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***This article serves as a foundational, macro-level overview of the history of First Baptist Church-Edna. In order to eventually accumulate a more exhaustive record of FBC-Edna, it is the prayer of the author to devote more analysis into the history of this local church in the future. As such, the content of this article is subject to correction and expansion as more research is conducted on the history of FBC-Edna

Growing up, the study of history was one of my least favorite subjects in school. I used to complain with my friends about having to study and memorize details pertaining to people and events that happened long before I was born. One of the recurring complaints that I used to make with my classmates about history often went along these lines: “what difference will learning about history make for the rest of my life? Isn’t this all just a waste of time?”

When these complaints would be raised to our public school history teachers, they would often dismiss the question and tell us to “just deal with it.” Some would argue that the purpose for studying history was to satisfy state educational requirements, and that the study of history was simply “a necessary part” of public school education. In other words, from this point of view, studying history isn’t really going to matter in the grand scheme of one’s life; it’s just a “necessary part” of receiving an education. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I was a student at The Master’s University that I was given the most compelling reason for studying history.

We should study history because God is the God of history. This reality is seen in that over 50% of the Bible is recorded as ‘historical narrative.’ History is the context in which God is accomplishing the purposes He established from before the foundation of the world. Therefore, to study history is to study God’s story. To study history is to learn how God has worked in the past, so we can be equipped for faithful stewardship in the present, as we trust God with every detail that is to be worked out in the future.[1]

How’s that for an explanation as to why we should study history? When we recognize the God-centeredness of history, it completely changes our perspective on the subject. History is important to study because God is the author, sustainer, and finisher of history. Therefore, we would do well to devote ourselves to carefully studying this subject lest we prove the validity of the ancient maxim, “those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it.”

When considering the local church where I serve as the Pastor of Youth, Education, and Discipleship, there has yet to be a macrolevel study on its historical origins and beliefs. Therefore, this article is an attempt to fill the void, and highlight the richness of history that undergirds just one of the many rural Baptist churches that can be found in America. To accomplish this objective, the remainder of this publication is going to be compartmentalized into four sections. Section one will consider the historical origins of Baptist churches in America. Section two will explore how the historical origins of First Baptist Church-Edna (FBC-Edna) intersects with the broader history of Baptist church life in America. Section three will survey the 135 year historical record of FBC-Edna, and section four will examine FBC-Edna’s historical beliefs.

Before progressing through each of these sections, I want to say a few words about the research assistance I received in composing this essay, and about the limitations that are associated with a study of this nature. First and foremost, I am greatly indebted to the research contributions that were made by Samantha Ferguson. Samantha is a member of the FBC-Edna Youth Committee, and she is one of the most active members in the life of our church. This study could not have been done without her research assistance, thoughtful editing contributions to this manuscript, and her knowledge of relevant sources to consult for historical information. Nevertheless, any historical errors or oversights that are stated in this lesson are to be attributed to me alone.

I also want to express public appreciation to Jake Whitley, a former church member of FBC-Edna and current pastor at River of Grace Bible Church in Baggs, Wyoming. By God’s grace, FBC-Edna was able to help support Jake through his studies at The Master’s Seminary and it was during Jake’s time as a student that he began to express interest in the history of my local church. In 2021, Jake sent me some resources that have proved immensely useful to this project, and it would be a disservice to him if I did not give credit where credit is due. I have been deeply grateful for Jake’s friendship over the past two years, and as I said in reference to Samantha, any historical errors or oversights that are stated in this paper are to be attributed to me alone.

Having expressed my deepest appreciation for Jake and Samantha’s researching aid, there are also some inherent limitations that I want to acknowledge about the nature of this project-

The first limitation deals with the intended scope of this lesson. In the final analysis, it is impossible to fit everything that could ever be said about the history of FBC-Edna into a single blog. Thus, this report is merely an attempt to provide a big picture overview of where FBC-Edna has come from, and of what FBC-Edna has believed as a congregation in previous generations. As such, this article deals with information that anybody can have access to, and it is intended to lay the groundwork for those who wish to go deeper than what will be discussed herein.

The second limitation of this project deals with the readability of the FBC-Edna church conference meeting minutes. Since the FBC-Edna church conference meeting minutes were not typed until 1990, the ability to become better acquainted with the history of FBC-Edna greatly depends on one’s ability to interpret church conference meeting minutes that were handwritten in previous decades. To be sure, there are some church conference meeting minutes that are easy to read. However, the vast majority of pre-1990 church conference meeting minutes that are on file are very hard to read (they are written in cursive and appear to employ shorthand at times). It would take a very long time, and a person who is exceptionally skilled at reading handwritten documents, for somebody to make their way through the totality of the FBC-Edna church conference meeting minutes archive. Therefore, this is an inherent limitation to the research that has been conducted for this report.

