First Baptist Church of San Francisco

If you are a follower of Christ with a passion for making disciples for Christ and sharing the gospel, then this is the place to get refreshed, inspired and loved to do get out in the world that needs you. Pastor Ryan is a young and gifted preacher who specializes in expository preaching. Although he tends to veer away from sermons that speak of the consequences of living in sin and the truth for those who reject the claims of Jesus, the Holy Spirit in him insures that the core message of each passage of scripture that he preaches gets delivered with precision, love and passion.
Some of the decisions made at FBC, in terms of leadership could have been better. This is probably due to the persuasions of a board of elders that tends to weigh in too much when it comes to decision making. The church is led by the Spirit of God and the Pastor is the under shepherd. There needs to be more training for those interested in doing Missions in this church. The person in charge of Missions is young; yet, has great potential. The church has many great visionaries stemming from its relationship to Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, CA. This is one of the reasons that FBC stands out in San Francisco, one of the least godly cities in the world.
They have done a great deal of work to implement a loving and superbly talented crew of musicians and singers.

I love this church! Such a welcoming spirit with a lot of diversity. Contemporary style, biblical teaching, and great pastors.

Wonderful place; wonderful people! I have a disabled daughter who is on the autism spectrum, and they have a respite program for parents that is just fantastic! My daughter always enjoys going, and has such a fantastic time. This gives me a much-​needed break for a few hours to just wander the city and enjoy some relaxation, knowing my daughter is in great hands. They always have a great staff of volunteers for this event, including children (parents, you’ve done a great job!) that play with the children and assist them from place to place. I just love it! Warm, welcoming, and full of love.

I’ve been attending FBCSF since right after my husband and I got married in 2005. For so many of us who hang out here, we’re away from our family and friends back home, and it is so true that this place and these people have become our San Francisco family! I’ve been blessed, challenged, nurtured, and baptized here, and I know that I’ll always be grateful for my time at this church however long God calls us to be here!

Ugh. I love these people. The pastor is 29 and loves to share God’s Word – there isn’t any watering down of the Gospel so that you can walk out feeling good about yourself. No, you walk out knowing that God is real and that we were created for His glory. I love all the little community groups here serving the city and the church because they’re filled with people of every color and generation, several mother-​tongues and every socio-​economic status. There truly is a place and friend for everyone. FBCSF is an awesome place and group of people with whom to explore God’s goodness and presence in this city. Also: it has a neon sign. :)

My wife and I lived in SF for 4 years and while we were there FBCSF became our family. Any part of life that we walked through, whether it was sick family members, children in the hospital, or just encouragement in times of need, this church surrounded us with prayer and open arms. This church is Gospel driven and has a heart to see Jesus glorified in the city and the world! Would highly recommend this place to anyone, from people moving to the area seeking a church home to folks who are new to this whole church thing and maybe have questions and are seeking answers!

I’ve been a member of this very multi cultural church for over 22 years now… love it… have made the best of friends here. The church has done so much for the homeless on Wednesdays especially and throughout the week. We also help members many many times in need of support. I’ve seen 3 main pastors here and have loved them all. Our current pastor is a young man with an old soul… very wise and very friendly and reachable… he remembers your name after meeting you the first time! Please come to visit, meet, enjoy, get involved and become a member. We are soon to have a new person lead our music ministry… what growth we are in! Thank you LORD for being present in our church and in our City.

FBCSF is a great representation of the makeup of SF! When I moved here almost 3 years ago, I was church hopping and once I stepped into the doors of FBCSF, I was warmly greeted (even running late after taking the wrong bus and having to walk 10 extra blocks)! The church building has amazing organ, classic rotunda pews and beautiful stained glass windows. Took me back to my younger days of worship service in South Carolina!
Pastor Ryan opens up before every sermon to pray for all the churches in the City. He creates a mood of humility and really welcomes the Spirit into the service. Having been here now for 2 years, I really feel a part of the church family. Excited that more people are coming and the staff expanded to have 2 more pastors! They are great men of God and again… humble servants above all else. This church is all about serving the people of Hayes Valley, SF, and anyone who is seeking hope and truth of Christ. There’s Wednesday Night Dinners where the homeless community are welcome for a hot meal, bible study, words of encouragement, and prayer. There’s also a growing special needs ministry, strong youth and children’s ministry, active missions support team. And for those seeking bible study, you can probably find one throughout SF, Daly City, and even Marin!
It’s not a perfect church because none of us are perfect, but it’s a place that seeks to live out the Word as a family. Please come and check this place out if you’re seeking to find a solid Bible seeking and living out Church community.

I found First Baptist after I moved to SF five years ago. I visited several other churches before deciding to attend here. What I found was a church where all different types of people — young, old, rich, poor, white, asian, latino, black — worshiped and served together. I loved its diversity and felt like it was the place for me.
The church is by no means perfect, but it has served this city for 160+ years and provided what people need, whether it be community, a hot meal, a place to hold a quinceniera, or a wedding venue (like me).
I highly recommend checking it out.

During our 15 month stay in SF, I visited this church a few times. It is an easy walk from the Van Ness muni station, just west on Market. Beautiful historical building that has not been remodeled to the nth degree. Delightful congregation, warm and welcoming.
I attended just after their new, young pastor, Ryan Blackwell, had come onboard. Warm, caring young man who brings a fresh vibe to the church. He brings the caring love of Christ to a hurting city.

Good people. Certainly a diverse mixture, reflecting it’s location in the middle of San Francisco. This is a church with a history — over 150 years. Oddly, it keeps that historical vibe while also projecting a younger spirit. A welcoming community of people, great music, and an uplifting message. This is a good community to find faith. Not perfect. But who made perfection a standard?!

I went to an 11am service last Sunday and really enjoyed it. They have great music– piano, guitar, flute, and drums. The «choir» consists of about 10 people who get up on the stage in front of the band and, grouped together in threes or fours, casually sing worship songs. Not your old timey hymnals. None of that here. These are contemporary worship songs, and they really make you feel good. The words to the songs are also projected onto a screen behind the band in case you don’t know the words.
The people seem so casual, and there is a lot of diversity here. This church has that «everyone is welcome here» feeling. Who doesn’t need and/​or love that?
I suggest if you’re looking for a contemporary Christian worship church, you make this one of your options. The music is uplifting, the message is pertinent, and they also have lots of bible study groups and classes during the week.