A HISTORY OF FERGUSON ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH

Ferguson Road Baptist Church began as a mission church on August 13, 1950. The Reverend M.D. Frank was called to pastor this new mission church. In a tent borrowed from the sponsoring Tenison Park Baptist Church, 26 second-hand pews, 12 borrowed song books and a pulpit, services commenced with 22 in Sunday School attendance and 22 attending the worship service that followed. The church borrowed a larger tent for the following Sunday and within a month were in a permanent dwelling at 7918 Ferguson Road at the corner of Ferguson and Highland Roads. Tenison Park withdrew as sponsors in September 1950 and the sponsorship was picked up by Munger Place Baptist Church who carried it until the church was formally organized on December 10, 1950 with 26 charter members.

In May 1959 the church purchased from the Claremont Development Corporation, ten lots at 8250 Ferguson Road at the corner of Ferguson Road and Dorrington Drive, which is the church’s current location. Later that year the church’s first educational building and chapel was erected on the new site. The current worship center and additional educational space was completed in September 1965.

Pastors

During the first 30 years of existence the church had only four pastors. The first pastor, Rev. M.D. Frank served the church from its birth in 1950 until 1958. Rev. Jim Bowman was called and served as the church’s second pastor from 1958 until 1966. Rev. Walter E. Davidson served for only a nine-month period from 1966 - 1967 when the Rev. John L. Martin answered the church’s call to be its fourth pastor from 1968 until 1982.

From 1983 through 20013 the church had called six others as full-time pastors and one as a bi-vocational pastor. Throughout the history of the church there have also been several interim pastors.

The Goal Of The Church

In the Membership Directory of 1968, then Ferguson Road Baptist Church pastor John L. Martin quoted the words of B.H. Carroll, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary founder, to Dr. Lee Scarborough as Carroll lay on his death bed: “Lee, lash the Seminary to the Cross!” Succeeding Carroll as seminary president, Dr. Scarborough did just that and that is the chief distinction between that seminary and all others. This too is our defining statement. In order to accomplish anything at all for God’s glory, we must first make sure that Ferguson Road Baptist Church is “lashed to the Cross!”

Our goal is to lift the name of Jesus Christ higher than it has ever been lifted and to be salt and light in the world in which we live. We are committed to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 and the Great Commandment in Mark 12:30-31. We aspire to glorify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by ministering to families of one or more by meeting the physical, the emotional, and especially the spiritual needs of our members and neighbors.

Affiliations

We are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist of Texas Convention, and the Dallas Baptist Association. We affirm the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000.