The third limitation of this lesson deals with the inherent time constraints associated with a project of this nature. In order to compile the most robust and thorough historical record of FBC-Edna, it would take several years of devoted research by a team of skilled historians. This paper has not been penned after several years of investigation, and I am certainly not a “professional historian” by any means. Therefore, this lesson should not be regarded as the final word that could ever be said about the history of FBC-Edna. Yet insofar it is written, this essay portrays a faithful summary of the origins and development of my local church. In the future, perhaps myself or somebody else can take what is presented in this survey and build off it to produce an exhaustive account of the history of FBC-Edna.

An Introduction to Baptist Churches in America

In their seminal work, The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement, Anthony L. Chute, Nathan A. Finn, and Michael A. G. Haykin provide us with a helpful summary of how Baptist theology, piety, and practice initially got to America-

Baptists are children of the Puritans, a movement with roots stretching back to the European Reformation in the sixteenth century… In the 1580’s and 1590’s, some of the more radical-minded Puritans, despairing of reformation within the Church of England, began to separate from the state church and organize what historians call ‘Separatist congregations’… In an effort to curb the growth of Separatists, a law was passed in April 1593 requiring everyone over the age of sixteen to attend the church of their local parish, which comprised all who lived within a certain geographic boundary. Failure to do so for      an entire month meant imprisonment. If, three months following an individual’s release from prison, he still refused to conform, the person was to be given a choice of exile or death… [The context of persecution for ‘Separatist beliefs’ would eventually lead] to  John Robinson and about 100 other [Separatists] relocating to Leiden. From Leiden, Robinson’s congregation, who became known as the Pilgrims, eventually sailed to America on board the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth in southeastern Massachusetts in 1620.[2]

By 1620, Separatists from the Church of England are residing in America, and it is these figures who would create a context in which being a Baptist was even deemed a legal possibility. Whereas being a Christian in England meant belonging to a state church, being a Christian in America would eventually mean having the freedom to belong to a church that was not under the direct authority and supervision of the state. In the “New World,” the privilege of having religious liberty paved the way for the founding of the first Baptist churches on American soil. This observation is further echoed in Bill J. Leonard’s volume, Baptists in America.

It was in Providence, Rhode Island, probably in 1638, that [Roger] Williams and others founded the first Baptist church in America. Soon afterward, another Baptist congregation was begun at Newport, Rhode Island, under the leadership of Dr. John Clarke. Clarke was instrumental in founding the Newport colony, organizing a Baptist church there, and securing a charter from the English crown in 1663.[3]

Leonard goes on to note that Baptist ideas eventually began to spread to the other sections of New England, and by the end of the 17^th century, Baptist churches would also be founded in the southern parts of the “New World.” We know this to be true as early as 1696, because it was during that year in which the First Baptist Church of Charleston, South Carolina was established in the south (having been originally founded in Kittery, Maine in the year 1682).[4] Thus, by the start of the eighteenth century, Baptist churches were beginning to populate the newly discovered American territories. When considered broadly, the Baptist churches of this era could be identified in one of two ways: (1) there were congregations that identified as “General Baptist” churches and (2) there were congregations that identified as “Particular Baptist” churches. As noted in The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement, both of these classifications of Baptist churches would have shared likemindedness on at least seven key distinctives.[5]

1. A recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ over every dimension of faith and practice.
2. Local church membership reserved for those who have made a credible profession of faith, and who have been baptized by immersion.
3. Church members are united by an agreed upon doctrinal statement.
4. Church discipline is utilized as a means of safeguarding the orthodoxy and orthopraxy of the local church.
5. The local church understood as Christ-ruled, Elder-led, Deacon-served, and Congregationally-governed.
6. Local churches understood as autonomous assemblies, but cooperative in likeminded missional endeavors.
7. The Church and State understood as separate entities, with distinct God-ordained purposes.

These were specific, historically observable similarities that can be seen when comparing General and Particular Baptist congregations in eighteenth-century America. Having acknowledged these areas of similarity, the question now becomes, “what was the dividing line between General Baptists and Particular Baptists?” While there is much debate regarding the finer nuances of the theological differences between General and Particular Baptists, the primary issue of debate had to do with the nature of Christ’s atonement.[6] Namely, was Jesus Christ’s substitutionary atonement at the cross “general?” Did Christ die to atone for the sins of every person who would ever live until the end of human history? Or, was Jesus Christ’s substitutionary atonement at the cross “particular?” Did Christ die to atone for the sins of every person who would ever believe until the end of human history? General Baptists believed that Christ died for every person who would ever live; Particular Baptists believed that Christ’s death was exclusively for God’s elect. While both of these categories of churches would remain present as Baptists grew in number throughout America, the testimony of history reveals that it was the Particular Baptist churches that experienced the greatest flourishing.

In a 1793 survey conducted by Baptist historian John Asplund, it was estimated that there were 1,032 Baptist churches in America. And of those 1,032 Baptist churches, 956 of them were Particular Baptist congregations.[7] Stated differently, nearly 93% of Baptist churches in America self-identified as “Particular Baptist” at the turn of the nineteenth century. This statistic demonstrates that the historic roots of American Baptist theology are predominantly encapsulated in the Particular Baptist tradition. It is against this historical backdrop that we can now turn our attention to observing how the historical origins of FBC-Edna intersected with the American Baptist church life of that generation; a church life that was overwhelmingly Particular Baptist in nature.

