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In the 1880s, settlers interested in establishing schools, churches and businesses began to populate the area. On March 22, 1890, just after the town of Winters received its name, eighteen individuals met in the one-room schoolhouse to organize the first church in the community, named Bethel Baptist Church. The first pastor was J.W. George and the congregation continued to meet in the schoolhouse.
In August 1903, the church met and voted to change the name to Winters Baptist Church of Christ. That same year, they decided to locate a church site. The dedication ceremony for their new church, located on West Pierce Street, was celebrated in May 1906. From 1906 to 1918, the church grew in numbers and established committees and programs, including a women’s missionary union, and began construction on a new church home on Truett Avenue. By 1918, the name evolved to First Baptist Church.
During World War II, the church had several members serve and give their lives for the cause. After the war, the congregation bought acreage on Lake Brownwood and eventually built a cabin at the site, later donating it to the Heart of Texas Encampment. The church campus also expanded during the 1950s with an educational building and a new sanctuary.
Over the years, the congregation promoted missions and new churches all over the world. Within the community of Winters, the church sponsored many outreach programs, including a food pantry, Thanksgiving meals, bible studies, youth activities and meetings with other community church leaders through the Winters Ministerial Alliance.
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