The year was 1873. Fighting from the American Civil War had only just ceased. Henry Ford was 35 years yet from introducing his Model T. The average blacksmith or carpenter worked sixty hours per week and earned about $11. And somewhere in central Texas in a town called Palo Alto, a new church had been formed.
The year was 1873 ... 150 years ago!

But, surely, the First Baptist Church of Killeen is not the only entity to be celebrating their sesquicentennial this year. Here are some friends that are also 150 years old in 2023!

Historical markers are a significant ornament for buildings and entities around the great state of Texas. People plan entire vacations around seeing as many markers as possible.

Our historical marker was placed in 1983 at the downtown location before the church moved in 2009, but Ron Culp saw that an important part of history was about to be tossed aside and took action.

As the era at the downtown location came to a close, Ron said he would go by every day to pour water around the base of the sign and free up the soil. He then eventually dug the sign out of its former home and brought it down south to where it currently resides outside our office on the north side of the building.

Our marker reads:

This fellowship was established in 1873 as the Baptist Church of Christ at Palo Alto. In 1883, one year after Killeen was founded on the rail line, the congregation moved three miles southwest to the new town. The Rev. Thomas H. Bacon served as first pastor of the Missionary Baptist Church of Killeen, as it was renamed. The large influx of people who came to the area during the building of Ft. Hood in 1942 resulted in a great increase in membership. Through its active mission work, First Baptist Church of Killeen has led in the formation of several area congregations. (1983)

Click here to see our official Texas Historical Marker listing.

Many years ago, I attended the Single Adult Sunday School Class at another Baptist church. On Sunday afternoons, we would gather to play volleyball at the designated court. We either played each other or other church groups. This became an event that every single adult in our large class looked forward to attending. Even if they did not play the game, they cheered from the sidelines. Visitors also felt comfortable attending, which opened the door for our ministry to them.

Shortly after we moved our church to the new location on South W. S. Young Drive, I was blessed to receive a small inheritance from a family member and recognized the need to provide a volleyball court to our church property. I wanted this to be a ministry that would bless the single adults and others with Christian fellowship as it did for me when I was single (by this time, I was married with children).

I spoke with Pastor Randy Wallace and later the volleyball court became a reality, obviously with additional funding.

[Editor's addition]: Today, the court continues to welcome church and community members alike as it is regularly used on weeknights throughout the summer and other seasonally appropriate days. This is the power of legacy: taking opportunities that were provided to us in our time of need and using them to pass on resources to the next generation out of the blessings we have been granted today. Thank you to this anonymous donor for investing in the future of ministry at First Baptist Church Killeen.

When I became the pastor at FBC Killeen in 2000, I inherited a great group of believers operating out of a decaying building. Things like roof leaks, old air conditioning units, inefficient utility usage, and aged plumbing were costing the church $100,000 a year. The location of the church campus was not ideal, either, as the city had grown away from downtown Killeen. The long-range committee did some cost-projections on a full campus renovation and the price tag at that time was a stunning six million dollars (that was projected to grow to 11 million in 2003). I remember the moment that someone in the committee said, "for that amount of money we could relocate." Up to that moment, I had assumed that relocation was "off the table."

It took nine years and great sacrificial giving, but in 2009 we moved into our new building. Please know that the new building was not limited by the church's lack of vision. The building committee knew that we needed to build a more developed campus than we built. The construction budget did not allow for the entire campus to be built at one time. The Sunday morning functions of worship and Sunday School were all that the budget would accommodate. Fellowship space, recreation space, and children's play areas had to wait until later.

But the promises of God are timeless. Philippians 1:6 says, "being confident of this, that He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (NIV)

While Paul was speaking of the salvation of the Philippians, I believe that this passage can also apply to our church. God established us as a church in 1873. He has grown and sustained the eternal parts of our church for 150 years. I believe that heaven will be fuller because God has used First Baptist Church Killeen to build His kingdom. God has also sustained and expanded the physical structures used to build His kingdom in the hearts and lives of Killeen residents.

I also believe the relocation that was started in this generation of the church needs to be completed. We need to build the next phase of the campus and expand the ministries of our church beyond the Sunday morning experience. So I say, let us carry it forward! Let us carry the Gospel forward to the next generation. Let us carry hospitality forward to the next generation. Let us carry eternal friendships, strengthened through fellowship in the new family life center, forward into the future. May those who come behind us find us faithful!

