Central Baptist Church: Central History

It was September 11, 1925, when eighty-one people met in the old Brazos County Courthouse to organize the College Avenue Baptist Church. Preaching the sermon was Dr. Eugene Sallee, who was at that time a missionary to China. Following Dr. Sallee's sermon, the congregation gave an offering for foreign missions, laying the groundwork for a missions-minded church.

College Avenue Baptist Church, 1941

The first church building stood at the corner of College Avenue and 25th Street. In 1949, the church acquired an eight-acre tract on Coulter Drive between 30th and 31st Street upon which were built six educational buildings. One of these buildings served as a temporary auditorium until 1954, when the Lord rewarded the vision and faith of the congregation with a colonial-style sanctuary with room for 1,000 churchgoers. In 1957, the congregation chose to adopt the name of Central Baptist Church, as the church home was no longer located on College Avenue. The church installed a sound system in the auditorium in 1966 and added the portico in 1967. In 1979, the Christian Life Center was built on the church property behind the sanctuary. The CLC contains classrooms, meeting rooms, an industrial-strength kitchen, and a basketball court which often doubles as an auditorium, a cafeteria, or a rollerskating rink.

Central Baptist Church, 1961

Central Baptist Church, 1981

By 1993, attendance at the worship services had increased to the point of requiring three morning services to accommodate everyone. After many weeks of churchwide prayer, the congregation felt the Lord's direction to build a new sanctuary. The original entryway and portico were retained, and the old sanctuary was replaced with a modern 1,700-seat worship center.

Central Baptist Church, 1997

The first year after constructing the new worship center, the church experienced a growth of 18%. By 1997, Central had once again grown too large for its facilities. This time though, there was no space to expand on its existing property. So in 1997, Central began looking for a new tract of land to build on. The church felt led by God to a piece of land central to both Bryan and College Station on Highway 158. The ground breaking took place in 2001, God was faithful, and on June 29, 2003, the Central family moved into its new home to worship. Click here to view the building summary.

Central Baptist Church, 2006

Each week, the services at Central are broadcast on radio, cable television, and the Internet for the benefit of those who are unable to attend the services in person. The new worship center contains 3,500 seats, complete with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. Click here to see a photo album of the new church building and here to see the layout of the church buildings.

The Worship Center, 2006

The true measure of a church is not the size of the building, but the quality of the relationships within its walls. Although Central has a membership numbering well over 2,500, it still remains a comfortable, hometown church where people care about each other and are involved in each other's lives and the life of the church. The most important fact about Central Baptist Church is that, as a result of the ministries of the church, thousands of people have found the joy, peace, and contentment that spring from a close, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Come visit us, join us in worship, and see for yourself why we at Central Baptist Church are so excited about our Savior!

Pastors of Central Baptist Church

Roy S. Holloman
1925-1933

V. B. Brazeale
1933-1938

R. C. White
1938-1941

James H. Landes
1941-1945

W. J. McDaniel
1945-1950

Charles Frank Pitts
1950-1955

Robert F. Polk, Jr.
1955-1961

Andrew R. Heskett
1962-1969

Albert O. Jenkins
1969-1970

C. Duane Riley
1971-1979

Stan Blevins
1979-1986

Chris Osborne
1986-Present

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