served as a chaplain for the NWA Naturals, a Kansas City Royals AA affiliate. DoYoung Jung leads the Korean congregation. Nick Hendren has led Family Church since its launch in August 2023, and Daniel Armendariz has led Family Church en Español since its launch in July 2022.
Giving and Serving
Generosity underwrites everything from the food pantry to the mission trips. Members can give online, through the church app, by texting GIVE to 57151, by check mailed to the finance office, or by placing gifts in the offering boxes at the entrances of the worship centers at Pleasant Grove and Olive Street. Gifts of stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrency are managed through the Arkansas Baptist Foundation.
Serving begins with Serving Foundations, a 45- to 60-minute class offered periodically at Pleasant Grove that helps newcomers understand how serving works and where they might fit. From there, ministry leaders help them connect to a place to serve.
Across its three campuses, four languages, and a network of planted churches, First Baptist Rogers continues the work that began in a Rogers parlor in 1883. The motto at the heart of the church's story is simple: making disciples of all the nations, starting at home.