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First Baptist Church
Bay City, Texas
Printed
in the Matagorda County Genealogical Society publication, Oak Leaves,
Volume XIV, No. 3, May, 1995 and used by permission. |
 The early settlers of the
Matagorda
County
area lived along the
waterways which were the life-blood for survival and transportation.
They brought with them a deep faith in God and a need to gather
together with other believers. Those believers worshipped with their
friends and neighbors regardless of denominational beliefs.
The
Matagorda
County
area of early
Texas
became the gateway
for the entrance of some of the first Baptist influences in
Texas
. Thomas J. Pilgrim
arrived in Matagorda with Elias R. Wightman and his Texas immigrants
on January 27, 1829. After the arrival in Matagorda on the Little Zoe,
Pilgrim and others set out to walk eighty miles to San Felipe. There,
in 1829, he established the first Baptist Sunday school in
Texas
.
By the 1850's both Matagorda and Trespalacios had organized
Baptist churches. The Trespalacios Baptist Church was organized July
4, 1852 in the home of Daniel Wheeler. Some of its members would later
become members of the newly conceived Baptist church at Red Bluff.
Red Bluff was located on the east side of the
Colorado River
one mile west of
Bay City
. A small log church
had been built near Elliott's Ferry along with a gin, post office and
store. The church and cemetery served people of all beliefs in that
small community. Members of that congregation later became members of
the
First
Methodist
Church
and the
First
Baptist
Church, both early churches
formed in the new town of
Bay City
.
On
November 24, 1889
, the Baptist
believers at Red Bluff formed the Colorado Baptist Church of Christ.
The first members were I. F. Rainey and the following members from the
Trespalacios church: J. B. Gailbreath, Ruth A. Gailbreath, Nancy J.
Mangum, Cleopatra H. Williams and Mary M. Lee. At their December, 1889
conference, the members of the
Trespalacios
Baptist
Church
dismissed the five
members who had called for their letters of membership to the moved to
The Colorado Baptist Church of Christ.
Also in December, 1889,
Robert Abner Partain was ordained to
the Gospel ministry at the Trespalacios church. He was called to be
the preacher for the Red Bluff congregation and served until May,
1895. Rev. Partain preached one Sunday a month. He also led the
monthly church conference which was held the Saturday preceding his
Sunday service.
The lives and businesses for the 3,985 citizens of
Matagorda
County
changed drastically
just before the turn of the century. On September 18, 1894, the yet to
be built town of Bay City became the new county seat for Matagorda
County replacing Matagorda which had been the county seat since the
inception of the county in 1837.
The county changes also caused changes for the Red Bluff
church. The members decided to officially organize their church and move
it to Bay City. The church conference minutes of May 19, 1895 reflect
the upcoming changes. "At the earnest request and solicitation of
the missionary of Colorado Association, three members, Bro. Burns and
wife and Sister Watkins of the Colorado Baptist Church, met, and after
reading and commenting upon the article of Faith by Bro. Poindexter,
Bro. R. A. Partain was called to the Chair, after which it was moved and
seconded to change the name to the Church to the First Baptist Church of
Bay City."
The newly named First Baptist Church of Bay City joined the
Colorado Baptist Association in 1895. It is thought that 12 charter
members formed the first congregation including Bro. and Sister Burns, a
Sister Watkins, Sister Sallie Sims, and Brother and Sister C. L. J.
Sisk. R. A. Partain continued to hold monthly meetings at the Hamilton
Building in Bay City which was a two-story frame building used as the
courthouse. It was located
at the corner of 7th Street and Avenue G. Services were later held once
a month in the Methodist Church building. A Union Sunday School of all
the cooperating churches was led by A. D. Hensley. The
Methodist
Church
building was built in
1897 and located at the corner of
9th Street
and Avenue E.
The following group of ministers served from 1895 through
early 1903: A. A. Caperton, April, 1896; J. McKee, March, 1897; William
Josiah Cother, 1898; and J. J. Lively,
Dec. 3, 1899
.
Rev. John Harberd Thorn became the first full-time pastor on
February 1, 1903
. He was the first pastor to live in Bay City and
during his tenure the first church building was erected. The small frame
structure was located on the corner of 5th Street and Avenue E. On
December 30, 1901
, G. M. McGill, acting
for David Swickheimer, conveyed Block 61,
Lot
7 to the First Baptist
Church of Bay City trustees, L. A. Hammett, C. L. J. Sisk and A. C.
Harper.
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Rev. Eli F. McDonald was pastor from January, 1904 until
1909. During his pastorate, a parsonage was bought in the 1500 block of
Fifth Street. The church membership increased from 100 to 211 members.
Mrs. Callie Blaylock, still a member in 1995, joined the church in 1909.
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On
December 31, 1909
, the
First
Baptist
Church
doubled the size of
its property by purchasing the adjoining lot 8 block 61 for $200.00.
Rev. Henry Columbus Morrison was called to be pastor in 1909,
but before he arrived a hurricane struck
Bay City
on July 21st and
destroyed the frame church building. Services were again held in the
courthouse in the courtroom.
