The history of the First Baptist Church of Flushing from its inception up to the present time is very interesting. A brief sketch of the struggles of the former pastors and founders of the Church is here given.

In 1656 William Wickendam, a cobbler from Rhode Island, came to Flushing and began to preach. Those who were converted he took to the creek or bay for immersion. For this he was fined £100 and ordered to be banished. The interest which had been awakened by Mr. Wickendam died out or was absorbed in the Quaker revivals of that time. No other attempt was made, so far as is known, to teach Baptist principles or establish a Baptist Church until the year 1856, when Rev. John Sheridan, a Baptist, who was employed as a missionary by Mr. Howard Osgood, himself a Episcopalian, to hold prayer meetings in the house of Benjamin Jackson. In the same year Mr. Osgood embraced the Baptist principles and joined the old Oliver Street Church, New York City, on the first Sunday in August 1856. On the 17th of the same month he preached to the little band of Baptists who, for the first time, met in the school house of Jemina Hammond, a member of the Society of Friends.

On December 26, 1856, the little band organized itself into a regular Baptist Church, under the name of the First Baptist Church of Flushing. Three weeks later, January 17, 1857, the Church was duly recognized by a council. Then followed in quick succession the licensing, examination, and ordination of Mr. Howard Osgood, which took place, the first on February 11, the second on February 12, and the third, the ordination, on February 20, 1857, in the Congregational Chapel. The names of the constituent members of the Church as they stood on the minutes are: Joseph Bowden, Charlotte F. Bowden, Eleanor Aitkens, Margaret Thurston, Sarah Cropper, Julia Smith, Benjamin L. Jackson, Lydia Jackson, Howard Osgood.

Thus the Church started on its mission with nine members, including the pastor.

A church edifice was felt to be necessary, and they bravely undertook the task of building. The first edifice was built about a year after the organization of the Church on Washinton Street, between Union Street and Bowne Avenue, at a cost of $4,206.68. Mr. B. Pike, Jr., of New York, a very generous friend of the young Church, gave $3,016 of the amount. The first real discouragement to the Church was the leaving of their pastor, the Rev. Howard Osgood, who left with the hope of going as a missionary to the heathen. The Church keenly felt its loss, yet called another man, the Rev. Federick Graves, to the pastorate. He remained less than a year, and then the Rev. John Bray was called. His stay was also brief, as was that of the Rev. C. W. Nichols.

They each remained with the Church about one year. The Rev. John Higgs, who came next, was pastor about two years, and was followed by the Rev. D. Meason, who remained about three years. The Rev. Harvey Alley succceeded Mr. Meason, and remained only one year. The Rev. R. T. Middleditch, D. D., was next called to the pastorate of the Church. He remained four years. It was during his pastorate that the Main Street property was purchased, at a cost of $4,000. It was the intention when this ground was bought to erect thereon a substantial and beautiful church edifice, but the effort failed, so no alternative was left but to remove the old building to the new lot, on the point separating Jamaica and Jaggar Avenues, fronting on Main Street, which was done in 1872. The result of all this was that the Church had a mortgage of $4,000 at 7 per cent interest to carry. The general depression which followed the "panic" prevented the Church from reducing the mortgage and made it difficult to pay the interest while keeping up the running expenses.

In 1875 the Rev. L. F. Moore became pastor. Large congregations attended. He was a pulpit orator. He was with the Church, in all, about six years. The Rev. A. S. Burrows became pastor in 1881 and remained until 1885. The principal point of interest during his labors was the heroic effort made by him to reduce the mortgage on the Church property. So successful were his efforts that there was only $2,200 remaining at the close of his pastorate.

Rev. William Morrison began his labors in January 1886. Under his able leadership the present edifice on Sanford Avenue was erected and dedicated free from debt. Mr. Morrison resigned his pastorate in June 1892.

Rev. Charles E. Knowles accepted the call to the pastorate and was ordained in November 1894.