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Church History
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A HISTORY OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
LAKE JACKSON, TEXAS
In 1941, Dow Magnesium Corporation was successful in getting the United States government to build 100 duplexes to house the employees of the government-owned, Dow operated, magnesium plant. On the same day that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the first load of lumber was unloaded in the swamp near the Abner Jackson Plantation.
The first families moved into the duplexes in January 1943. On May 1, 1943, a meeting was conducted by Rev. John Taylor in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Lee. Five families were present that night as Lake Jackson Baptist Church became a mission of Freeport First Baptist Church.
In August a well-attended revival was conducted by Rev. Taylor at the Community House. One month later First Baptist Church of Lake Jackson was formed with 121 charter members. Church members took a religious census of the new town. Rev. D.P. Rogers, the first pastor, went house to house inviting people to First Baptist Church, which met in the school at the corner of Yaupon and Winding Way.
According to the original city plan, the triangle on which the church now stands was set aside for three churches. Members of our church negotiated with Dow to purchase one-third of the triangle. The Rev. Jessie Davis led the groundbreaking ceremony in 1944 for our first sanctuary, which was completed in 1947.
The Rev. Noah Phillips came as pastor in 1948. Under his leadership Sunday School space, offices and a reception area with kitchen were built with volunteer labor using lumber salvaged from military barracks near Bastrop.
Shady Oaks Baptist Church, started as a mission of FBC, was organized in 1953 with many of the 59 charter members coming from the First Baptist Church congregation. It serves the community today as Second Baptist Church.
The Rev. Newman R. McLarry pastored as the congregation outgrew the facilities. Closed circuit TV allowed the overflow crowd to worship in the reception area. The home folk were happy to worship there so that visitors could worship in the sanctuary.
The Rev. John H. Beard, Brother Beloved, served as pastor for 12 years. In the mid-1950s, a temporary air-conditioned auditorium (serving in varying capacities until the fire in 1989) was completed. The old auditorium was remodeled into a two-story educational building, and a nursery building was added.
In 1956, donated land was used for a mission church. Willow Drive Baptist Church was organized with 35 members soon after.
Plans for the present sanctuary began in1960. Educational spaces and offices were built at the same time. Dedication was July 22, 1962.
While Dr. James Mahoney was pastor, a new mission building was built for Surfside Baptist Church by men from First Baptist Church. It became a full-time church in 1972 and is now known as First Baptist Church Surfside.
The Rev. D.O. Fosters loving service as pastor began in 1972. The intercessory prayer ministry began in 1974, new building plans called for a Family Life Center with a gymnasium, parlor and kitchen. The original sanctuary was torn down to make room for the construction of a new educational wing with room for a new library, nursery, and prayer chapel. These buildings were dedicated in March 1979.
Dr. H. James Reimer came as pastor in 1979. During his pastorate the Brazosport Christian School was formed and began meeting in First Baptist Church facilities.
Dr. John Hatch has faithfully served as pastor since April 1982. Three indigenous satellite units were started in 1986 in neighborhoods of the community. The Lighthouse continues as a ministry of First Baptist Church.
In 1989 First Baptist became debt-free. This has continued through the renovation of the worship center, the building of new education space, and the remodeling of older buildings. Also in 1989, a ministry to the Koreans in the Brazosport area was begun.
The 1989 loss of three buildings to an electrical fire prompted the acceleration of plans to build educational space. In 1991, the congregation voted to build a three-story educational building and do limited remodeling, to the extent that funds were provided. The building was occupied in the summer of 1993.
Since 1998, First Baptist Churchs support of missions near home and around the world has reached new levels of direct and financial involvement. A fourth missions offering funding projects in which church members directly participate, was initiated in 1998. The three offerings for international, North American, and state missions increased as well. During 2000, the church funded and constructed a house at 402 Winding Way. The Colvin House is a residence for Southern Baptist missionary families while on stateside assignment.
Perhaps most notably, in 2001 First Baptist Church again commissioned and sent out a significant group of its members to begin a new mission congregation, pastored by then Minster of Youth Greg Pickering. Brazos Pointe Fellowship constituted as an autonomous church in January 2002. Until mid-2005, the Brazos Pointe congregation met in nearby Lake Jackson Intermediate School. It currently meets in a former storefront on Dixie Drive in Clute.
