John Watson: Church began after brush arbor revival

The Rev. W.A. Mason, a Baptist preacher, came to Cleburne in 1868 and after holding a revival under a brush arbor on the south side of the lot where the Guinn Justice Center now stands, organized the First Baptist Church of Cleburne on May 5 with 16 members.

He became the first pastor of this church and guided it until the following year.

The Rev. J. R. Clarke succeeded Mason in 1869 and remained the pastor for 10 years.

Under his direction the first church building was erected.

It was a red brick church on the southeast corner of Caddo and Willingham Streets.

This was part of the large area that was once occupied by Camp Henderson, a Civil War training ground for the home militia.

The Rev. J.R. Clarke was the illustrious father of deacon W.H. Clarke and the grandfather of deacon J. W. Clarke. The Rev. W.D. Beverly led the church the following four years, which was a period of steady growth and influence.

The Rev. A.M. Sims was the fourth pastor of the church. He left the church to become the pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas.

The Rev. C.D. Campbell became pastor in 1890 and was called home to God in 1892, the only pastor to die while ministering to this church.

In 1893, a rift developed in the congregation.

The matter was so serious that an unbiased committee composed of outstanding state denominational leaders was invited to mediate the matter.

Because of the schism, Dr. George W. Baines Jr., great uncle of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson, was reluctant to accept the call to pastor the church.

The differences were immediately laid to rest when the committee found both factions at fault. Baines then accepted the call to pastor the church.

Baines succeeded the gifted Campbell and for seven years led the church in a noble manner.

He planned and prepared the way for the new building.

At the time of Baines’ resignation in July 1900, everything was ready for the erection of a larger church.

The new building of red brick was built on land directly across the street from the first church building. The new building would face south on Willingham Street rather than facing west on North Caddo as the first building had been.

Dr. J.A. Hendricks led in the construction of the second building. He stayed 18 months and later returned to Howard College, where he taught Bible.

Immediately after this pastorate, Dr. Charles T. Alexander became pastor and led the church from 1902 until 1905.

The Rev. W.K. Penrod was called to the pastorate in 1905 and remained until 1911. Penrod was known as a prince among preachers.

Succeeding Penrod was Dr. J.W. Loving, who for nine years graced the pulpit and served the community. His scholarship and quiet dignity added much to the value of his ministry.

Loving was followed by the Rev. C.E. Wauford, who for six years was the beloved pastor and friend of many. Under his ministry a definite movement to construct an educational building began.

Wauford was succeeded by Dr. S.B. Culpepper who remained pastor until 1932. Under his capable leadership, the longedfor educational building was built.

In 1933 Dr. Albert Venting, a professor in the seminary in Fort Worth, became supply pastor, later accepting the church and relinquishing his teaching position.

By 1937, with membership at 885 and Sunday School enrollment of 747, the church building needed such extensive repairs that the congregation voted to build a new auditorium.

On Oct. 9, 1940, the contract was signed at a cost of $41,640.00, not including plumbing, electricity, stained glass windows or chancel grillwork.

On Sunday, May 4, 1941, the present auditorium opened; three years later, the church initiated a whirlwind campaign to pay off the mortgage of $16,500.

Venting retired from the pastorate in 1948 and became pastor emeritus of the church.

In 1948 the Rev. Charles Pitts, a native son of Cleburne, was called as pastor. Pitts resigned in December 1953 to become pastor of the Highland Baptist Church in Dallas.

Over the years, the missionary spirit of the church has been reflected in the pastors, the leaders and the members’ mission outreach.

Henderson Street Baptist Church (1887), Field Street Baptist Church (1895), and North Cleburne Baptist Church (1900) originated as missions established by First Baptist Church.

In 1953, the four churches cooperated in founding College Heights Baptist Church.

La Primera Iglesia Bautista Emanuel, the first Spanish-speaking Baptist church in Cleburne, began as a very small Sunday School class of First Baptist Church in 1976.

It was the outgrowth of the church’s participation in mission trips and projects from 1974-79, in cooperation with the River Ministry Section of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Nolan River Road Baptist Church began under the sponsorship of First Baptist Church in 1988.

Today God’s spirit continues his work among his people at First Baptist Church through dedicated leadership, and faithful members, to reach out to the lost and provide a church home.

By God’s grace and under his leadership, the church continues to expand in the ministries “for the Glory of God and the Good of Man” in Cleburne and around the world.

Thanks to Wilma Reed, First Baptist Church historian, for much of the information in this article.

Writer’s note: Because of a conflict in scheduling at the library, my talks on Texas history have been moved to the second Monday of the month. This month’s subject will be “The Spanish Influence on Texas.” The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Cleburne Public Library. Everyone is invited.

John Watson is a Cleburne resident who can be reached at texastraveler@sbcglobal.net.