First Baptist Church George West

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about First Baptist Church of George West. Now settle in, because this one starts long before the church ever held its first meeting. By 1912, a man named George W.

West was busy developing a namesake town out in Live Oak County. And the Baptists of that county, well, they were already organized. Over in Oakville, the county seat at the time, Oakville Baptist Church had an active ministry running both locally and throughout the county.

Six other Live Oak County communities had at least part-time Baptist churches and ministries of their own. That's a lot of faithful people spread across a lot of Texas ground. Now, the ministers serving those early churches were doing the kind of work that would wear out most folks.

They pastored two or three small churches at a time, rotating their preaching Sundays among them. Baptists living in or near George West would travel out to one of these churches at least once a month just to attend designated Sunday services. That was the arrangement, and it held, until things started to shift.

When the railroad bypassed Oakville, citizens voted to move the county seat to George West, and with that, new churches began to be established. On April 6, 1919, First Baptist Church of George West held its founding meeting. The location was not a grand sanctuary.

It was the town's local printing office. There was a sermon. There were prayers and hymns.

And when it was all done, eleven people presented for charter membership. Eleven. At that very first meeting, those eleven charter members pledged collaborative mission donations and set a precedent the church follows to this day: to serve others.

That precedent has carried some weight over the years. Funding and resources have gone out to the George West community and to locations abroad. When disasters or epidemics have come, the church has united to donate goods or services.

Locally, First Baptist Church of George West actively supports the South Texas Baptist Children's Home and Camp Zephyr, along with a benevolence program, a county jail ministry, fundraisers, and youth organizations. Eleven people in a printing office, making a pledge. And that pledge has been reaching outward ever since.

What the marker says

By 1912, when George W. West began developing his namesake town in Live Oak County, Oakville Baptist Church, located in the county seat of Oakville, had an active ministry locally and throughout the county. Six other Love Oak County communities maintained at least part-time Baptist churches and ministries. Baptists who lived in or near George West traveled to one of these churches at least once a month for designated Sunday services. Ministers in these early churches pastored two or three small churches at a time, alternating preaching Sundays. When the railroad bypassed Oakville, citizens voted to move the county seat to George West, and new churches were established. First Baptist Church of George West held its founding meeting on April 6, 1919, in the town's local printing office. Following a sermon, prayer and hymns, eleven people presented for charter membership. At this very first meeting, the new church members pledged collarborative mission donations and set a precedent followed to this day to serve others. Funding and resources continue to assist the George West community as well as locations abroad. Following disasters or epidemics, the church unites to donate goods or services. Locally, the church actively supports the South Texas Baptist Children's Home and Camp Zephyr, as well as a benevolence program, county jail ministry, fund raisers and youth organizations. With a mission of service through faith, First Baptist Church of George West continues to impact the community, the region and beyond.