In the Fall of 2009, Pastor Dr. Randy Wallace presented an outreach need for a ballpark to be established at First Baptist Church Killeen.

This outreach opportunity was fulfilled for the sole purpose of developing a ball field on church property with a gift of $10,000.00 from Juanita Faucett and daughters Judy Faucett Koen, Susan Faucett, and Jane Faucett St.John.

On or about January 17, 2010, First Baptist Church Killeen, in a business session, approved a recommendation from Pastor Randy Wallace, with deacon concurrence, that the Church accept the contribution of $10,000.

The ball field was named after Troy Faucett, longtime member, greeter, and usher at First Baptist Church Killeen.

Troy Faucett Field was dedicated on November 6, 2011. Since that time, it has been a popular feature for church and community activities alike. There is seldom a day of the week in which the field is not in use. It has left a lasting impression for our church and an endearing landmark for the city.

John and I considered First Baptist Killeen our home church. I treasure the memories of that church: the people, the friendships, and especially the old red brick sanctuary.

I remember that for a time the nursery was in the basement. The nursery was run by Mrs. Dugger and many of the ladies in the church volunteered on Sundays.

We were members of First Baptist Killeen when all of our children were small. Then, John's job transferred us overseas for several years. When our family returned to the United States, we moved our letter back to FBC Killeen. I remember that it was on the last Sunday there was to be a service in the red brick building.

I remember vividly something that our Pastor, Brother Bob Lambert, said on that last Sunday service in the building. There were three services that morning because the church membership had grown so rapidly and the red brick sanctuary couldn't house us all in one service. The following Sunday was to be our first in the new, much larger, sanctuary. He said "Next week, instead of singing When We All Get to Heaven we will sing When We All Get Together!"

Once we moved into the new Sanctuary, plans were made to demolish the red brick building. Jim and Janie Sharp called us right before the red brick building was to be demolished and asked if we would like to buy the red bricks. They knew we had some land out on Stagecoach Road and were going to build our home there. John bought the red bricks for $1,000 and our home was built with those bricks. Tom Bishop built our house and I remember him telling us the bricks were a little larger than regular bricks and it was a bit more challenging to use them!

Our family lived in that house for 42 years. That house was precious to me, knowing where those bricks came from, and -- I might add -- that we had fifteen bridal showers in that house, most of which were for young ladies from First Baptist Killeen!

What story will today's bricks tell?
What story will tomorrow's bricks tell?

The current property where First Baptist Church is located was ordained by God years before the church would realize a call to relocate.

First Baptist Church members Troy and Juanita Faucett purchased forty acres in early 1964. Troy bought the property one day and surprised Juanita. They usually discussed such purchases. At the time, the Faucetts were in the process of adopting a baby, which was their primary focus. Truly surprised, Juanita exclaimed, "Troy Faucett, did you spend our baby money to buy those forty acres"? Troy chuckled assuring Juanita that the "baby money" was still in the bank. Prayers were answered with an adopted baby, and they kept the land.

Over the years, the Faucetts were approached numerous times about selling the forty acres. They prayerfully considered each offer. However, to satisfy their hearts in the wait, they relied on the message of Isaiah 60:22 where God says, "When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen."

Troy passed away in October of 1992 not seeing the development of the land he felt led to purchase and maintain. Several years later, Juanita decided it was time to begin development.

In 2001, First Baptist Church began discussing relocation. With a church vote to proceed with locating a building site, the Land Search Committee was selected. In their search, it was discovered the Faucett family, members of FBC Killeen, owned property that met all the criteria the church was looking for. However, the selected twenty-acre property's market value was considerably higher than the church had budgeted.

Juanita and her three daughters, Judy, Susan, and Jane prayed. Upon fervent prayer, it became abundantly clear that the forty-year stewardship of the property should be the future home of First Baptist Church Killeen. Juanita Faucett joyfully accepted the offer, and the land purchase was finalized on July 19, 2002.

In 1964 Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Clements established a ten-year trust fund for the benefit of the First Baptist Church of Killeen. This trust fund was used to build the C.R. Clements Chapel adjoining the existing church building of First Baptist Church.