The Intersection of Baptist Church Life in America and the Origins of First Baptist Church-Edna

How do the historical origins of FBC-Edna intersect with the broader history of Baptist church life in America? This question is impossible to answer without first understanding the life and ministry of Z.N. Morrell. There are few figures from nineteenth-century Baptist history, particularly in the state of Texas, that are as important to Baptistic denominational development than Z.N. Morrell. If you start with Morrell, you have a clear path to tracing the eventual founding of FBC-Edna in the late nineteenth century. So, who was Z.N. Morrell? The Texas State Historical Association provides a penetrating biographical sketch of this colossal, nineteenth century Texas Baptist.

Z.N. Morrell, commonly known as ‘Wildcat Morrell,’ was born on January 17, 1803 in    South Carolina. His family moved to Tennessee when he was 13, and despite never    receiving a formal education, Morrell would become a Baptist minister at the age of 18. It was also at the age of 18 when Morrell would marry Clearacy Hayes on August 23, 1821. The couple would go on to have 4 children together, and would be married for 22 years before Clearacy’s untimely death in 1843. Between the years 1821 and 1843, Morrell would experience a very busy life and ministry. He would preach throughout Tennessee for a period of 14 years before moving to Mississippi in 1835. This move was precipitated by Morrell’s continual struggle with lung problems, and the counsel he received from doctors to move to the southern part of America (where the climate was warmer and more humid). Upon arriving to Yalobusha County, Mississippi in 1835, Morrell would be involved in the founding of 3 Baptist churches before ultimately choosing to move his family to Texas in 1836. His family would eventually settle in Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1837, and it was in 1837 when Morrell would co-found one of the first Baptist churches in Texas. He would continue to balance service in various ministry capacities for the next 5 years alongside efforts to defend the new Republic of Texas from Indians and the Mexican Army. After his wife passed away in 1843, Morrell would marry Delia Harlan on October 27, 1845. For the next 15 years, Morrell would devote even more effort to his ministry endeavors throughout the state of Texas. He would be integral in the raising of funds for Baylor University, and would oversee several domestic missions under the appointment of the Southern Baptist Convention. Part of Morrell’s domestic missions’ responsibilities included monthly trips from Cameron to Corsicana, a 300 mile roundtrip that he would complete on a monthly basis via horseback. In addition to these missionary obligations, Morrell was also devoted to the health of local churches throughout south Texas. On top of his role in co-founding the Union Baptist Association in 1840, Morrell would also serve as the co-founder of many Baptist churches and local associations between 1845 and 1860. The founding of the Colorado Baptist Association (1847), the Trinity River Association (1848), the Leon River Association (1858), and the Waco Association (1860) can all be tied to the direct influence of Z.N. Morrell. Moreover, standing in line with his Particular Baptist    forefathers, Morrell modeled an unwavering commitment to sound doctrine. Morrell was zealous to ensure that every church partnering with the associations he founded adhered to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith.[8] Unfortunately, Morrell was not equally as zealous about investing in his marriage to his second wife. After 15 years of being largely absent from home, Morrell’s second wife divorced him in 1860. He would spend the remainder of his life battling health problems as a single man, but never grew    weary in his commitment to advancing Baptist theology, piety, and practice in Texas. Until his death on December 19, 1883, Morrell would serve as a major contributor to the Texas Baptist Herald, providing a Baptist perspective on a number of theological,             pastoral, and missionary related issues. Perhaps the most notable surviving work from  Z.N. Morrell is his record of Baptist history in Texas. The work was published in 1872 and is titled, Flowers and Fruits from the Wilderness, or Forty-Six Years in Texas and   Two Winters in Honduras.”[9] 

While he was certainly far from perfect, Morrell was a man that God used in mighty ways to establish a Baptist presence in Texas throughout the nineteenth century. As noted in his biographical sketch, Morrell was one of the co-founders of the Colorado Baptist Association in 1847. According to the Historical Report of the Colorado Baptist Association, the first moderator that was installed under the supervision of Morrell was Richard Ellis.[10] Ellis was originally from Virginia but came to Texas with his family in 1837. By his own admission, Ellis initially came to Texas in an effort to run away from God’s call upon his life to preach.[11] Nevertheless, after much persuasion and support from others, Ellis would surrender to God’s calling upon his life and be ordained at Plum Grove Church-Fayetteville in 1842.[12] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association encapsulates Morrell’s testimony about the extraordinary character of Richard Ellis.

