Thomas and Sarah Keenan settled in Farmers Branch in 1842. They established a family cemetery when they buried their infant son on this site the following year. With the Rev. David Myers, the Keenans organized the Union Baptist Church in 1846, meeting in a structure on cemetery property. That group of Baptists moved to nearby Carrollton; in 1870, in order to reestablish Baptist worship in Farmers Branch, twelve members of the Union Baptist Church organized the Farmers Branch Missionary Baptist Church. Services were first held in the Farmers Branch School, which was probably located about two miles east of the cemetery. The first pastor was the Rev. George W. Good, whose parents had settled in the area many years before. By 1877, church membership had grown to 96. Deed records indicate that ownership of the property on this site was transferred from Thomas Keenan to trustees of the Farmers Branch Missionary Baptist Church in 1893. The congregation grew steadily, and many changes took place after 1930. In 1931 a new church building was erected, and another addition was made in 1944. The name of the church was changed to First Baptist Church of Farmers Branch in 1951. An auditorium was erected in 1956, and a church library was established in 1959. As membership continued to increase, new structures were erected, such as two educational buildings in 1960 and 1963 and a new sanctuary in 1986. The First Baptist Church of Farmers Branch supports such organizations as the Woman's Missionary Union and the brotherhood program. The church follows in the traditions of its ancestors through domestic and foreign mission work, community service, religious education and worship. (1999)
This page last updated: 8/30/2009 |
First Baptist Church of Farmers Branch Historical Marker Location Map, Texas
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Related Themes:
Texas Baptist Churches
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