Clarence R. Clements was a long-time First Baptist Church of Killeen member, becoming a Deacon in 1937. He was also a Sunday School Superintendent and Sunday School teacher until he retired from teaching the Clements Men's Bible Class in October 1983 at the age of 88. Mr. Clements actively served on many committees, including the FBC Centennial Celebration in 1973.

Mr. Clements wanted to give the church something where everlasting bonds would be forged. Many weddings, funerals, Sunday early services, Senior Adult Sunday School, and Wednesday night prayer meetings were held in the chapel.

The Clements chapel was adorned with a beautiful Dalle deVere (slab glass) window of Jesus with outstretched hands which depicts Jesus and the seven churches. When the church moved from the downtown location, the stunning window was professionally removed piece by piece and reconstructed in the new First Baptist Church sanctuary at the W. S. Young Drive location.

During the dedication of the Clements Chapel on November 14, 1976, it was remarked that Clarence Clements had an exceptional love for God and His church, which was a testament to his faith.

Sometime after the purchase of the land for our new, current church, Ronald Culp, long time deacon, built a small chapel with materials that were left over from Easter and Christmas pageants past. He labored over the project in a workshop across the street from our downtown educational building in what was once Melvin's Garage. The dimensions of his project were determined by the heights of the doors of the garage and the heights of red lights to be maneuvered between the workshop on Green Street and W.S. Young - with a one-inch clearance. Using his bobcat, Ronald carefully loaded and precariously hauled the almost finished chapel onto a flatbed trailer to the near-center spot he had chosen on the enormous lot that would, he prayed, eventually house a beautiful new campus.

Ronald had learned the power of prayer as a child when he and other boys in his third-grade Sunday School class prayed for unfortunate boys in the Round Rock orphan home and saved meager pennies, nickels, and dimes in hopes of making a difference for them. "It took forever to fill a coffee can," Ronald said, but with prayers and time, they eventually did. And Brother Bob Lambert, our pastor at the time, took the class to the orphan home, where they presented the full can of coins and played basketball with the boys who lived there.

So years later, Ronald decided to build a little chapel for members of First Baptist to pray for our church-to-be. The chapel contained a speaker's podium and cutdown parts of the original benches from Clements Chapel. It had a steeple of sorts that had to be placed upon arrival because it made the structure too high to go through the garage doors. Made with almost no nails, the design of the chapel was intentionally open and simple with only the frame for the door and four simple corner pillars so that visitors there could see the surrounding dirt on all sides and from all angles.

Once the chapel was in place, volunteers organized a day for our congregation to pray. Everyone in the church was invited, including older members who were in nursing homes.

From morning to night, one by one, members came (some bused from nursing homes). Some sat in the chapel; overflow sat in folding chairs outside the chapel. They came, they prayed, they left.

After that day, deacons had one meeting with a breakfast Ronald cooked and another with lunch. Sunday School classes, the youth, and others often met there.

The little chapel, built by a man who believed in prayer, built as a place to pray for the new building, stood in place until our new church took its place.

As Ronald said, "Supporting the new church, it began with prayer. This is how we got the missions from our original church. We started with prayer. When you care, you pray. It's a faith thing. You have to put your foot where your faith is."

At the heart of any church planting ministry is partnership and that partnership is born out of an understanding that we cannot do it all on our own. Different churches reach different cultures, speak different languages, and have different purposes. Pastor Les Williams of New Sunset Baptist Church in Killeen says that "partnership between churches normally consists of The Three Ps: prayer, people, and provision." It has amazed me to see this principle at work all through our history at First Baptist in Killeen.

When I first came to Killeen in the summer of 2011, plans were already underway to plant a church on the south side of town. By the following January, Pastor Mark Hoover had recruited a team of young families to help get things off the ground with The Journey Church and, thus, a new fellowship was born in a new part of town with mission-minded individuals from FBC Killeen.

The group met on weekends in the auditorium at Haynes Elementary before finally relocating to their own land on Bunny Trail in 2014. "When we first started meeting in the school," Pastor Mark recalls, "I used to climb the hill behind the school early in the morning to pray. When I looked over all the houses being built, I saw a sea of people who desperately needed to know that Jesus saves." Killeen was expanding south and The Journey Church was there to greet them.

This process of multiplication blew my mind and I had great respect for those individuals that obediently followed God's call to start this new church. But I was only beginning to learn how many times FBC Killeen had been involved with church planting ministries in central Texas over the past many decades.

