First Baptist Church

Duane's take

The way the official marker tells it, here's the story of the First Baptist Church of Burleson County. Now settle in, because this congregation has been through more than most. It started out not even called what you'd recognize today.

Originally, it went by the name Dove Church. And it was organized on May the fourteenth, eighteen forty-three, not in any grand hall or purpose-built sanctuary, but right there in the home of a man named Laban Rice, one of six charter members who got this whole thing off the ground. Six people.

Remember that number. Six. Now, the men who presided at that founding were no ordinary frontier preachers.

R. E. B.

Baylor and Noah Byars were there, noted frontier ministers both, and Byars didn't just show up for the occasion, he stayed on as the church's first pastor. The very first building went up in eighteen forty-four, standing on Davidson Creek, about a mile to the east, and that's where the early baptisms were held. You can almost picture it, the creek, the frontier, the faithful.

Among the many renowned pastors who would come through this church over the years, one name stands out in particular. The Reverend B. H.

Carroll was both ordained and licensed right here. Ordained and licensed at this very congregation. That's not a small thing.

Now, of the five sanctuaries this church has known across its long life, two of them burned. Two. The present sanctuary was built in nineteen twenty-eight and nineteen twenty-nine, and in nineteen sixty it was remodeled, with an education building erected alongside it.

From a farmhouse in eighteen forty-three to a remodeled church with room to grow, Dove Church, First Baptist, has held on through flame and frontier and the long turning of years.

What the marker says

Originally named Dove Church. Organized May 14, 1843, in home of Laban Rice, one of six charter members. Noted frontier ministers R. E. B. Baylor and Noah Byars presided at founding, and Byars served as first pastor. First building (1844) stood on Davidson Creek (about 1 mi. E), where early Baptisms were held. One of many renowned former pastors was the Rev. B. H. Carroll, who was ordained and licensed here. Of five sanctuaries for this church, two burned. The present one was built in 1928-1929. In 1960 it was remodeled and an education building erected. (1969)