HISTORY OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of TEMPLE, PA.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;.'1 Hebrews 1:1-2
At this point, I could very well lay down the pen and write no more, for here, in these two verses of the Book of Hebrews, is the history of First Baptist Church at Temple, Pa. All Christians know that God our Father did His work, once and for all and that when He had finished, He looked upon it and said, "It is good, very good". All Christians believe that when our loving Father placed His seal upon His work, it was finished and that unfoldment was left to us, thru the Prophets first and then thru His Master Son, Christ Jesus.
When we examine the methods of the teachings of Christ Jesus, we find that although, to the masses, He told a parable, to the chosen few' He explained the meaning. The result was that there was always someone who knew, and these He called His Apostles, His friends, and His Brothers.
In the foundation of the worlds, spoken of by St. Paul in his epic the Hebrews, was first, God moved in the hearts of the few families living in Temple and they decided that though they were only a few, they should have a temple wherein they could worship God in their own way. Next, God knowing their hearts, sent them their first leader, the Rev. Louise Bell, and from there on, the star which is being celebrated tonight, was in its ascendency.
The facts on record show this: First Baptist Church, Temple, Pa. Set up as a mission by the Rev. Louise Bell, in an old and abandoned structure formerly used as an icehouse, in the year 1933, on what was known as Furnace Row.
Dedicated as a Church on Hay Road near Mt. Vernon Avenue by the Rev. S. S. Wilson, in 1935. The next pastor was Rev. Mac Hamilton who was followed in 1940 by the Rev. Harvey Shivers, under whose pastorate the present structure was begun in 1949. The present structure is located at Oak and Wentzel Avenues, Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, Penna.
First Baptist was pastored from October 19, 1952, until Dec. 31, 1955, by the Rev. C. E. Marcus of Philadelphia, Pa. Answering a prayerful call from First Baptist Church, the Rev. H. J. Turner of Philadelphia, Pa., was pastor from July 1, 1956. He was installed the week of Sept. 16-23, 1956. Under the Rev. H. J. Turner, First Baptist Church made giant strides to recognition as a solid church power.
Under the Rev. H. J. Turner, the cornerstone was laid on Aug. 26, 1956, with the aid of the Rev, O. Garlington of Friendship Baptist Church, Pottstown, Pa., his congregation and chorus.
Complete new furniture purchased and installed on April 7, 1957. Kitchen opened, pastor's study and Sunday School room enclosed, dining room furniture installed, and auxiliaries organized.
On Sunday, February 12th, 2006, 4:00 P.M. the FBCT Installed Pastor Lawrence F. Houston, Sr. The Installation Service was held at Zion Baptist Church located at Thorn and Washington Street, Reading, Pa. Rev. Raymond C. Bland was the pastor.
Pastor Houston remains our current under-shepherd and is still steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord for he knows his labor is not in vain in the Lord.
We started a renovation project in February 2020 installing a new roof, spouts, chimney cap, reupholstered pews and chairs in the sanctuary, laid new carpet, painted both the interior and the exterior, and purchased a new front door with the help of donations from fellow saints, community, friends, and family. It has been truly a blessing for all the love and, support shown to us during this time.
Words cannot express the love, gratitude, and appreciation we feel for all who made it possible. We were so excited about the anniversary held on Sunday, November 13 in 2020, that dedicated our house of worship back to the Lord on the Church 87th Anniversary, Sunday, November 13th, 2020.
Praise God for all blessings!!!