All the way back in 1954, the church appointed Rev. Gene Horton on April 21st to serve as the first pastor of their mission church on "the south side of town." The Southside Mission, as it was called, was located on Avenue J and they reported numerous baptisms later that same year.

Only one month later, on May 30, the missions committee recommended a temporary sponsorship of a group intending to meet in the Sunset Acres area of Killeen. The motion was for necessary materials, to include Sunday School curriculum, for a trial period of three months ... three months! Today, nearly 70 years later, New Sunset Community Church remains a vital ministry partner to First Baptist in north Killeen.

Over the next several years, both the Sunset Acres and Southside Mission locations experienced amazing growth. By 1958, the church had acquired a piece of land at the corner of Trimmier Road and Redondo Drive, reported to the missions committee as a potential permanent home for the Southside Mission. On September 23, 1959, the church voted to borrow the additional resources needed to construct the new mission. The foundation was poured and, in February 1960, Trimmier Road Baptist Mission (now known as Skyline Baptist Church) was born. First Baptist Killeen donated the bell from the old churchhouse to the new ministry as a housewarming present.

The following decade saw more expansion of God's kingdom in Killeen as the church began hosting classes and services twice daily at Pershing Park Elementary School. Beginning August 7, 1965, the mission would host Sunday School and worship on Sunday mornings as well as training union and a preaching hour on Sunday evenings. Today, Pershing Park Baptist Church plays a vital role in our community of churches in Killeen. I attended an evening worship service at Pershing Park a few years back in which Fred Luter, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was the keynote speaker!

In the 1980s, pastor Ken Andress from First Baptist helped start Westcliff Baptist Church with the help of his son, Vance Andress. A small cadre of members from First Baptist Killeen moved to the new church plant and the two churches enjoyed an umbrella ministry for a season. As all disciples should, Westcliff eventually left the nest and, standing on their own two feet, changed their name to East Lake Bible Church. We celebrate their ministry which continues today on Lake Road.

… which leads us back to the Journey Church and the present decade!

"But wait: there's more!"

Several years back, current senior pastor of First Baptist, Dr. Randy Wallace, began a mentoring relationship with then Baylor student and aspiring pastor Jung Kim. Jung was a dynamically talented musician and was eager to jump into all things ministry at First Baptist Church under Pastor Wallace's leadership. He led Bible studies, performed baptisms, assisted the worship ministry, and was an active part of our membership.

Years later, having graduated from Baylor, Jung left to plant his own ministry. First Baptist Church and the Bell Baptist Association supported them the entire way and today, after years of meeting at Trinity Baptist Church in Harker Heights, Pastor Jung Kim and Heights Korean Baptist Church are preparing to build on an area of land south of town.

What do we learn from all of this? Well, it is obvious to me that God's kingdom is larger than any one of our churches. His Church (capital C) is comprised of many smaller congregations, each with an autonomous mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in languages and to cultures that would be difficult for the church down the street. Through the various strengths, abilities, and purposes, we are able to minister more effectively to our members, our city, central Texas, and, indeed, the world.

Pastor Les told me that "New Sunset Community Church has seen FBC do all three of the P's all the way back to 1953. The partnership of FBC with New Sunset over the past two years has allowed us to reach the 41 (Four-One) and for that we are extremely grateful for your partnership in the Gospel."

First Baptist Church was originally established in 1873 as The Baptist Church of Christ, with ten members. The church met in Palo Alto, a community three miles northeast of what is now our city of Killeen. The city of Killeen was founded in 1882. Eventually, the church moved to downtown Killeen. Through the years, the church bought surrounding lots to use for expansion and parking. The buildings were piecemeal, but worked for the church's purposes. The oldest building was still standing from 1948, and then there were buildings A, B, C, and D. First Baptist Church had expanded to include a city block.

There were a few quirky aspects of the buildings. When a person wanted to go from the church offices into the choir room or courtyard, that person had to go through a little bathroom. And there was more than one occasion that someone got locked into the courtyard and couldn't get out because of the high black fencing.

In 2001, the church body started talking about the possibility of relocating. There were several reasons for this. We were totally landlocked downtown; there was no land on which to expand. Also, security became a big issue; the church had to hire two security guards to walk the city block every time the doors were open. This was quite an expense! Several people had requested that an elevator be installed, because some adult classes were on the second story and the stairs were steep. There were no concessions for handicap accessibility.

