Littlefield’s First Baptist Church will be observing its 110th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.
To start the Celebration on Sunday, Donuts & Cinnamon Rolls will be served at 9:30 a.m. in the MAC Testimony Videos on Loop will in the Auditorium at 10 a.m.
The Celebration Service will begin at 10:45 a.m. Special Guests: will include Pastor Joe Stewart and Pastor Mitch Wilson.
Some Additional Church History was provided by Tanner Wilson: Dr. Brian Hill was the Pastor from 2012-2015.
Pastor Tanner Wilson started as pastor to the community in 2015 and is the current pastor.
The Church currently averages 500 members in the Sunday morning Worship attendance.
The Church feeds 150 families each month through the South Plains Food Bank.
The Current Staff includes: Pastor- Tanner Wilson Youth Pastor- Terry Sanders Music Pastor- Brent Hall Children’s Minister- Johanna Dewbre PDO Director- Traci Sparks Building Supervisor- Josh Shea Janitor- Angel Saldana
This part of Littlefield First Baptist Church was compiled and written by the late Joella Lovvorn.
Littlefield’s First Baptist Church observed its Centennial Celebration Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6 and 7, 2014.
A history of the church was published in the June 27, 1963 Golden Anniversary edition of the Lamb County Leader.
The church was organized in 1914, under the leadership of Rev. J.M. Rankin.
The charter members were J.T. Hatchet, B.F. Smith, C. Warhurst, Miss Hazel Warhurst, and Mrs. W.G. Street.
All services of the church were held in the one-room school building until the Presbyterians erected a church in 1917.
Since none of the denominations had many members, all the religious services were held in the Presbyterian Church by invitation of that body.
In April, 1922, the Baptists moved their place of worship to the Littlefield Public School building.
In the fall of that year, the church secured a building site, purchased a building and moved it to the site. This building proved inadequate for the growth of the church, even before it was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1925.
Rev. S.T. Smith of Plainvew served as pastor for a few months.
Following this destruction, the organization erected a new building under the leadership of Rev. B.W. Phipps.
Other pastors following were Rev. Roy Kemp, in 1927; Rev. Joe Grizzle in 1929; A.A. Brian; Rev. Willis J. Ray; Rev. Roy Shahan; and Rev. Lee Hemphill who went to the church in February, 1943.
In 1947, a new brick home was erected on East 8th Street for the pastor and his family.
In 1950, a white brick educational building was completed. The Westside Chapel was organized into a self-supporting church.
The old parsonage was sold and moved from the church property to make room for the new building to come.
Beginning Sunday, Sept. 14, 1952, two preaching services were held due to crowded conditions.
Baptismal services were held at Parkview Baptist Church during the demolition of the old building and construction of the new one.
The new sanctuary was completed in 1953. In 1959, the basement was completed, adding needed room for classes and fellowship.
Dr. Hemphill resigned as pastor effective May 1, 1959, then in November of 1959, R.D. Longshore was called as pastor.
The church was incorporated in 1960, and a lodge accommodating 35 was built at Glorieta Baptist Assembly at Glorieta, N.M. by men of the church. Women of the ladies’ Sunday School classes provided the furnishings.
In 1961 First Baptist sponsored the Mexican Baptist Mission on the north side of Littlefield on Highway 385.
In 1962, a small frame building on Third Street was erected for Bracero mission work. *** That was the conclusion of the history up to its publication in the June 27, 1963 edition of the Lamb County Leader.