Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
First Christian turns 128
Three churches for congregation at same location
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-03-12
Members of Rockdale First Christian Church gathered Sunday to observe the church’s 128th anniversary. The church has had three buildings, all at the present location, Bell Avenue, first at the Scarbrough intersection, later expanding all the way to Burleson.
Rockdale First Christian was organized in 1887 by Civil War veteran Rev. A. J. Bush Sr., who was its first pastor.
On March 30 of that year church members purchased a tract of land at what is now the Scarbrough-Bell intersection. For the first four years, the church met in homes of members.
Its first sanctuary opened in 1891 and served FCC for 34 years.
New pastor Rev. R. E. Roberts in 1924 began the drive for a new building. About 60 church members raised funds and drew up plans for a new sanctuary. The 1891 structure was torn down and first services in the new building were held May 31, 1925. In 1945, FCC purchased the former Fred Graves home, adjacent to the church. It became a parsonage and increased the church property to a full block.
Four years later the church purchased a former army barracks from Camp Swift near Bastrop and moved it to Rockdale, where it became an educational building.
(That building was later moved seven blocks down Burleson to become Rockdale Full Gospel Chapel, has housed several churches and continues to be a church building today.)
By the early 1950s, under the pastorate of Rev. Byron Welch, church members began to plan a much larger church complex, a 320-capacity sanctuary connected to two large wings containing classrooms and a fellowship hall.
Rev. Welch became ill and resigned the pastorate and the building program continued under Rev. Roy Brewton.
Volunteer workers from the congregation razed the old building in May, 1958, and construction began,, again with a huge amount of volunteer labor.
The new building was dedicated on Jan. 19, 1959. It has now served the church for 56 years, much longer than either of the previous two sanctuaries.
The building has become a familiar, and much-loved Rockdale landmark.
In April, 1987, First Christian celebrated its 100th anniversary in Rockdale with a service that included five former pastors.
Three churches for congregation at same location
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-03-12
Members of Rockdale First Christian Church gathered Sunday to observe the church’s 128th anniversary. The church has had three buildings, all at the present location, Bell Avenue, first at the Scarbrough intersection, later expanding all the way to Burleson.
Rockdale First Christian was organized in 1887 by Civil War veteran Rev. A. J. Bush Sr., who was its first pastor.
On March 30 of that year church members purchased a tract of land at what is now the Scarbrough-Bell intersection. For the first four years, the church met in homes of members.
Its first sanctuary opened in 1891 and served FCC for 34 years.
New pastor Rev. R. E. Roberts in 1924 began the drive for a new building. About 60 church members raised funds and drew up plans for a new sanctuary. The 1891 structure was torn down and first services in the new building were held May 31, 1925. In 1945, FCC purchased the former Fred Graves home, adjacent to the church. It became a parsonage and increased the church property to a full block.
Four years later the church purchased a former army barracks from Camp Swift near Bastrop and moved it to Rockdale, where it became an educational building.
(That building was later moved seven blocks down Burleson to become Rockdale Full Gospel Chapel, has housed several churches and continues to be a church building today.)
By the early 1950s, under the pastorate of Rev. Byron Welch, church members began to plan a much larger church complex, a 320-capacity sanctuary connected to two large wings containing classrooms and a fellowship hall.
Rev. Welch became ill and resigned the pastorate and the building program continued under Rev. Roy Brewton.
Volunteer workers from the congregation razed the old building in May, 1958, and construction began,, again with a huge amount of volunteer labor.
The new building was dedicated on Jan. 19, 1959. It has now served the church for 56 years, much longer than either of the previous two sanctuaries.
The building has become a familiar, and much-loved Rockdale landmark.
In April, 1987, First Christian celebrated its 100th anniversary in Rockdale with a service that included five former pastors.
All Credit for this article
goes to Mike Brown and the
Rockdale Reporter
goes to Mike Brown and the
Rockdale Reporter
First Rockdale FCC was constructed in 1891 at Bell and Scarbrough, site of present church fellowship hall.
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