Probably the biggest issue was that Killeen was growing quickly, but we were failing to attract families to our downtown location. The church staff made a display to see where our current families lived. A large city map was put on a board. Using a current list of church membership, a pushpin was attached for each member's home address. This was quite enlightening! They found that the vast majority of our members lived on the other side of Highway 190. Killeen was moving South and Southeast, and we also had quite a few members who lived in Harker Heights. Very few members lived near downtown!

The church then voted to look into buying land. The Land Search Committee consisted of Committee Chair Allen Cloud, Don Sutton, Fred Latham, Clara Patterson, and Paula Lohse. The church wanted land that would be very visible and have "presence" in the city - a place where many people would be driving by the church. After a couple of months of looking at various locations, the committee became aware of the fact that Juanita Faucett, a church member, had some land for sale on W. S. Young Drive. Juanita very generously agreed to sell 20 prime acres to the church for the reduced price of $750,000. The closing date for the sale of the land was July 19, 2002. The JOSHUA PROJECT was the financial campaign for the debt retirement on the land; this was Phase 1 of the financial campaigns that we would have in the future.

On October 13, 2002, the church gathered on the empty lot at our current location on W.S. Young to officially dedicate the land. It was an exciting moment, as we looked forward to moving in the future!

In 2004, a building committee was elected. This committee consisted of Committee Chair Gloria Walker, Stephanie Allison, Don Bolen, Mildred Cloud, John Garcia, Don High, Paula Lohse, T.J. Mills, Dr. Charles Patterson, Joe Trimble, Joyce Tuggle, and Gene Steele.

The committee met only occasionally at first. They asked church members to fill out a survey, indicating what they would like to see in a new building. That list was so expansive that it would have been impossible to meet nearly all of the "wants," of course. But it gave the committee ideas about the direction in which they should move. Several committee members went to various churches in different parts of the state, looking at possible aspects of design.

Next, the committee started meeting weekly, on Thursday nights. They had no idea what a lengthy period of time they would be serving. Three architects met with the committee to make presentations. Keith Hickman, from Round Rock, was chosen as the architect for the building. The Construction would be done by Cloud Construction Company of Temple. The cost for the new building came in at $7.54 Million Dollars. Once a month, Mr. Hickman had meetings with church leadership and Sunday School leadership. We then implemented the UNITED WE BUILD financial campaign. The Building Committee met with the architect for over a year to finalize plans.

As things moved along through the next several years, we had another financial campaign called TOGETHER WE BUILD. People gave generously, and excitement started to build.

We had another big celebration, as the actual Ground Breaking ceremony was held on February 24th, 2008; this was more than five years after the dedication of the land.

Now the big issue was in regard to selling our downtown buildings! Who would buy the property and how long would we have before we had to get out of the buildings? We prayed fervently for God's plan and God's timing. Another church offered $1 million and that offer was declined. Eventually, the City of Killeen offered $2 million and was willing to let us stay in the buildings for three years rent free. So First Baptist Killeen did sign a contract with the City. What an answer to prayer.

In the meantime, several issues had to be addressed. Many people wanted to make sure that we did have a Bell Tower in the new building so that we could move the current bell. That was indeed accomplished.

We were going to move from a space that included approximately 84,000 square feet (with additional storage space across the street) to approximately 47,000 square feet. What would we do with all of the "stuff" that had accumulated in all of the nooks and crannies of the downtown buildings? We wanted as much as possible to be repurposed so we sold/donated tables and metal chairs to other churches. Some of our church members wanted a pew to keep personally and some of the other pews were donated to New Sunset Baptist Church.

About two-thirds of the way into the actual building construction, Ann Farris was on a walk-through of our old downtown facilities; she was serving on a committee with the City of Killeen. They wanted to know what we were going to do with the huge "JESUS GLASS" Window. Many people had badly wanted to move the window to the new facility, but it had been deemed far too expensive. But the City had no use for it, and in fact, would be tearing it down. After much discussion, Tony and Jerrie Sue Cleaver stepped up and offered a generous financial gift to help make this possible. The moving of the window would involve many hours of work by a glass specialist. This thrilled many of our members who had very special memories of this beautiful window. And so a Change Order was issued to move "Jesus" to the new building.

