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First Baptist Church Whitesboro, Texas The First Baptist Church of
Whitesboro began in a log cabin located on what is now North Union
Street. Later it was located on West South Street. August 1884, Rev. S. A. Beauchamp was called as pastor. By August 1885 a new church building had been erected and dedicated.  ca 1885 The earliest recorded church roll was in 1889 with 85 members. The first name appearing on the church roll was A. B. White for whom Whitesboro was named. On May 20, 1906, the church was named First Baptist. Rev, Stokley Dennis Hillman Steed was the church's first pastor and accredited with the early organization in 1856. A Sunday school was organized. The first mid-week prayer service began under the leadership of Rev. T. J. McClanders in 1890. Rev. McClanders also organized a "Ladies Aid Society" in 1890 which grew to fully graded WMU. In 1898, under the leadership of pastor W. C. Carver, the B.Y.P.U. was organized. In 1922, pastor Rev. J. W.Epting organized a Laymen's Union. In 1936, pastor Rev. F. A. Tippen organized the men into a Brotherhood. Plans to construct a brick building began in 1912 under the leadership of Rev. L. L. Johnson. These plans materialized under pastor Rev. A. B. Ingram with a brick church building being erected on the same site as the original building in 1918.  ca 1918 Rev. Nat Farley led plans for an educational building in 1948. Rev. Farley died in November 1948. The new pastor, Rev. I. L. Whetsell led in the completion of the plans and an educational building was erected at a cost of approximately $11,000. Rev. R. D. Copeland served as pastor for twenty-nine months. During his pastorship, a two-story annex to the educational building was added at a cost of approximately $10,000. Under the leadership of Rev. Leon Chumbley, a brick auditorium with central heat and air was constructed in 1957.  ca 1979 Pastors of the First Baptist Church in Whitesboro include: Rev. S. D. H. Steed; Rev. S. A. Beauchamp; Rev. H. W. Campbell; Rev. T. J. McClanders; Rev. W. B. Bernden; Rev. Austin Crouch; Rev. W. C. Carver; Rev. J. D. Ballard; Rev. G. O. Key; Rev. W. L. Payton; Rev. A. Finch, Rev. J. R. Carmichael; Rev. H. L. McLeandon; Rev. Leazer; Rev. L. L. Johnson; Rev. A. B. Ingram; Rev. W. J. Epting; Rev. W. W. Goss; Rev. C. B. Darby; Rev. E. T. Smith; Rev. S. F. Aiken; Rev. Paul Brinkley; Rev. F. A. Tippen; Rev. Nat Farley; Rev. I. L. Whetsell; Rev. R. D. Copeland; Rev. Leon Chumbley; Rev. Ralph W. Hovey; Rev. H. D. Freeman; Rev. Watson.  Source: The History of Grayson County Texas by Grayson County Frontier Village, 1979, pg781 Churches Susan Hawkins © 2024 |