Our History

Cornerstone’s beginnings trace back to 1842 when a visiting elder from Essex held meetings to preach the Gospel in various public venues in Manchester. The public preaching led to a revival in Manchester in 1843. That revival led to conversions, and in the same year seventy men and women joined together to form a church, first called “The First Christian Society” and later renamed “First Baptist Church.”

Land was purchased and a church building was constructed and opened for worship in 1843 at the current 20 School Street location. While the subsequent years held much fruitful ministry, a name change, and a polity reform, Cornerstone remains distinctly Baptist, elder (pastor)-led, deacon-served, congregationally-governed, and dedicated to preaching the biblical gospel.