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The community of
Rockdale sprang up around a railroad camp in 1873. The Rev. B. B. Baxter
arrived in 1874 and established a Baptist Church with 18 charter members.
The Rev. Mr. Baxter conducted services in a room above a dry goods store
shared with other denominations. He was succeeded by the Rev. Vandervere,
one of the 18 charter members, in 1876. At the urging of revival leader W.
E. Penn and the Rev. Dr. J. H. Stripling, a simple structure was erected
for worship services in 1881. A new building was erected on this site in
1919. The church grew steadily; a Latin American mission established in
the 1950s became a full Southern Baptist Church in 1966. A new First
Baptist Church complex was built in 1972. The congregation remains active
in community service and missionary work. |