Ellis was a man of strong mind… his words were always acceptable, and his speech of great power. Zealous in the great cause he espoused, he devoted to it all the energies of is manhood; and in the pulpit, every movement of his body, flash of his eye, and utterance of his tongue, revealed the soul of earnestness.[13]

In light of Morrell’s lofty opinion about Richard Ellis, it should come as no surprise that he was installed as the first moderator of the Colorado Baptist Association. As moderator, Ellis would have been tasked with overseeing the doctrinal distinctives and missional endeavors of the churches partnering with the Colorado Baptist Association. This would have included ensuring that all partnering churches subscribed to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, carried out the Great Commission mandate in a way that was distinctly Baptistic, and that the founding of new churches within the Colorado Baptist Association would likewise come to model such distinctives. Within just six years of Ellis’ appointment as moderator of the Colorado Baptist Association, the first Baptist church was founded in Jackson County.[14] The name of that church was Enon Baptist Church, and by virtue of its location being west of the Colorado River, this church would have been a partnering church in the Colorado Baptist Association.[15]

Although we don’t know many details about who pastored Enon Baptist Church from 1853 to 1855, it is evident that in 1856, a man by the name of Joseph I. Loudermilk would move to Jackson County and become the Pastor of Enon Baptist Church until his death in 1880.[16] Within seven years after the death of Joseph I. Loudermilk, Enon Baptist Church would go on to plant the First Baptist Church of Edna on March 23, 1887. And to what association would FBC-Edna initially belong to? According to the 2008 edition of The Cavalcade of Jackson County, FBC-Edna was founded as a partnering church in the Colorado Baptist Association.[17] As such, like the church from which it originated, FBC-Edna subscribed to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith and was held accountable to modeling the same missional commitments that were rooted in Morrell’s co-founding of the Colorado Baptist Association. Do you see the historical intersection between FBC-Edna and broader Baptistic life in eighteenth and nineteenth-century America?

• In the closing decades of the eighteenth century, Baptist church life in America was predominantly filled with “Particular Baptist” congregations.
• Z.N. Morrell was born into that context at the turn of the nineteenth century and would go on to champion a Particular Baptist theology, piety, and practice for nearly 60 years of vocational ministry.
• Upon co-founding the Colorado Baptist Association in 1847, Z.N. Morrell oversaw the installment of Richard Ellis as it’s moderator. Ellis’ installment allowed for Morrell’s theological and missional convictions to be established as the culture of the Colorado Baptist Association.
• Under the supervision of the Colorado Baptist Association, Enon Baptist Church was planted within six years of Ellis’ installment as the association’s moderator. As such, Enon Baptist Church would have been required to subscribe to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith and embrace the shared missional commitments of the Colorado Baptist Association (all of which were originally championed by Z.N. Morrell).
• In 1887, roughly 34 years after the planting of Enon Baptist Church, the First Baptist Church of Edna was planted by Enon Baptist Church. Like Enon Baptist Church, FBC-Edna would become a partnering church with the Colorado Baptist Association.

This is the eighteenth century and nineteenth-century intersection between the broader history of Baptist church life in America, and the historical origins of FBC-Edna. It is against the backdrop of this intersection that we can effectively transition into a survey of FBC-Edna’s 135-year history.

The Historical Record of First Baptist Church-Edna

Before getting too far into FBC-Edna’s history, it is necessary to begin by mentioning that this congregation has not always been named, “First Baptist Church-Edna.” When the church was founded in 1887, the church was named “The Edna Baptist Church.”[18] In 1913, the name of the church was changed to “Edna Missionary Baptist Church of Christ” by Pastor J.H. Hardy.[19] Although an exact date cannot be verified, the church’s name was eventually changed back to its original name after J.H. Hardy’s pastoral tenure.[20] Ultimately, in 1946, the name of the church was changed to “First Baptist Church of Edna,” and this has been the official name ever since.[21] Regardless of whatever name is used, the witness of the past 135 years indicates that this local church has a rich history to be told.

As noted in the 2008 edition of The Cavalcade of Jackson County, the town of Edna was established in 1882 due to a desire to be in close proximity to the railroad system.[22] Because of its proximity to the railroad, Edna would soon become the center of commercial and residential life in nineteenth century Jackson County. What’s more, in light of Edna’s surging population growth, the congregation of Enon Baptist Church soon recognized that it had a responsibility to be a witnessing presence in the newly founded town. Therefore, beginning in 1884, the pastor of Enon Baptist Church began to preach in Edna on the fourth Sunday night of each month.[23] It would be an understatement to say that these outreach efforts were not only effective in the community of Edna, but in the long run, planting a church in Edna was the wisest decision for the survival of a Baptist congregation in Jackson County. By 1890, Enon Baptist Church would cease to exist, and self-identifying Baptists in Jackson County would begin to attend FBC-Edna in droves.[24] Yet, despite the eventual flourishing that FBC-Edna would enjoy into the early twentieth century, the church’s humble origins must not be ignored or overlooked.

