First Baptist Church of Hillsboro, Texas, was organized in 1874 and celebrated 150 years at the anniversary celebration held in October, 2024. Over the past 150 years, the church has endeavored to fulfill its mission of “Making Disciples of Jesus as we Worship, Connect, and Serve Together.” First Baptist has stressed the importance of local ministry and Bible teaching since its inception. A full slate of Sunday School classes has been offered since 1905, including the Young Business Men's class which continues as the Downtown Men’s Class today. During the 1908 – 1911 era of great revival campaigns, First Baptist and other local congregations coordinated large revival services. FBC’s support of the Latham Springs Baptist encampment dates to the early 1920’s. 

Beginning in the 1950’s a weekly and then daily radio program called, "First Baptist Time” was broadcast, and for several decades, First Baptist held weekly services at the nursing homes in Hillsboro. First Baptist founded a West Elm Street Chapel, which became Iglesia Bautista El Buen Pastor and has served that area of Hillsboro for many years. Children of the community have been served by Vacation Bible School, First Baptist Christian School, WEE School, TeamKID, and AWANA Club programs. 

First Baptist Church’s missions efforts began shortly after the church was formed. In 1893 the church sent a missionary to the “Staked Plains area” in the Panhandle of Texas. During the First World War, the FBC pastor conducted evangelism work at the Baptist Tabernacle at Camp MacArthur in Waco, and during the Second World War, the Woman's Missionary Society made surgical dressings, pajamas, hospital gowns, and other needed items. The church basement was stocked to serve as an emergency medical unit during the Cold War. For the past 25 years, FBC has supported Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, serving as the local drop-off location. Recent mission trips have taken the gospel to Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, England, Canada, Alaska, Colorado, Austin, New York, and New Orleans. 

Many generations have been served by the Music Ministry of First Baptist Church, through multiple levels of choirs, handbell, and orchestra programs, music camps for ages four through grade six, and a senior adult choir, the Homeward Bound Singers. The pipe organ was built especially for the church and in 1909 was shipped in thirty-one crates from the factory in Vermont to Galveston and then to Hillsboro. In 1994, the original organ console was replaced with a Rodgers electronic organ, and twenty-six ranks of the original pipes can be seen and heard in the sanctuary today. 

The church was first organized in 1875 by Reverend P. G. Booth and was called Hillsboro Baptist Church. Previously existing congregations at Towash, Hubbard and Peoria helped organize the Hillsboro church. The first church house, built for $1,400 was located on S. Church Street, near the present  "All About Hair'' salon. The church name was changed to First Baptist Church in 1900. 

The second building was built in 1905 on the southeast corner of E. Franklin and N. Pleasant Streets. There were many building fund-raising activities that took place; the Ladies Aid Society was especially active-taking in sewing, holding handkerchief sales and selling ice cream on the courthouse lawn. They sponsored two events to which admission was charged for the benefit of the building fund. The first was an old- fashioned debate on the topic: Resolved, that the dishrag is more useful to the housekeeper than the broom. The second was a lecture by Dr B. H. Carroll, Dean of the Theological Department of Baylor University. It was reported that William Jennings Bryan, having delivered a lecture in the auditorium, described the church’s building as one of the most beautiful examples of Greek architecture that he had seen. 

As the old church building was in disrepair, a new building program began with a three story educational building completed in 1951and a second three story building including an auditorium with seating capacity for 900 being completed in the summer of 1963. The original building on the corner was then razed. A Family Life Center, including a preschool area, kitchen, gym, restrooms, office area and renovated Social Hall, was completed in 2006. This increased the church facilities to approximately 65,000 square feet.