The
First
Baptist
Church
purchased lots 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, and 6 in Block 89 of the City of
Bay City
for $3,000.00 on
February 22, 1911
from Jno. W. and
Lorena M. Gaines. Several months later a temporary tabernacle was built
on that site which is the current corner location of 2321 Avenue F and
Fourth Street.
In 1914, Rev. Morrison resigned and
O.
B.
Falls
became pastor. A
parsonage was built behind the tabernacle and the tabernacle was torn
down. Work was begun on a permanent brick structure which in 1995 serves
the church as an educational building. Mr. and Mrs. Will Sutherland
donated all the brick for the construction of the building. The church
met for services in the Opera House, later the Franklin Theatre, while
the building was constructed. The building was completed in 1915 and the
cornerstone reads as follows.
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Photo courtesy of Helen Falls,
daughter of Oswald Benjamin Falls, Sr.
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Pastors serving from 1916 until 1942 were: John Phillip
Gilliam 1916-19; T. V. Herndon, 1919; William Mannie Joslin, August,
1922-25; Milton Emery Cunningham, 1926-February 20, 1927; Odis Rainer,
March 15, 1927-39; and Paul Wendelin Davis, 1939-42.
On
September 12, 1940
, Victor L. LeTulle
announced that he would present $50,000 to the
First
Baptist
Church
to be used to build an
auditorium. The solid brick building was completed in 1941 and was 48
feet by 132 feet. The interior was plastered and the oak-beamed ceiling
was 50 feet from the floor.
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The baptistry is in the rear of the chancel and is
highlighted by a mural of LeTulle lake. The oil painting was executed by
Matilde "Mattie" Conroy of Bay City and Elizabeth Harrell of Corpus Christi.
Above the Baptistry, an exquisite rose window reflects its beauty."
"Brilliantly predominating the
decorative design is the Gothic arch. This is repeated in
the stained glass window, the carved ends of the pews, the
oak paneling in the chancel, the chancel rail and the pipe
organ grilles.
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James T. Draper became the sixteenth pastor in October, 1942.
He was followed by Horace C. Goodman who served until 1946.
The members of First Baptist
church
of
Bay City
celebrated their
50th anniversary on
May 6, 1945. The Church called M. A. Marshall as pastor in 1947. That
same year, an educational addition was added to the first building
erected in 1915.
On
August 13, 1947, during the regular
church conference, a group of
First
Baptist
Church
members expressed
their desire to form another Baptist church in
Bay City
. Letters of
dismission were granted on
September 10, 1947
to fifty First Baptist members who became charter
members of
Calvary
Baptist
Church.
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Groundbreaking in 1948
for the
Educational Building that in 2008
houses the church office, Pearl Morton
Hall and the church library. |
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Pastors during the next few years included: Allen Otis Webb,
1950-54; James F. Eaves, 1955-58; Ferman Rob Weedon, 1958-63; and
William B. Williams, 1963-66.
In January, 1958, property was purchased by
First
Baptist
Church
on the southwest
corner of Avenue G and Twelfth Street and dedicated to the Emmanuel
Mexican Mission for a new church building. The mission had been
organized in 1930, but had no building in which to worship. The building
was dedicated in March, 1958. Pastors serving the mission, now
Emmanuel
Baptist
Church
include: Paul
Siebenmann, 1930; E. Aloreja, 1950; Alberto Jua, 1954; Francisco Veles,
1956; Amando Virgen, 1957; Ruben Hernandez, 1961; and Candido Gonzales,
1966- .
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Emanuel Baptist Church |
William D. Baker became pastor of
First
Baptist
Church
in July, 1966 and
served twenty-five years until
December 31, 1991. Upon his retirement,
the church voted to bestow on him the title Pastor Emeritus.
On
March 17, 1968
, a ground breaking
ceremony was held for a $250,000 educational building which was built on
4th Street east
of the auditorium.
In an effort to reach out to more people in
Matagorda
County
, First Baptist
assisted in the formation of a Baptist mission in the Sargent area. Mrs.
Augusta Glaze of Sargent donated one acre of land at Sargent to be used
for the mission church.
Realizing a need for Christian child care in
Bay City, First Baptist opened
the
First
Baptist
Church
Christian
Child
Development
Center
which was dedicated on
August 12, 1979. The center continues
to operate in 1995 using the educational areas of the church buildings.
On
Sunday, November 1,
1987, an open house was
held for the newly-constructed
Christian
Ministry
Center
. It was built on
Avenue F north of the original 1915 building. The Christian Ministry
Center, which houses a gym, classrooms and kitchen, was built to help
the church minister to its members and members of other churches and
organizations. Both adult and youth groups use the gym facilities as
they participate in sports leagues.
Rev. Michael T. Zimmerman, assistant pastor, followed Dr. W.
D. Baker as pastor. He began his ministry as pastor in February, 1992
and continues to lead the First Baptist Church of Bay City as it
endeavors to reach out to the community in the name of Jesus Christ.
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