First Baptist Church Dallas
First Baptist Church | |
---|---|
Baptist | |
Associations | Southern Baptist Convention |
Membership | 13,000 (2018) |
Website | www |
History | |
Founded | July 30, 1868 |
Architecture | |
Heritage designation | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark #6689 |
Designated | 1968 |
Administration | |
Division | Southern Baptists of Texas Convention |
Clergy | |
Pastor(s) | Robert Jeffress, since 2007 |
First Baptist Dallas is a
The First Baptist Church of Dallas founded many former affiliating and existing notable ministries from Silent Friends to
History
The First Baptist Church of Dallas was established on July 30, 1868, with eleven founding members. They convened in the Masonic Hall, located on Lamar Street near Ross Avenue.[2] In 1872, the congregation pooled their funds together to purchase the first building, on Akard, in downtown Dallas. The cornerstone of the sanctuary that the congregation worships in today was laid in 1891.
Since the 1970s, the church has established a number of ministries that are affiliated with the church. First Baptist Academy of Dallas and Criswell College (formerly Criswell Bible Institute) were formed to champion Christian education. In the mid-1970s, Criswell College purchased KCBI to be used as a Christian radio station. The station has resided on the lower frequencies of FM. Now at 90.9 FM, KCBI broadcasts as part of the Criswell Radio Network, and includes KCCE and KSAO of San Angelo, Texas, and KCBK of Frederick, Oklahoma.
In 2013,
In 2013, a 3,000 seat Worship Center and expansion was built at the cost of $130 million, close to the historic building. The center has 178,000 square feet (16,500 m2) of space, and the older facilities were also renovated.[4]
In 2018, the church claimed 13,000 members.[1]
Senior pastors
W. W. Harris was the first pastor and was followed by several others during the early years of the church. In 1897, the first of the two most notable pastors,
Facilities
By the virtue of Dr. W.A. Criswell's Pastorship, in 2013, First Baptist Dallas completed another historically major renovation and expansion of their facilities, including construction of a new worship center. With a price tag of $130,000,000 it is the most expensive Protestant building project in modern history.[5][6] In 2019 they announced another $35,000,000 expansion to the Horner Family Center and the addition of a new parking garage, growing the Family Center to 179,000 square feet from an original 98,500 preexisting square footage.[7]
FBC Dallas has a 3,000 seat worship center as well as a large skywalk.[8] It also contains computer-synchronized water fountain playing music.[9] Despite implosion of a large portion of their six-block campus, First Baptist retains the original worship center (in addition to its new worship center) as an ancillary venue for worship services, weddings and other events.[10][11]
Controversies
W. A. Criswell
Pastor
In September 1992, after 2 years of pastoring, senior pastor Joel C. Gregory announced his resignation, claiming it was due to the refusal of Pastor W.A Criswell to relinquish control of the church, despite Gregory being the senior pastor de jure.[16] In 1994, Gregory published the book "Too Great a Temptation: The Seductive Power of America's Super Church", detaling his reasons for leaving.[17][18][19][20]
Robert Jeffress
Since 2008, Pastor
In June 2015, he compared the "marginalization" of Christians in the United States with Jews under Nazi Germany, which was seen as a lack of respect to victims of
Notable members
American evangelist Rev. Billy Graham became a member of the First Baptist Church of Dallas in 1953 while visiting Dallas during his crusade to the area and remained a church member for over fifty years, despite not residing within the Dallas area and only very infrequently visiting the Dallas church. In December 2008, the 90-year-old Graham switched his church membership to First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina, that was closer to his residence in North Carolina.[31][32]
See also
References
- ^ a b Sharon Grigsby, Is the real First Baptist Dallas more than just divisive pastor Robert Jeffress?, dallasnews.com, USA, Jul 27, 2018
- Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
- ^ Jervis, Rick (December 11, 2015). "Ted Cruz uses faith freely on campaign trail". USA Today. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ "First Baptist of Dallas unveils its new campus". The Dallas Morning News. March 31, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ "First Baptist Dallas Completes Largest Protestant Church Building Project in Modern History". Church Executive. April 13, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "First Baptist Dallas Completes Largest Church Building Project in Modern History, Contributing to Ongoing Dallas Revitalization: Historic Congregation Goes Against National Church Trend to Build New $130 Million Downtown Campus" (PDF).
