This building was originally the First Baptist Church of Boyd.  The original sanctuary area was built around 1897.  The building has been added onto over the last century to become the size it is today. 

 The original pews remain in the sanctuary.  They were purchased in 1930 by the ladies of the church. 

 We purchase the building and land in early 2004 and began the year long process of restoring it to its original looks as much as possible.  We were able to use much of the existing materials to do our updates.  Much of the building was in bad repair.  We had to replace all the windows and were able to add the stain glass windows in the sanctuary. 

 Three new bathrooms had to be added, so we had to remove the baptistery.  The painting hanging on the east wall of the sanctuary was behind the baptistery.  It was painted in 1948 and has been part of the church ever since. 

 The original bead-board ceiling was in such bad repair that we had to use paneling to cover the holes and seal the cracks. 

 The fellowship hall has been converted to the reception area.  The southwest corner of the room was the kitchen area for the fellowship.  We removed it to allow for more space for receptions and meetings.  The pine paneling was saved and refinished to look like the original. 

 We updated the facility by adding handicap facilities including bathrooms and entrance ramps. 

 *This appeared in the church bulletin dated October 6, 1985

 History of

First Baptist Church

Boyd, Texas

Approximately 75 charter members helped organize the First Baptist Church of Boyd, Texas in 1897.  Public school buildings served as a meeting place until the present structure was erected.  The present sanctuary is the original building with a baptistery, Sunday School rooms and a fellowship hall being added later.  In the earlier days of the church it served only as a ‘part-time’ church.  Later becoming a ‘full time’ church. Holding Sunday School, morning and evening services on Sunday with mid-week service on Wednesday evenings.

 First recorded minutes for the church are dated 1907 with several men serving as pastor.  These men were, Dr. J.L. Ward, W.C. Carver, W.R. Triplett, J.W. Jent, W.W. Nesmith, Roy Kemp, Homer G. Lindsey, G.C. Hicks, R.E. Cook, J.W. Langham, D.E. Acker, Walter, C. Stephens, Earl Ashley, Eugene Prevo, Ralph Stoval, Dewayne Finley, Jerry Wilkins, Jimmy Tidwell, Eldred Hill and John E. Culwell.

 In March of 1984 Brother John was called to pastor the church.   Later that year on a very hot day in August John was ordained.  That day may have very well been the hottest day of the year with the temperature reaching 113 degrees on the bank clock.  To make the day even more memorable the air conditioning in the church quit working.  This is also about the same time the Lord gave several members a vision to restore the church!

 Membership at First Baptist had dwindled to about 12 in Sunday School when Brother John and his family came to serve and today has grown to approximately 90 and over 80 persons have been added to the church role as members.

 In January 1985 the church body voted to begin restoration on the sanctuary, which is now complete, and children’s building.  Through the labors of many dedicated and faithful servants who really sacrificed.  The results are apparent here today.

 This is not the end of the story because it goes on!  Plans are still being formulated to completely restore the church property.  Next will come the fellowship hall, the adult classes, the parsonage and the outside of the church. 

 Our Prayer is: “As we work for the Lord, you will want to be a part of ‘The Miracle of First Baptist Church Boyd, Texas’. Pray with us, serve with us and worship with us.  Amen”.