However, our glass specialist told us that it would end up costing about double the original figure, because it wasn't "stained glass," but rather "slab glass." Each individual piece would have to be taken apart in a way that it could be packed and reassembled. The process was very time-consuming and tedious. The church agreed to go ahead and move forward with the process and we have all been glad that the decision was made. This beautiful window, which meant so much to so many, would indeed be making the move with us.

This article would be incomplete without the story of the steeple. Everyone wanted a steeple, of course, and a beautiful white one had been selected. But when the steeple was delivered, there was a problem: the steeple was brass, not white! We had no choice, really, but to use that steeple. The day that the steeple was erected, many of us gathered in the parking lot across the street to watch the process.

The consensus was that the brass steeple was not a "mistake," after all. The brass was beautiful and would be very visible as it gleamed in the Texas sun.

The final issue was in regard to how to actually move everything from downtown! We paid to have all of the office equipment moved; most of the kitchen equipment was new and was delivered. But, in an amazing feat, we - the church - moved everything. After the church service on the last Sunday in May of 2009, each Sunday School department was responsible for moving the things in their room. Families used Rental Trucks, U-Hauls, pickup trucks and trailers to physically move everything. It was an amazing sight to see. People driving down W.S. Young were stopping to see what was going on! Even the children were caught up in the excitement of carrying small boxes into the new building. At the end of that day, almost everything that we were keeping had been moved to the new location. We were all excited and praised God together for this remarkable feat!

The first Worship Service was held in the present location on June 7th, 2009! From start to finish, God had orchestrated every detail. To God be the glory!

Finally, ours is a story of building and of buildings, a hard scrabble tale of faith. Imagine, in 1873, two very small towns north of Killeen, partnering so that, together, they could house a church, just one. They called it The Missionary Baptist Church of Christ of Palo Alto. It had nine charter members. Efforts to hold it together lagged in 1879 and the church was placed on pause, to be reconstituted in 1881 and then relocated in a nearby community now known as Killeen. Here the church's name morphed a bit to become the Baptist Church of Christ. It was first housed, temporarily, in a public school building so that resources could be gathered. Our church then moved to the intersection of Fourth and Green Streets where a small frame building and tabernacle could be built. An official historical marker still marks this location, rightfully so.

In 1917, the Red Brick Sanctuary was constructed on that same site. From 1917 until 1955, the Red Brick Sanctuary was our gathering place, dutifully housing congregations as they prayed and sang praises to the Lord. November 5, 1955, was its last Sunday to be in service as our sanctuary; not coincidentally, this was also the first Sunday for a young military couple, John and Pat Shannon. Later, in 1968, when they were stationed in Germany, Jim Sharp, a prominent brick mason, contacted them to see if they wanted to buy the red bricks. The building was being razed in order to build a larger sanctuary on the same footprint. Those bricks were stacked on the Shannons' empty lot located in Killeen for seven years, waiting to be repurposed. When the Shannons returned to Killeen, they built their dream home out of those bricks; they and the bricks continued in God's service for more than 40 years, housing a beloved church family and hosting many bridal showers.

An education building was added to the red brick structure in 1949 to accommodate the community's surge in population that accompanied the advent of Camp Hood. In succeeding years, four wooden structures were purchased and a two-story building was added right next to the sanctuary. By 1963, our labyrinth of a church had hallways that did not connect and stairwells that went nowhere. It was both beloved and remarkably accessible by God, but not so much for church members with mobility challenges and no longer easily accessed by the majority of the burgeoning population of Killeen.

In 1964 Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Clements birthed the idea of adding a special purpose chapel that would adjoin the larger sanctuary. Their vision was for a place to host weddings, funerals, the seniors' Sunday School class, and prayer meetings. They put feet to their vision by establishing an accompanying trust fund (Hyperlink to "Remembering Clements Chapel" article). The beautiful chapel featured a Dalle deVere (slab glass) glass window, depicting Jesus with His arms outstretched to the seven churches in Revelation 1-3. We can still see that special window in that chapel then, in our heads, and in our sanctuary now. God still moves and so did and does this stained glass window.

