First Baptist Church of Waco

Duane's take

The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just here to pass it along — this is Duane, and this is the story of the First Baptist Church of Waco. Now, if you want to talk about a congregation that has had some company — and I mean the kind of company that leaves a mark on a place — pull up a chair, because this one goes back to 1851. That's when the Rev.

Noah Byars organized the First Baptist Church of Waco, alongside its charter members. And in those early days, the congregation didn't have a roof to call its own, so they did what neighbors do — they borrowed one. They worshipped in the meetinghouse of the First Methodist Church until they could get something built.

And build they did. By 1857, they had their own sanctuary up at Fourth and Mary Streets. But here's the thing about 1857 buildings in Texas — they have a way of meeting their end.

In 1877, that sanctuary was destroyed by fire. Gone. And what did the congregation do?

They replaced it with a larger building. You don't rebuild smaller. Not in Waco, apparently.

Then, come 1907, the present house of worship went up on this very site, and it has been standing ever since. Now let's talk about the people who walked through those doors, because that is where this story gets genuinely remarkable. Five generals of the Confederacy counted themselves among the congregation.

Former Governor of Texas Pat M. Neff was affiliated with First Baptist Church. And then there was Dr.

B.H. Carroll, who served as pastor from 1871 to 1899 — nearly three decades behind that pulpit — and who later went on to found Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. That's a legacy with some weight to it.

And Dr. Carroll wasn't the last pastor to leave a mark beyond Waco. Dr.

J.M. Dawson served as pastor from 1915 to 1946, then resigned to become the first executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. The first.

That's not a footnote — that's a headline. Then there's Baylor University. In 1886, Baylor moved to Waco from Independence, Texas, and from that moment forward, the university and First Baptist Church have kept close company.

Every Baylor president since 1886 has maintained active membership here. Every one. Faculty, administration, students — they've all been part of the fellowship across the generations.

And one more thing the marker makes sure to say: several Baptist churches in Waco owe their very origins to former members of this congregation. Organized in 1851 by the Rev. Noah Byars, survived fire, rebuilt, reshaped, and still standing in 1907 and beyond — the First Baptist Church of Waco didn't just grow roots.

It grew a whole forest.

What the marker says

Organized in 1851 by the Rev. Noah Byars and charter members, the First Baptist Church of Waco worshipped in the meetinghouse of the First Methodist Church until their own sanctuary was built at fourth and Mary Streets in 1857. It was destroyed by fire in 1877 and was replaced by a larger building. The present house of worship was erected on this site in 1907. Historic figures affiliated with First Baptist Church have included five generals of the Confederacy, former Governor of Texas Pat M. Neff, and Dr. B.H. Carroll, pastor from 1871 to 1899 and later founder of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Dr. J.M. Dawson, pastor from 1915 to 1946, resigned to become the first executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, Washington, D.C. From 1886, when Baylor University moved to Waco from Independence, Texas, the university and First Baptist Church have enjoyed close association. Every Baylor president since 1886 has maintained active membership here. Many of the faculty, administration, and student body of Baylor University traditionally have provided vital links in the fellowship. Several Baptist churches in Waco owe their origins to former members of this congregation.