In 1887, just three years after beginning outreach efforts in Edna, the First Baptist Church of Edna was planted by six charter members of Enon Baptist Church. The names of the four charter members that we know of are listed in the 2008 edition of The Cavalcade of Jackson County[25]: (1) J.N. Pumphrey (who would serve as the first Deacon of FBC-Edna); (2) Dr. Baylor; (3) Mr. Sellers (who would serve as the first church clerk of FBC-Edna); (4) Mrs. Walter Garrett. In addition to the charter members, Reverend D.S. Snodgrass and Reverend B.F. Miller oversaw the initial organization of FBC-Edna. It’s interesting to note that prior to his work in overseeing the planting of FBC-Edna, Reverend Miller served as the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church-Hallettsville from 1886 to 1891.[26] Another thought-provoking nugget of historical evidence pertains to the mentioning of a “Dr. Baylor” in the formation of the Edna Presbyterian Church in 1855.[27] FBC-Edna was organized in the Edna Presbyterian Church, and would initially hold worship services in a house not far from the location of the Edna Presbyterian Church.[28] Is it possible that the same Dr. Baylor involved in the founding of the Edna Presbyterian Church eventually became a Southern Baptist? This would certainly be an intriguing story for somebody to explore at greater length.

To the present day, one of the clearest surviving accounts of FBC-Edna’s founding was recorded in the April 20, 1887 edition of the Texas Baptist Herald. It is remarkable to behold that even in the earliest endeavors of FBC-Edna, God was at work in the midst of the congregation.  

Elders B.F. Miller of Hallettsville, and D.S. Snodgrass, missionary pastor at Edna, met     the Baptists of that place, who had letters of dismission from the Enon Church, in the Presbyterian house of worship, Saturday, March 26. Elder Miller acted as secretary of the Presbytery and read the letters, articles of faith, and church covenant, which were adopted. The church was declared duly organized, the hand of recognition extended by the presbytery and the members of Enon church present. Prayer by Elder Miller. On Sunday at 11 a.m., Elder Miller preached a stirring sermon on ‘The Love of Christ’ and took a collection for associational missions amounting to $6.05. Services were held at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., and continued through the week, by Dr. F. Kiefer and the pastor to the edification and strengthening of the church, and the benefit of the whole community. Brother Kiefer displayed the most remarkable ability to explain the great salvation and vindicate the divine origins of the Bible, and to urge the claims of Jesus to universal acceptation. His sermons on experimental religion—the power of faith—and the necessity of the great spiritual change, and the ability of Jesus to save, were clear, scriptural, forcible, and attended by the convincing power of the spirit, causing a deep solemnity and a mighty heart searching among professors and unbelievers. A genuine spirit of revival had just begun to work when the services had to close, leaving several earnest inquirers for the way of life, up for prayers. Long will the eight members of the church, and the attending brethren from Enon, and the good people of Edna, who hospitably and cordially entertained us, cherish the memory of Brother Kiefer’s earnest, affectionate, and able appeals, and clear presentations of divine truth. Indeed, his visit to Edna marked an era in its spiritual interests that will ever be remembered with gratitude   to God.[29]

Within seven years after its remarkable founding, FBC-Edna would go on to purchase property on Cottonwood Street and build its first permanent building (the cost of the land purchase was $50.00).[30] Upon its completion, the first building was dedicated to J.M. Carroll on June 17, 1894.[31] Another interesting point of information on this subject pertains to the involvement of Mr. W.N. Marvin in donating land to both the Edna Baptist Church and the Edna Presbyterian Church. According to the history of Edna Presbyterian Church made available online,[32] the 2008 edition of The Cavalcade of Jackson County,[33] and The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, Mr. Marvin donated land to both congregations.[34] It would certainly be a worthwhile study to further develop Mr. Marvin’s connection to both of those churches.

In any case, while there has been several building projects devoted to the facility where FBC-Edna gathers for worship, the congregation has been assembling at its current location for the past 128 years. The presence of FBC-Edna at the corner of Cottonwood Street has also nurtured the building and remodeling of several parsonages that are adjacent to the church building. In addition to the development of the parsonages located on the grounds of FBC-Edna, the parsonage located on Brodie Street would be built in 1974 and the current Student Ministries Building was built in 1978.[35] By God’s grace, the Student Ministries Building has been used for the purpose of discipling youth and hosting community outreach events for the past 44 years. It’s remarkable to see what the Lord can do once a church establishes firm roots in a community for over a century.

After reaching the milestone of obtaining a permanent location for corporate worship in 1893, FBC-Edna would go on to incorporate several ministries within the life of the church.[36] R.T. Baylor organized the church’s Sunday school program in 1894, and in 1898, the Ladies Auxiliary ministry was organized within FBC-Edna. This ministry would later come to be known as the “Women’s Missionary Union,” or W.M.U.[37] Both of these ministries have maintained an active presence in FBC-Edna to the present day. Moreover, from the moment of its inception, FBC-Edna would be immensely involved with the missional endeavors of the Colorado Baptist Association until a territorial adjustment led to their joining the Guadalupe Baptist Association in 1920.[38] To this day, FBC-Edna continues to partner with the Guadalupe Baptist Association’s domestic and international missionary endeavors. This is a historical observation that should elicit praise to the triune God!

