First Baptist Church Bridgeport — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Pastor Howell (Senior Pastor since May 19, 2019)

Founded Established congregation

Denomination Independent Baptist

Service Times Sunday mornings (check website for times)

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.fbcbridgeport.org

Pastor Credentials 17 years as assistant pastor before senior role 2019; additional staff Rev. Tony Pijar, Pastor Abraham Olorunlowo (discipleship, 2021)

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Trinitarian, gospel-centered.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

ABCUSA does not require inerrancy affirmation; hermeneutical latitude varies by congregation.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Verify men's ministry.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Verify faith-alone soteriology.

Caution

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

ABCUSA ordains women; congregation stance not stated on available pages — ABCUSA affiliation itself flags rubric red.

Male lead pastor; Verify patriarchal / complementarian / egalitarian stance

WARNING!

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Verify elder-led structure.

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Verify expository preaching.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Verify Great Commission focus.

Caution

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Verify cultural alignment.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Listed in American Baptist Churches of Connecticut directory (ABCUSA is mainline, LGBTQ-inclusive at polity level). Not Independent Baptist as directory claims.

Disqualifier

Assessment

Needs on-the-ground review. Added to directory for coverage.

#independent-baptist#bridgeport#connecticut#needs-review

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Known pattern (ABCUSA mislabeled as IFB/SBC) — needs denomination correction.

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] Live source abcconn.org/church-directory-list/
[2] Live source fbcbridgeport.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.