About us
Our History
Two years after the founding of Ewing, MO, a committed team of believers sought to establish the presence of a Baptist church. A Sunday School began operations in 1896 and the First Baptist Church of Ewing held its first service in May of 1900.
Throughout the years the Lord has been faithful to grow and provide for First Baptist Ewing. Over the course of the 20th century more than 750 men and women were led to the Lord and baptized as a result of the church’s continued Gospel proclamation.
In 1999 the congregation broke ground to build new facilities north of Ewing on Highway 6. Stained glass windows and a church bell from the original building were transported to the new location to remind the church of its rich heritage. These facilities were completed in 2002, expanded in 2010, and the congregation has been worshipping there every Sunday since.
It is clear that the church has already left a lasting legacy on those in Lewis County. Despite this, those at First Baptist Ewing long to see how the Lord will continue to use them to reach future generations with the Gospel of Christ.
Leadership
Pastor
The term pastor is one of two offices of a Church outlined in the New Testament. The term is used in scripture interchangeably with the words overseer, elder, and shepard. As seen in 1st Timothy 3:2-17, pastors are men who are above reproach, faithful to their wives, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. They must also be able to manage their own household, must not be a recent convert, and must be well thought of by outsiders.
The role of a pastor is to act as an under-shepherd to the ultimate shepherd of the Church, Jesus Christ. Pastors are responsible for providing spiritual leadership to the local congregation they serve. To do this, they are both to exhort their flocks in sound teaching and to rebuke those adhering to false doctrines.
Richard Ulrich serves as the Pastor at First Baptist Ewing. He is originally from Bowling Green, MO and earned a Bachelors degree in Bible from Hannibal-LaGrange University in 2010. Upon graduating from college, he served with the International Mission Board as a Journeyman Missionary in a variety of Middle Eastern Countries. In 2017 he earned his Masters Degree in Islamic Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
Richard has been married to his wife Ashley since 2015. Ashley is also a graduate from Hannibal-LaGrange University having earned a Bachelors in Business. She also graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2013 with a Masters in Christian Education. Together, Richard and Ashley have a son named Jonah and a daughter named Sophia.
Deacons
The term deacon comes from the Greek word meaning servant. While pastors lead the church by providing spiritual oversight, deacons serve the church by providing for the physical and practical needs of the congregation. Aside from the ability to teach, deacons must meet the same moral qualifications as pastors in order to hold their respective office.
First Baptist Ewing is faithfully served by the following deacons: Jerry Dance, Jack Fountain, Dan Griesbaum, Danny Mittelberg, and Simon Thrower.