In surveying the historical record of FBC-Edna, it’s also important to take note of who God has led to shepherd this local church. From 1887 to 2022, there have been a myriad of men who have served in the role of Senior Pastor. The following list represents the chronology of Senior Pastors who have served at FBC-Edna, as recorded in the 2008 edition of The Cavalcade of Jackson County[39]–

• D.S. Snodgrass (1891)
• T.R. Coble (1891-1892)
• M.M. Wadsworth (1892-1893)
• A.S. Poindexter (1893-1895)
• R.P. Devant (1895-1899)
• B.H. Mitchell (1899-1901)
• T.R. Leggett (1901-1906)
• C.A. Earl (1906-1908)
• T.O. Sallee (1908-1911)
• W.F. Cobbs (1911-1913)
• J.H. Hardy (1913-1915)
• A.P. Smith (1916-1917)
• J.W. Storms (1917-1919)
• W.J. Downing (1920-1921)
• D.P. Airhart (1922-1923)
• B.B. Broome (1924-1925)
• W.E. Perritt (1925-1927)
• M.C. Moore (1928-1931)
• L.E. Barrett (1931-1947)
• R.F. Royal (Interim)
• Carl J. Scholmach (1948-1955)
• W.L. Wootan (1956-1960)
• J.L. Moore (1961-1962)
• James Franklin (1963-1965)
• Joe Webb (1966-1993)
• Bob Elliott (Interim)
• Jim Gilbert (1993-2001)
• J.V. Helms (Interim)
• Danny Reeves (2003-2010)
• J.V. Helms (Interim)
• Robert Krause (2011-Present)

In the 135-year history of FBC-Edna, the average tenure of the Senior Pastor comes out to be approximately four years. Although this average might come as a shock to some, part of the reason for this low of a tenure is due to the context in which FBC-Edna was planted in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association provides us with clarifying insight into what that specific context looked like-

It was not easy to find and keep a pastor in the early years of [FBC-Edna]. Only in 1925   was full-time preaching begun. The church often shared a pastor with Red Bluff or Lolita        for half-time preaching. At the very beginning of the church, preaching seems to have      been on only one Sunday a month. Raising money for the pastor’s salary, or other items,    was not easy. Often the salary was only $300 a year, and could not be raised. In 1908 the       church asked for help with the pastor’s salary from the State Mission Board, but when      J.B. Gambrell’s questioning reply was taken as being in the wrong spirit, the church  determined to ‘do the best she could alone.’ In 1907 the church was offered two years of    insurance for $37.50, with a discount of $7.50. A committee was appointed to raise the     needed $30.00. After five months the committee reported it had raised only $20.00, and only one year’s insurance could be bought. Financial needs were usually addressed             individually, a committee being appointed to raise funds for each need. It was only in 1922 that a unified budget was adopted that led gradually to a more satisfactory method of supporting the church through consistent giving of tithes and offerings by church members.[40]

As evidenced from the aforementioned excerpt, FBC-Edna was planted in an exceedingly poor context. When you couple this reality with the fact that pastors were splitting time preaching at various local churches, it should come as no surprise that FBC-Edna had a difficult time keeping their Senior Pastor employed for any extended period of time until roughly 60 years after its inception. Furthermore, as noted in the 2008 edition of The Cavalcade of Jackson County, there was significant turnover in the role of Senior Pastor from 1955-1966.[41] During this time span, a group from the congregation of FBC-Edna left the church and formed Baptist Temple-Edna in 1955.[42] After reading through the Baptist Temple-Edna business meeting minutes from 1955 and 1956, there is no objective indication as to what caused the church split. However, on April 26, 1955, the Baptist Temple business meeting minutes do provide a clue into at least one of the concerns expressed by those who formed this new congregation.

The Chairman [of the business meeting] stated that we wanted this new [church] to be a   true democracy; no one man, nor group of persons ruling, but all the people having a voice in all matters.[43]

Aside from the excerpt cited above, and due to the scrawled handwriting of the FBC-Edna church conference meeting minutes for the majority of years prior to 1990, I have not been able to acquire any additional information as to what caused the church split to occur. This is an unfortunate limitation to this project, and I am disappointed that this matter remains an unresolved mystery (for now).[44] Nevertheless, it is not until 1966 in which FBC-Edna began to really experience consistency in the role of Senior Pastor. Aside from the men who served in the role of Interim Pastor, each Senior Pastor from 1966 to the present date served in their role for at least seven years; two of which served longer than a decade. One can only pray that God will enable FBC-Edna to continue to enjoy consistency in the role of Senior Pastor for many years to come!

Given that there is so much more that could be said and discovered about the 135-year history of FBC-Edna, one final quote from The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association will suffice to draw this section of the article to a close.

It is impossible in this brief account to detail all the significant events in the history of the Edna Baptist Church. A summary of matters of concern through the years would include finding a pastor, exercising church discipline, raising funds, receiving members,  conducting evangelistic meetings, and providing for buildings in which to worship and study the Bible… Today the First Baptist Church of Edna moves forward in its proud history. Its members are proud of the past years, but they believe the best days of ministry are yet ahead. FBC-Edna’s stated purpose is to proclaim God’s greatness, present the Gospel, promote spiritual growth, and provide ministry for all people in Jesus’ name![45]

May the members of First Baptist Church-Edna be found faithful in living out its stated purpose for however long God gives them the opportunity to do so as a local church!

