First Baptist Church of Garland
Garland, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Baptists in the pioneer Duck Creek community began meeting regularly in a log schoolhouse probably as early as the 1850s. On March 8, 1868, sixteen Baptists assembled in the schoolhouse and formally organized Antioch Baptist Church, calling W. B. Long as their first pastor. The first church house was built in 1870. Sunday School classes began in 1873, and a Ladies' Aid Society was organized in 1883. The church moved into the rapidly growing new town of Garland in 1890 and began to flourish. In 1904 the congregation divided amicably into two equal groups after a conflict about the best course for mission work. Antioch Baptist and First Baptist Church of Garland were reunited in 1915 as Garland Baptist Church. The church prospered with the community. The Ladies' Aid Society and other groups within the congregation worked to raise funds to support the church and its programs. A more modern church building was erected in 1930. The church assumed the name First Baptist Church of Garland in 1946 as other Baptist churches were begun in the city. A fourth worship center was built in 1953, followed by educational facilities in 1958, 1963, 1980 and 1996. By 1999, the church had assisted in establishing 19 missions. Many of those grew into large Garland churches. First Baptist Church continues to serve the local community and the larger world through numerous worship, outreach and mission programs. Creative Sunday School programs and a variety of worship experiences are designed to meet the changing spiritual needs of the city in the 21st century. (1999)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Baptists in the pioneer Duck Creek community met in a log schoolhouse before formally organizing Antioch Baptist Church in 1868 with sixteen members. A Ladies' Aid Society, organized in 1883, worked to sustain the church as it moved into the booming new town of Garland in 1890. Through an amicable split and reunion, new buildings, and steady growth, it took the name First Baptist Church of Garland in 1946 and went on to help establish nineteen missions.
Why it matters
The congregation charts the growth of a frontier church into a civic institution, powered in part by the women's societies that funded and sustained it.
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Related people
- · W. B. Long
Themes & tags
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