First Baptist Church of Gatesville, Texas

Organized in 1856 with only a few dozen members, this congregation has been part of Gatesville for over a century and a half. Their first meeting took place in the Coryell County Courthouse, and early worship services were conducted in members’ homes, with Rev. W. A. Mason as the first pastor.

A stone building erected in 1866 served as a community school and house of worship for all denominations. The Baptist congregation met in the Union Church until 1872, when its first sanctuary was built on the corner of Bridge and 7th Streets. Necessitated by a growing membership, a new frame building with a larger sanctuary was built on the current property in 1883.

In 1936, it was also replaced by a larger structure, which has since been joined by additional facilities, allowing the congregation to continue serving the community with ongoing outreach programs. In 2016, FBCG celebrated 160 years of ministering to the community of Gatesville and being a place of worship for generations.