The history of the First Baptist Church of Nitro is more than dust covered events linked to an institution. It is forever tied to the life and faith of its people. To tell of our history is to name names, real people who have shouldered the cross of Jesus and have served Him daily in their homes, factories, schools and communities.
Our church came into existence when the Teays Valley Baptist Association saw the need for a Baptist witness in the area of Lock Seven and held a revival there. From that handful of people, the work began to reach out. An old clubhouse was bought and remodeled into a sanctuary. Rooms were later added to handle the overflow of young lives that were being impacted by the congregation. In a day when travel was not easy for many, the congregation began a satellite Sunday School program on the edge of town. Our church has always encouraged the spiritual growth of our young people. We have supported them with a strong youth program and through camping scholarships to our West Virginia Baptist Camp at Cowen.
The numerical growth of the congregation has not always been easy or smooth. The economic difficulties of the community have forced many of our people to relocate to communities in other states. The vision of the people has been challenged, yet they have remained consistent in their dedication to their Lord.
The First Baptist Church of Nitro is associated with the Teays Valley Baptist Association, the West Virginia Baptist Convention and the American Baptist Churches, USA. We are involved in ecumenical out reach programs with our community churches.
We believe that as we see our faith and our community with new eyes, we are on the cusp of a new era of service and dedication. We invite you to join us in this new Journey of Faith.
Our Pastor, Dr. Lawrence L. Hoptry
Our pastor is a graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College with a BA degree in 1959
and from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a BD in 1964. He earned a
Doctor of Ministry degree from Eastern in 2000.
His partner in ministry and in life is Karen. They have three children; Cathy
Hadesty, Chris Humphrey and Jonathan Hoptry. They have two grand daughters.
He has been an active participant in the work of the Associations, the West
Virginia Baptist Convention and the American Baptist Churches USA. He has served
as President and Secretary of the West Virginia Baptist Convention. He is the
Corresponding Secretary of the West Virginia Baptist Education Society.
Our pastor believes in the importance of relationships and has worked to build
stronger horizontal ties throughout the congregation and stronger vertical ties
with God. He is committed to the Servant Church, the Lordship of Jesus Christ,
the necessity of growing in our faith as disciples and reaching out to the
spiritual needs of the community.
He joins our congregation in inviting you to worship God through our individual
lives and in the services of the church.
Our Youth Pastor, Rev. Bryan Cantrell
Bryan is from Nitro and grew up here at
First Baptist Church. He graduated from Cross Lanes Christian High in 1995 and
then graduated from West Virginia State with a BA in Sociology. Bryan then moved
to Lexington, KY where he attended Asbury Theological Seminary and served as the
youth pastor at Palomar Baptist Church. He graduated from Asbury in May 2002
with a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration on Youth and Family
Ministry. Bryan then left Kentucky to come back to good ol' West Virginia.
Bryan accepted Christ when he was 13 years old, and then later felt the call to
go into full time ministry during his first year in college. Bryan and his wife
Alissa have a beautiful daughter named Adalyn.
Bryan has a wide array of hobbies including working out and staying in shape,
and also being lazy and taking naps. He's a pretty big sports fan with college
football being his favorite sport. Bryan is an avid WVU Mountaineer fan!! Bryan
played basketball in high school and also played alot at Seminary where he
sustained numerous injuries! He also enjoys movies and quoting movielines and
reading books about ministry and others that help him in his faith walk. Bryan
is also a huge Star Wars fan and has a pretty decent Star Wars collection (he
insists they are NOT toys!)
Bryan is very honored to have the opportunity to serve as the FBC Nitro Youth
Pastor, and his hope and prayer is that God will use all of us to exalt Him and
expand His Kingdom!