PASTORS
Rev. D.P. Rogers Sept. 1943 May 1944
Rev. Jesse Davis Sept. 1944 Oct. 1947
Rev. Noah Philips May 1948 Aug. 1954
Rev. Newman R. McLarry Oct. 1954 April 1955
Rev. John H. Beard July 1955 Jan. 1968
Dr. James Mahoney Mar. 1968 Aug. 1971
Rev. Darrell O. Foster May 1972 July 1978
Dr. James Reimer Feb. 1979 Feb. 1981
Dr. John A. Hatch April 1982 Present
MINISTERS OF EDUCATION AND MUSIC
Eugene Drake April 1954 Aug. 1955
Victor Peconno Feb. 1956 Feb. 1959
Jack D. Terry Aug. 1960 May 1963
MINISTERS OF MUSIC AND YOUTH
Jim Bob Griffin Sept. 1963 Aug. 1975
MINISTERS OF MUSIC
Mike Masters Sept. 1976 Mar. 1978
James E. Greer Sept. 1979 Sept. 1986
Fred Guilbert Dec. 1986 June 1992
Charlie Johnson Nov. 1992 July 2002
Larry Virnau Dec. 2004 - Present
MUSIC ASSOCIATE
Sonja Greer Sept. 1979 Mar. 1986
MINISTERS OF YOUTH
Rodney Thomas May 1977 Dec. 1978
Buddy Fortenberry May 1979 Jan. 1981
Jerry Stone May 1983 July 1986
Jan Dean Aug. 1986 Aug. 1987
Tim Hodges Dec. 1988 Aug. 1994
Greg Pickering Dec. 1995 May 2001
Brad Dawson May 2001 Present
MINISTERS OF EDUCATION AND ADMINISTRATION
Ralph (Dusty) Crawford Oct. 1965 Jan. 1969
Leland B. Hayes Feb. 1970 Jan. 1971
Harold J. Parnell Sept. 1973 Oct. 1975
MINISTERS OF EDUCATION
Ronnie H. Adams Jan. 1977 Mar. 1979
Jay C. Kennedy Sept. 1979 Nov. 1980
Dudley H. Johnson July 1982 Oct. 1993
Chuck Pace Mar. 1995 Present
ASSOCIATE PASTORS
Rev. A. Vernon Day Mar. 1979 Mar. 1980
Edward O. Webber Aug. 1982 May 2003
MINISTER OF EVANGELISM
Kelly D. Green Aug. 1979 Aug. 1980
Dr. Bruce Baker Feb. 1998 Mar. 2002
CHILDRENS DIRECTOR
Kaye Riggs Aug. 1980 Nov. 1981
MINISTER OF PASTORAL CARE
Joe Brumbelow Dec. 1998 Aug. 2002
Edward O. Webber May 2003 Present
MINISTER OF SINGLE ADULTS
Terry Cadwell Oct. 1983 June 1986
Dave Ketchand Mar. 2002 May 2003
ASSOCIATE PASTOR/SINGLES AND ADMINISTRATION
Dave Ketchand May 2003 Present
MINISTER OF CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Sandra Calcote Sept. 1986 Nov. 1997
Marci Parrott July 1998 Sept. 2001
KOREAN PASTOR
Robert Byun Lane
Suh, Joung Koo
Tae Shik Shim
Heehyung Ahn
Robert Byun Lane
LIGHTHOUSE
Sonny Barker
Mark Bernhausen
Dr. Daniel Baugh
TRUMPET VINE
Ron Colwell
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Andrews
Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Allen
Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Allen
Mrs. F.A. Barron
Fern and Harold Barron
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bonds
Mr. and Mrs. N.O. Buress
Mrs. C.E. Brinson
Mrs. T.A. Barrington
Jo Ann and Gene Barrington
Mr. and Mrs. Porter Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Don Baylor
Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Barrow
Helen Barrow
Mr. and Mrs. Barnes Cast
Leroy Cast
Kenneth Cast
Mr. and Mrs. O.H. Crawford
Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Colvin
Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Colvin
Mr. and Mrs. L.S. Caroon
Kathryn Caroon
Marion and Maxine Colvin
Mr. and Mrs. S.G. Coker
Mr. and Mrs. E.D. Dorsett
Mr. and Mrs. R.F. Floyd
Mrs. A.E. Glasscock
Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Glasscock
Mrs. E.L. Greenawalt
Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Griffin
J.L. Griffin, Jr
Mrs. Raymond Kelly
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Harper
Mr. and Mrs. Addison Johnson
Mrs. H.A. Lynn
Mrs. J.L. Lennon
Mr. and Mrs. P. Lee
Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Leak
Mr. and Mrs. C.L. Lee
Mr. and Mrs. M.E. McGinnis
Mr. and Mrs. S.G. Marshall
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Morrison
Frank Lynn Miller
Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Malone
Carl Malone
Mr. and Mrs. W.L. May
Mr. and Mrs. O.H. McKibben
Miss Louise McKibben
Mrs. J.R. Manning
Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Maples
Mrs. Rowena McFearson
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Nankervis
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Newberry
Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Petty
Mrs. Malcom Pruitt
Mrs. L.P. Prescott
Mr. and Mrs. S.B. Swearingen
Mrs. B.B. Swearingen
Mrs. C.M. Sackrey
Nancy Sackrey
Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Suggs
Mrs. James C. Schlottman
Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Singley
Maureen, Annelle and Glenna Singley
Mrs. Elaine Samford
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith
Edward Smith, Jr.
Mrs. Pete Schoelman
Mr. and Mrs. D.M. Stovall
Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Timms
Mrs. H.C. Witherspoon
Mr. Wilson Wood
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wilson
Earl Yancy, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. N.F. Wood
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