First Baptist Church Waxahachie

Our History

The City of Waxahachie was organized on the banks of the Waxahachie Creek, from which it derived its name. The very name "Waxahachie" creates a great deal of interest as to its origin, coming from the Tonkawa Indian word meaning "Buffalo Creek".

The famed Shawnee Trail, on which cattle were driven north to Kansas City markets and railheads, ran through what is now the center of town. The earliest inhabitants of the area were Tonkawa, Kickapoo, Bidai, Anadarko, and Huaco Indians.

Emory Rogers, the first Anglo settler in the area, came to this prairie land in 1846. His gift in 1850 of land for a townsite aided in the selection of Waxahachie as county seat of Ellis County.

1861 marks the formation of First Baptist Church with Rev. W. H. Stokes serving as the first pastor. First Baptist, the second church begun in Waxahachie, had twelve founding members of which eleven were white and one African American. Originally meeting in the Methodist Episcopal building and then with the Cumberland Presbyterians of which First Baptist owned one quarter interest. Through the years they have also met in a room under the Masonic Hall, a schoolhouse and even City Hall at one time. The present location was purchased in 1881, containing one-half acre more or less; for $231 cash plus assumption of a $200 note owed on the property. The first Worship Center which sat 300 people was built on the current site in 1882 where they have met ever since.

The first brick Worship Center was built in 1901. It was remodeled in 1914. An Educational Building was added in 1950 and Epton Hall in 1951. The present Worship Center replaced the 1901 building in 1959. The Childrens Building was completed in 1985. Membership has grown from twelve charter members in 1861 to over 1,329 today. FBC Waxahachie has had 32 pastors through out the years and the current pastor, Dr. Shane Kinnison, has served since August 2005.

Missions and outreach have been a part of the DNA of First Baptist Waxahachie since its founding in 1861. Seven area churches have been started and sponsored by the church and additional support has been provided to new churches in Wyoming, Minnesota and Oregon. Direct mission involvement through youth and adult mission trips overseas has included serving in Mexico, Canada, Australia, Nicaragua, China, Russia, Estonia, India and most recently Guatemala. Mission work in the United States has included Alabama, San Antonio, New Braunfels and most recently Orange, TX. Other ministries include Common Ground to provide a place for after school and summer programs for African-American children, Disaster Relief, and Christ Builders. The church has also supported the ministries of Buckner International. Through its support of the Cooperative Program and the ministries of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Ellis Baptist Association, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and the Southern Baptist Convention, First Baptist Church Waxahachie has been found faithful in extending the Kingdom of God in Texas, the United States and throughout the world.

If you would like to learn more about the stained glass windows in the sanctuary, please click on this button.

History of our stained glass.