Church History
Rev. William B. McGarity was called to the local church in 1908. A native of Kentucky, he came here from Hillsboro, and remained until his death in 1915. The first year of his ministry 41 were received by baptism. The next year the church reported 627 members and a total expenditure of $4,825.00.
Brother J. R. Nutt came as pastor to Belton from Gilmer, in 1915. He was a genuine man and a faithful pastor. The church continued to prosper during his ministry. By 1918 the membership was increased to 755, and in that year there were 51 baptisms. The budget system was inaugurated, and in 1917 the Sunday School first gained recognition as a standard Sunday school.
Rev. B. W. Vining was our next pastor, coming from Corsicana, in 1920. With the end of the first World War, life had become more normal, and there was a new spirit in educational and religious activities. In our denomination, this new spirit gave birth to the Seventy-five Million Campaign, designed to strengthen the Baptist program throughout the South. The Belton church subscribed to this campaign $25,000.00, and actually paid in a little more than $26,000.00, a record matched by few churches. Although there were three pastors in the next five years, the work of the church did not suffer. Bro. Vining resigned in 1922 to accept a position as assistant secretary to the Baptist State Convention. He was succeeded by Rev. W. B. Kendall, who came from the church at Paris. He died soon after assuming the pastorate, being thus the second one to die in service. Bro. Kendall was one of our very best preachers. The church membership has now reached 859; the pastor’s salary was $3,300.00; and the college Sunday School reported an average attendance of 500.
Following Bro. Kendall, Bro. W. R. Hornburg served for a little more than a year, before he was called back to the Coggin Avenue Church at Brownwood.
Bro. Layton Maddox became pastor in 1924. He was a man of great energy, whose ministry here was noted for two special accomplishments. The first was a two-story addition to the church, on the south side. Built of wood, it was intended to be a temporary structure, but was actually in use until the destruction of the church plant. The second achievement was a great revival, in which he himself did the preaching. Using a specially constructed tank, in an outdoor service, at the conclusion of the meeting he baptized 102 converts.
Our next pastor, Dr. R. C. Campbell, came to us from North Carolina. He remained a little less than a year, accepting a call to Lubbock, and soon thereafter being named executive secretary of the Baptist State Convention.
He was here long enough, however, to establish a firm reputation as pastor and preacher. The membership rose to an all-time high of 1830.