The Historical Theology of First Baptist Church-Edna

The history of FBC-Edna’s theological commitments is rooted in the associational commitments enjoyed by the congregation from its inception. As previously noted in this essay, FBC-Edna was planted as a partnering church in the Colorado Baptist Association. By virtue of this partnership, FBC-Edna would have been required to subscribe to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith and adhere to the missional convictions that were espoused by the Colorado Baptist Association. Furthermore, when FBC-Edna joined the Guadalupe Baptist Association, there is attesting evidence that this local association likewise adhered to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith. For example, in the FBC-Edna church office, there is an old book titled, Convention Church Record.[46] In that book originally published by the Baptist Sunday School Board, now known as Lifeway, there is a handwritten record of some of the earliest members of FBC-Edna. This ledger contained in the Convention Church Record includes the admission of church members to the roll of FBC-Edna during the 1910’s and 1920’s, which overlaps with FBC-Edna’s membership in the Colorado Baptist Association and the Guadalupe Baptist Association. The significance of this artifact is accentuated by the “Declaration of Faith” that is contained at the outset of the book. What is the substance of that “Declaration of Faith” found at the outset of the Convention Church Record? The New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith.

Furthermore, there is additional evidence that FBC-Edna held to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith based on what can be seen in the 1921 Guadalupe Baptist Association annual meeting minutes. During that annual meeting, which was hosted on the grounds of FBC-Edna, it was recommended in the association’s Sunday school report that “all our Sunday schools adopt the Standard of Excellence for Baptist Sunday Schools, as offered by the Baptist Sunday School Board.”[47] What was one of the publications that would have been widely circulated throughout the Southern Baptist Convention by the Baptist Sunday School in the 1920’s? The Convention Church Record, which contained the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith as the “Declaration of Faith” in the opening pages therein. Therefore, between 1887 and 1921, there is substantial evidence to show that FBC-Edna subscribed to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith during its partnership with the Colorado Baptist Association and the Guadalupe Baptist Association respectively.

FBC-Edna’s embracing of this doctrinal statement fits nicely with the historical insights offered by Tom Nettles regarding the relationship between the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, and the Southern Baptist milieu of the nineteenth/twentieth century. On the one hand, Nettles persuasively argues that the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith was overwhelmingly embraced throughout Southern Baptist Churches in the second half of the nineteenth century.[48] On the other hand, Nettles demonstrates how the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith would lay the groundwork for what would eventually become the confessional standard throughout the Southern Baptist Convention in the twentieth and twenty first centuries. Namely, the Baptist Faith and Message.[49] These observations solidify the objective grounds for recognizing FBC-Edna’s subscription to the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith for at least the first 35 years of its history.

Unfortunately, due to the largely illegible church conference meeting minutes prior to 1990, it is hard to determine if, or when, FBC-Edna ever formally adopted a different doctrinal statement. Up to this point in the research that has been invested into the history of FBC-Edna, I have not been able to find any objective evidence of FBC-Edna embracing a doctrinal statement other than the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith until 2013.[50] It is certainly possible that details about later doctrinal statement changes are found in the handwritten church conference meeting minutes, and I wholeheartedly welcome the discovery of such evidence. However, if such evidence exists, it will require a skilled reader of handwritten documents and the investment of a considerable amount of time.

What’s more, it appears that partnership in the Guadalupe Baptist Association no longer requires a local church’s espousing of the same doctrinal statement as the association. As it presently stands, the Guadalupe Baptist Association affirms the 2000 edition of the Baptist Faith and Message, whereas FBC-Edna does not.[51] Despite an effort to adopt the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 in 2021, FBC-Edna reaffirmed its commitment to the doctrinal statement that was adopted in 2013 during the May 23, 2021 church conference.[52] As previously indicated, despite affirming some of the core tenets of Baptist theology, FBC-Edna’s 2013 doctrinal statement is not any of the editions of the Baptist Faith and Message, nor is it the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith. Rather, it is a doctrinal statement that is not compatible with either of those documents in several key areas. Even so, FBC-Edna is still able to partner with the Guadalupe Baptist Association without any issues. This is an observation that demonstrates how the dynamics of a local church’s ability to partner with a local Baptist association has changed remarkably over the past century. Just 100 years ago, churches in the Guadalupe Baptist Association were held accountable to modeling the same doctrinal and missional convictions as the broader association. In the present, there appears to be a substantial relaxing of those requirements. It would be an interesting and worthwhile study for Baptist historians to investigate if this observation is commonplace throughout American Baptist church/associational life in our modern day.

To garner a complete picture of FBC-Edna, the historical theology is equally as important to the church’s story as its historical origins, and its intersection with the broader Baptist movement in America. In God’s providence, this rural Southern Baptist church has been subjected to its fair share of highs and lows over the past 135 years. Yet, warts and all, I am grateful to have the privilege of serving on staff at FBC-Edna and to share in the heritage of this church for the rest of my life. For as long as this local church remains in existence, may the members of FBC-Edna strive to honor the triune God throughout every dimension of its ministry. And may this historical report serve as a means of attending to that blessed end.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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[1] This is a paraphrase from a class lecture delivered by Professor Jeff Jensen at The Master’s University in 2015.

