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Southern Baptist

First Baptist Church Bartow

410 E. Church St., Bartow, FL 33830
SBC directory + Senior Pastor Matt McCraw confirmed; homepage thin on SOF/men's ministry — hold yellow
Quick Facts
Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Matt McCraw
Founded Unknown
Denomination SBC
Service Times Sunday mornings
Men's Ministry No
Kids Ministry Yes
Website fbcbartow.org
Pastor Credentials SBC pastor
10-Point Theological Scorecard
Christology
Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)
BFM2000 orthodox
Strong
Scripture
Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?
Inerrancy affirmed
Strong
Men's Discipleship
Intentional formation for men?
No men's-specific ministry visible on homepage; ministries listed are Children/Youth/Adults/Music/Food Pantry.
Caution
Soteriology
Faith alone? How is salvation presented?
Grace through faith
Strong
Gender / Biblical Design
Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?
Senior Pastor Matt McCraw (male) confirmed via sermon speaker list.
Caution
Leadership Structure
Male elders/pastors? Accountability?
Pastor-led with deacons
Strong
Preaching Style
Expository or topical/therapeutic?
Extensive expository book series (John, Acts, OT journey) per prior data; not directly visible on homepage fetch.
Strong
Mission Clarity
Great Commission central?
Vision: 'develop disciples who love God, love the church, and love others.'
Strong
Cultural Alignment
DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?
Conservative SBC values
Strong
Accountability Structure
Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?
SBC per directory; homepage does not explicitly state BFM2000 or SBC affiliation.
Strong
Assessment
SBC church in Bartow, FL. Cooperative program participant.
#bartow#florida#national#sbc
Visit Their Website ← Back to Church Directory
Church Social Media
Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

  1. [1] Live source fbcbartow.org

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 — Annual review recommended
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