Central Baptist Church of Jacksonville

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it — and it's quite a story for one congregation in Cherokee County. On September 12, 1906, twenty-two charter members gathered at the home of Reverend E.G. Musgrove to do something simple and something enormous at the same time: they organized the Central Baptist Church of Jacksonville.

Twenty-two people. One living room. And then, just two weeks later, the noted Baptist preacher George W.

Truett came through leading a revival — and thirty-two more souls joined the congregation. That's fifty-four members before the month was even cold. They were off and runnin'.

The church received its official charter on May 4, 1909, and by then the congregation was meeting at 401 South Main in a small white frame building, the kind you could picture from a mile down a dirt road. That building was eventually sold and moved in 1913 to make room for new construction. New building, new era — except in 1919, a devastating fire tore through and destroyed the interior of that new building.

Now here's the part that'll stay with you. The day after the fire — not a week later, not after some long deliberation — the very next day, the members voted to rebuild without outside aid. No help from the denomination, no outside funds.

Just the congregation, their hands, and their word. And they made good on it. Within five years, that church was rebuilt.

Affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention, Central Baptist had roots running deep and wide. In 1939, they added the D.B. Lloyd Educational Building for Sunday school classes.

During the Depression era, the Goodfellows Bible Class quietly helped those in need — the kind of ministry that doesn't make headlines but feeds people. Since 1943, the congregation has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 403. Four mission churches have gone out under their care.

In 1951, a new sanctuary and formal hall went up, along with educational and office space. And in 2003, the congregation relocated to 1909 East Rusk Street — no longer sitting at that central address that gave it its name, but still fixed on the same outreach that defined it from the start. By the following year, nineteen pastors had served those pews.

Membership had grown to more than 2,500 people, with more than 1,600 participating in Sunday school alone. Twenty-two people in a preacher's home to twenty-five hundred members across a century. The address changed.

The mission didn't.

What the marker says

On September 12, 1906, 22 charter members met at the home of the Rev. E.G. Musgrove to organize the Central Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Two weeks later, a revival led by the noted Baptist preacher George W. Truett resulted in 32 additions to the congregation. Affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, as well as the Southern Baptist Convention, Central Baptist Church was named for its central location in Jacksonville. It received its charter on May 4, 1909. The congregation began meeting at 401 South Main in a small white frame building that was eventually sold and moved in 1913 to make room for new construction. In 1919, a devastating fire destroyed the interior of the new building. The day after the fire members voted to rebuild without outside aid, and they successfully achieved their goal within five years. In 1939, the church added the D.B. Lloyd Educational Building for Sunday school classes. The church has sponsored a variety of outreach programs, including four mission churches. During the Depression era, the Goodfellows Bible Class helped those in need, and since 1943 the congregation has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 403. The congregation built a new sanctuary and formal hall, as well as educational and office space in 1951. In 2003, it relocated to 1909 E. Rusk Street. By the following year, 19 pastors had served the congregation. Its membership included more than 2,500 members, and more than 1,600 participated in Sunday school, one of the church's many ministries. Though no longer centrally located, the church continues to focus on outreach to the community. (2005)