DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Baptist Church of Moody. Now settle in, because this story starts a good ways back — and a good ways north of where we're standing right now. The year is 1855, and out in the community of Perry, about two miles to the north, a congregation is coming together.
The First Baptist Church of Moody — though nobody's calling it that yet — gets organized right there in Perry, with Elder S.G. O'Bryan stepping up as the very first pastor. And he's not alone in that founding moment.
The Reverend John McClain is present at the church's organization too, and he would go on to serve that congregation for many years. Two men, one beginning, and a community of faith taking root in Texas soil. Now here's where the story gets interesting, and if you've spent any time in Texas you know the railroad had a way of reshuffling the whole deck.
The Santa Fe Railroad came through — and it bypassed Perry. Just like that, the town's future started looking a little thin. Two years after that bypass, in 1883, the Baptist church packed up and moved to this site, to the new railroad town of Moody.
Follow the railroad, follow the life — and that congregation did exactly that. Over the years, the church ordained several pastors right out of its own membership, and by the account of that marker, it has contributed much to the heritage of the surrounding area. From a founding in Perry in 1855 to a new home in Moody in 1883 — some churches just know how to outlast the circumstances.
What the marker says
The First Baptist Church of Moody was organized in 1855 in the commuity of Perry (2 mi. N), with Elder S.G. O'Bryan serving as first pastor. Another early minister, the Rev. John McClain, had been present at the church's organization and served the congregation for many years. In 1883, two years after the Santa Fe Railroad bypassed the town of Perry, the Baptist church moved to this site in the new railroad town of Moody. The church has ordained several pastors from its membership and has contributed much to the heritage of the surrounding area.