- ^ "Downtown Dallas' First Baptist ready to kick off $35 million campus expansion". Dallas News. January 17, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "How First Baptist's Robert Jeffress Ordained Himself to Lead America". D Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "First Baptist Church". GPSI. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Michels, Patrick (October 30, 2010). "From Church to Dust, First Baptist Implosion Makes Room for Shiny New Home Downtown". Dallas Observer. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "First Baptist Church Dallas launches $130 million building project". Baptist Standard. November 3, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Freeman, Curtis (2007). ""Never Had I Been So Blind": W. A. Criswell's "Change" on Racial Segregation" (PDF). Journal of Southern Religion. 10: 1–12. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Francis (2020). The Evangelicals. Simon & Schuster. p. 243.
- ^ Leonard, Bill J. (1990). God's Last and Only Hope. University of Michigan Press. p. 22.
- ISBN 0-8499-0843-4.
- ^ Steve Scott and Enrique Rangel (October 3, 1992). "PASTOR SUDDENLY RESIGNS AT LARGEST U.S. BAPTIST CHURCH". orlandosentinel.com. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ Somerville, Frank P. L. (October 23, 1994). "A pastor is led into temptation by the allure of a megachurch". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Staff, Adelle M. Banks of The Sentinel (October 1, 1994). "EX-PASTOR RAISES QUESTION ABOUT MEGACHURCHES' FUTURE". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Hirsley, Mike (September 23, 1994). "WHY TEXAS PASTOR QUIT HIS DREAM JOB". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "The rise and fall and rise again of Joel Gregory". Baptist Standard. September 19, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Julieta Chiquillo, Who is Robert Jeffress? A guide to the Dallas pastor's controversies, dallasnews.com, USA, Jun 7, 2018
- ^ Stoyan Zaimov, Pastor Robert Jeffress 'Open to Possibility' That Sexual Orientation Has Genetic Basis, christianpost.com, USA, February 01, 2013
- ^ Sam Hodges, About 100 protest at First Baptist Dallas over `Why gay is not OK' sermon, dallasnews.com, USA, November 9, 2008
- ^ Jillian Rayfield (September 7, 2010). "Dallas Pastor Defends Claim That Islam 'Promotes Pedophilia'". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- ^ "December 7, 2010 Podcaset". Christian News Weekly. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "First Baptist's Robert Jeffress to Publicly Shame Stores That Don't Celebrate Christmas". Dallas Observer blogs. December 7, 2010. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "Jeffress 'Says Satan Is Behind Roman Catholicism". Right Wing Watch. October 8, 2011.
- ^ Karen Brooks and Peter Bohan (October 9, 2011). "Texas pastor stands ground on "cult" comment about Mormons". Reuters. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
- ^ Gryboski, Michael (November 8, 2012). "Texas Megachurch Pastor Says Obama Will 'Pave Way' for Antichrist". The Christian Post. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ^ Stoyan Zaimov, Pastor Robert Jeffress 'Disrespectful' to Victims of Holocaust by Comparing 'Marginalization' of Christians in the US to Jews Under Nazi Germany, Rabbi Claims, christianpost.com, USA, June 15, 2015
- ^ Sam Hodges (December 29, 2008). "Billy Graham moves membership from First Baptist Dallas". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ Bobby Ross Jr., Billy Graham never lived in Texas but belonged to a Dallas church for 54 years, religionnews.com, USA, February 21, 2018
- George Jackson, Sixty Years in Texas, 1908, pp. 247–248
- H. Leon McBeth, The First Baptist Church of Dallas: Centennial History (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1968)