[2] Anthony L. Chute, Nathan A. Finn, and Michael A. G. Haykin, The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2015), 27-28, 30, 33, SCRIBD.

[3] Bill Leonard, Baptists in America (New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), 32, SCRIBD.

[4] “First Baptist Church of Charleston,” SC Picture Project, April 17, 2020, https://www.scpictureproject.org/charleston-county/first-baptist-of-charleston.html.

[5]Anthony L. Chute, Nathan A. Finn, and Michael A. G. Haykin, The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2015), 330-345, SCRIBD.

[6] Chris Traffanstedt, “A Primer on Baptist History,” The Reformed Reader, accessed April 21, 2022, http://www.reformedreader.org/history/pbh.htm.

[7] Thomas Kidd, “Calvinism Is Not New to Baptists: Grace Unleashed in the American Colonies,” Desiring God, June 13, 2015, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/calvinism-is-not-new-to-baptists.

[8] You can access the complete New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith here: http://baptiststudiesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/the-new-hampshire-confession-of-faith.pdf.

[9] Steve Sadler, “Morrell, Z. N. (1803–1883),” Texas State Historical Association, May 1, 1995, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/morrell-z-n. This excerpt has been edited for readability, and to emphasize significant aspects of Morrell’s life/ministry.

[10] “Historical Report of the Colorado Baptist Association,” 2.

[11] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 112-113.

[12] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 113.

[13] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 113.

[14] Enon Baptist Church was founded in 1853 according to Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[15] “Historical Report of the Colorado Baptist Association,” 2.

[16] “Enon Cemetery,” Texas Historical Markers, accessed April 22, 2022, https://texashistoricalmarkers.weebly.com/enon-cemetery.html.

[17] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 229.

[18] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[19] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[20] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 232.

[21] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 232.

[22] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[23] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[24] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 22.  

[25] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 229.

[26] Lynn Smothers, “Salem Baptist Church,” Salem Baptist Church, July 14, 1957, http://www.lavacacountyhistory.org/salem_baptist_church.htm.

[27] “Our Church’s History,” Edna Presbyterian Church, accessed April 22, 2022, https://www.ednapc.org/our-church%27s-history.

[28] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 230-231.

[29] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 19-20.

[30] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[31] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[32] “Our Church’s History,” Edna Presbyterian Church, accessed April 22, 2022, https://www.ednapc.org/our-church%27s-history.

[33] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 229-233.

[34] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 21.

[35] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 233.

[36] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[37] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 231.

[38] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 229.

[39] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 230-231.

[40] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 23-24.

[41] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 233.

[42] Ira Thomas Taylor, The Cavalcade of Jackson County (Waco, TX: Nortex Press, 2008), 233.

[43] The Meeting Minutes of Baptist Temple-Edna from April 26, 1955.

[44] An alternative interpretation of the alleged church split was provided by the current pastor of Baptist Temple in text correspondence, based on the May 23, 1955 business meeting minutes: “Red Bluff Baptist Church was having a revival in Red Bluff, and had sent a Red Bluff Mission Group to create a revival week in Edna. This mission group was likely a mission church meeting in Edna. During this revival on May 23, 1955 the Red Bluff Mission Church became Baptist Temple of Edna. So technically it reads that BTC was formed as a result of a Red Bluff mission endeavor and revival services; not a FBC split. There was a roll call on May 23, 1955 where ‘50 members of Southern Baptist Churches desiring membership with letters in hand and letters of intent’ were made members.  I am sure many of these were FBC Edna folks, and maybe this is why it was thought to be a split.” 

[45] The 90^th Anniversary Booklet on the History of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, 23-24.

[46] Found in the FBC-Edna church office at the authoring of this article (April 22, 2022).

[47] Recorded in the 1921 Annual Meeting Minutes of the Guadalupe Baptist Association.

[48] Tom Nettles, “The New Hampshire Confession: Warm Evangelical Calvinism,” Founders Ministries, September 17, 2021, https://founders.org/2014/07/17/the-new-hampshire-confession/.

[49] Tom Nettles, “The 1925 Baptist Faith and Message: Finding a Rock in a Storm,” Founders Ministries, April 29, 2020, https://founders.org/2018/10/10/the-1925-baptist-faith-and-message-finding-a-rock-in-a-storm/.

[50] FBC-Edna Church Conference Meeting Minutes spanning from August-December, 2013.

[51] The Guadalupe Baptist Association’s website was under construction at the time this report was compiled, but prior to the overhaul of the website, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 was featured under the tab, “What We Believe.” For further confirmation about the doctrinal commitments of the Guadalupe Baptist Association, contact their office at: (361) 575-5281.

[52] FBC-Edna Church Conference Meeting Minutes spanning from February-May, 2021.

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