A Message from Rev. Elaine Poproski
June 7th, 2026
Dear First Baptist,
Thank you for inviting me to celebrate your 190th anniversary with you. Thank you for the wonderful, warm welcome.
From the moment I stepped through the door into the library, I felt like I had come home. Getting to sit in that beautiful sanctuary once again, surrounded by the stories told in stained glass and by the warm polished wood that has quietly borne witness to generations of the faithful, I was reminded how special this church is. The names of people who are no longer with us washed over me even as the hugs and handshakes of so many of you reminded me how well I was (and still am) loved. Thank you for all those years of love.
I know sometimes it is hard to be the church. Sometimes we wonder, not just where we will be five or ten years down the road, but even if we will be five or ten years down the road. If I may be so bold, I would like to share with you that I believe with absolute certainty, that God is not done with First Baptist. He planted you and He has continued to nurture you decade after decade, generation after generation. I have learned over the years that a church's hope doesn't lie in our own leadership, in our own vision, in our own money; a church's hope lies in its willingness to listen for God's direction and then to take one step at a time in response to what it hears. This is why First Baptist is still standing. This is why First Baptist continues to be a place of hope for people in Simcoe. And this is why First Baptist will continue long into the future.
Please know that I am praying for you. Please know that I love you.
Elaine
