First Presbyterian Church

Duane's take

Here's the story as the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna let it breathe a little. The First Presbyterian Church of Lampasas, Lampasas County, Texas. Pull up a chair.

This one starts small and grows. Presbyterian missionaries arrived in Lampasas in 1877, planting a seed. It would take a few years to take root, but on October 28, 1881, the congregation was officially organized.

Seven members. That's all. Seven people who decided that what they were building was worth building.

Now, a congregation needs a pastor, and on September 29, 1882, the First Presbyterian Church called its first, Reverend John Giffen. Along with that calling, they erected a worship building. A home for the work.

The years rolled on, as they do in Texas, and pastors came and served and left their mark. Reverend E. C.

Leeper guided the congregation through 1907 and 1908, helping them gain state recognition as a religious institution and steering their growth. Then came 1915, and Reverend J. M.

Brooks oversaw the construction of a new sanctuary, set at the corner of Chestnut and Third Streets. A real address. A real presence in Lampasas.

By 1954, a parsonage, a fellowship hall, and a Sunday School building had been added. The congregation kept growin, kept needin more room for the work. And then came something unexpected.

The congregation became the beneficiary of the Ida and Pauline Senterfitt Estate. With that support behind them, a new sanctuary was built in 1959, replacing the 1916 building. Now the reach of this congregation didn't stop at Lampasas city limits, or even at the Texas state line.

They extended their missionary outreach around Texas, into other states, and into foreign countries. Missions of mercy. Ministries that nurture faith.

Help in building new churches from the ground up. In 1981, they held their Centennial Celebration, and part of that celebration was publishing the history of the church, putting the whole story down in ink. Seven members in 1881 to a congregation with a reach that crossed oceans.

Some seeds, it turns out, know exactly what they're doin from the start.

What the marker says

The First Presbyterian Church in Lampasas originated from Presbyterian missionaries in 1877. The congregation was officially organized on October 28, 1881, with seven members. On September 29, 1882, the First Presbyterian Church called its first pastor, Reverend John Giffen, and erected a worship building. Over the years, several pastors would serve the church and community, including Reverend E. C. Leeper who helped the congregation gain state recognition as a religious institution and guided their growth in 1907 and 1908. In 1915, Reverend J.M. Brooks oversaw the construction of a new sanctuary on Chestnut and Third Streets. A parsonage, fellowship hall and Sunday School building were added by 1954. The congregation became the beneficiary of the Ida and Pauline Senterfitt Estate, and with this support, a new sanctuary was built in 1959 to replace the 1916 building. The congregation grew and extended its missionary outreach around Texas, other states and foreign countries. This congregation has always supported missions of mercy and ministries that nurture the faith of the congregation, and has assisted in the development of new churches. The Centennial Celebration in 1981 included publishing the history of the church. The congregation continues to serve the community of Lampasas through ministry and outreach.