First Baptist Church of Nacogdoches

First Baptist Church of Nacogdoches. . In 1884, the Baptist General Association of Texas sent Luther Rice Scruggs to start Baptist work in Nacogdoches, which was beginning to grow following the 1883 construction of the Houston, East and West Texas Railroad through the town. Before this, there was no Southern Baptist church in Nacogdoches. Scruggs began to hold services and by 1885, he and 13 charter members had organized a church. The next year, the congregation built a sanctuary on 411 North Street. Working with noted local architect, Diedrich Rulfs, members in 1899 replaced their first wood-frame building with a larger sanctuary that included Sunday School rooms and a Fellowship Hall below. In 1928, the church added a brick educational building and in 1942, members replaced the previous sanctuary and Fellowship Hall with a larger brick complex. , From the beginning, members have been actively involved in the community cooperating with local Methodists to close several open saloons. The church has also stressed local missions, planting three which became established churches: Fredonia Hill Baptist Church in 1923, Memorial Baptist Church (now Iglesia Bautista Memorial) in 1948, and Calvary Baptist Church in 1956. The congregation has actively worked with Stephen F. Austin University since 1923 to establish and support a Baptist bible teacher position and a Baptist Student Union, a ministry that has continued to be important to the church through the years. Historically, members have also been active in mission activities outside of the local community. Today, as one of the oldest area congregations, First Baptist Church continues to serve as a spiritual leader in Nacogdoches.