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.  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, through the Prophets first and then through His Master Son, Christ Jesus.  

When we examine the methods of the teachings of Christ Jesus, we find that although He told parables to the masses, to the chosen few He explained their 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 world, spoken of by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews, God first 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 being celebrated tonight was in its ascendency.

The facts on record show this:  First Baptist Church of Temple, Pa., was set up as a mission by the Rev. Louise Bell in an old, abandoned structure formerly used as an icehouse, in the year 1933, on what was known as Furnace Row.

The church was dedicated 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. This building is located at Oak and Wentzel Avenues, Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

First Baptist Church of Temple was pastored from October 19, 1952, until December 31, 1955, by the Rev. C. E. Marcus of Philadelphia, PA. Answering a prayerful call from First Baptist Church was the Rev. H. J. Turner of Philadelphia, Pa., who served as pastor beginning July 1, 1956. He was installed the week of Sept. 16–23, 1956. Under the Rev. H. J. Turner, First Baptist Church of Temple made giant strides toward recognition as a solid church presence.

Under the Rev. Turner, the cornerstone was laid on Aug. 26, 1956, with the aid of the Rev. O. Garlington of Friendship Baptist Church, Pottstown, PA, along with his congregation and chorus.

Complete new furniture was purchased and installed on April 7, 1957. The kitchen was opened, the pastor's study and Sunday School room were enclosed, dining room furniture was installed, and auxiliaries were organized.

On Sunday, February 12, 2006, at 4:00 p.m., First Baptist Church of Temple installed Pastor Lawrence F. Houston, Sr. The installation service was held at Zion Baptist Church, located at Thorn and Washington Streets, 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.

In February 2020, we began a renovation project that included installing a new roof, spouts, and a chimney cap. We reupholstered the pews and chairs in the sanctuary, laid new carpet, painted both the interior and exterior, and purchased a new front door. This project was made possible through the generous donations from our fellow saints, community members, friends, and family. We are incredibly grateful for all the love and support we received during this time; it has been a true blessing. 

We were overjoyed to celebrate the church’s 87th anniversary on Sunday, November 13, 2020, as we rededicated our house of worship to the Lord.  

Praise God for all His blessings!!!