First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On August 17, 1878, a group of local residents met in the home of S.T. Foster at 702 Antelope Street to organize the First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi. Under the leadership of the Rev. J.W.D. Creath, a noted pioneer baptist missionary, the church was constituted with eight charter members. In September 1878, the congregation joined the Blanco Baptist Association, which had been formed five years earlier. Worship services for the church were conducted in a renovated blacksmith shop at the corner of Mesquite and Starr Streets until about 1908. In 1910 the congregation built a brick sanctuary at Mesquite and Taylor, which served until new facilities were occupied on Ocean Drive on March 23, 1950. From the late 1870's, when Corpus Christi was a small isolated coastal village, to the present, the First Baptist Church has led in the development of the area. Known for its community service ministries and its active support of baptist programs, the church has also been instrumental in the formation of several local congregations. Ministers here have included such prominent baptist leaders as Dr. J.M. Carroll, the church's first missionary pastor, Dr. D.B. South, the Rev. R.O. Cawker and Dr. C.E. Hereford.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In August 1878, when Corpus Christi was still a small, isolated coastal village, a handful of residents gathered in a private home to organize the First Baptist Church with eight charter members under pioneer missionary Rev. J.W.D. Creath. Early worship took place in a renovated blacksmith shop before the congregation built a brick sanctuary in 1910 and moved to Ocean Drive in 1950. Over the decades the church helped spawn several other local congregations and became known for its community ministries.
Why it matters
The congregation's growth mirrors the transformation of a frontier Gulf Coast settlement into a modern Texas city, with the church as an anchor of civic life.
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Related people
- · J.W.D. Creath
- · J.M. Carroll
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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