Through the years, the church located at Fourth and Green Streets, in the heart of the city, expanded to fill the entire city block as we could afford and as God directed; the church plant even spilled out into the next block. The result was beautiful in His eyes, certainly not elegant; it was functional, and not really expandable. We grew with the community, numbered our buildings for the sake of clarity, and provided a steady beacon in downtown until we came to understand that it was God's desire for us to move to a more effective location, closer to the heart of the population. He had moved us before and was preparing us to move again. Trepidation vacillated between financial considerations and emotional ties, both causing us to march in place for a while. Do we go? Do we stay? How do we go? Where do we go? The Israelites in Egypt must have churned like us.

Over time, church members arrived at a new shared vision. We would move. The Joshua Project was designed to finance the purchase of the land at our new site. The United We Build and Together We Build campaigns (Yes, it surely did take two.) were designed to finance the construction.

But, where should we move? Triangulated data (God does love numbers!) nailed the exact location: 3310 South W.S. Young Drive, Killeen. First, the staff's demographic pin map indicated that the need was great in this area. Second, the Church's Land Search Committee prayed and searched. Third, forty years prior (Coincidental? I think not.) one of our church families purchased 40 acres (See?) of land yet to be developed. That purchase was made NOT using their nest egg set aside so that they could adopt a baby. The Faucetts had prayed Isaiah 60:22 and waited on the Lord. As a result, this special piece of land was available to the church at a sacrificial price. The Lord did the rest, of course.

The Faucetts were not the only ones praying. Once the land had been identified and purchased, but the building not yet built, prayers redoubled. Realizing that such big prayers needed a "prayer closet" that was easily accessed and available to all, Ron Culp went into action and made that happen for us.

The transition from a presence downtown to our presence on the southern skirts of town was made more difficult by the fact that the place, the building at Fourth and Green, housed our priceless memories of encounters with God and with God's people. As happened in the Old Testament, we were tempted to build a shrine there and stay just a bit longer, or maybe even longer than that. Like Lot's wife should have known, we needed to march forward and not, not, not look back. Again, God said, "I can help with that. Be sure to have a steeple again, a visual beacon like your old one; be sure to take the bells in the tower and rehouse them; be sure to take the stained glass window featuring Jesus." (When our young daughter had inquired to ensure that we were taking Jesus with us, the only answer that could be the answer was yes, of course.) Then, with all of those boxes checked, we, church members, girded up our loins, fired up our pickups, and moved the church's contents ourselves; we wanted to march forward, together.

We worshipped in our new sanctuary located at 3310 S. W.S. Young Drive in Killeen in June, 2009. Just months later our pastor put out the call to build a ballpark for the young and the young at heart. The family that had sold the site at a sacrificial price provided the funds needed to build the ballpark; it bears the name of their patriarch, Troy Faucett Field, and is available 24/7/365 to the entire community. Another kind of beacon.

Very importantly, some of the most important places of FBC Killeen aren't even our places at all. We have been blessed with opportunities to go forth and multiply, not just by growing our own membership, but also in nurturing and encouraging the birth of other churches that now serve in our community, activating God's purpose, on purpose.

It is our prayer that, as we look backward, reviewing and enjoying our past and present work in the Lord, we will now pivot, using that energy to fuel our investment in future efforts, honoring Clarence Clements's wish, stated almost 50 years ago, that we "work harder and set larger goals in the days ahead." This time those future efforts will take the form of our upcoming building campaign, "Carry It Forward."

My family joined FBC Killeen in the summer of 1963 after we moved from Gatesville. The Burch Family consisted of parents Elmer and Elsie and children Elsie, Esther, Mike and Matt. We became active members. Mom and Dad taught Sunday School and we attended Sunday evening services and Training Union. Wednesday nights were prayer meeting services. I grew up in the church and have many memories and recollections from 1963 until 2009 when my Dad passed on to glory.

I worked at FBC in the summer of 1972 after I graduated from high school. I was the part-time custodian with Jim Weatherford. During this time, Brother Onstead came to be our pastor. I learned a lot that summer about people and church work. Many people do not know or understand the amount of work and energy expended to keep a church functioning. One special remembrance: every morning at 10:00, everyone working was expected to stop and meet in the little workroom for coffee and prayer time. The secretaries, Margie Jean, Maybelle Stubblefield and Ruby Lee Wilson, would bring the rest of us up to date on who was sick, hospitalized, and needed prayer. I learned this time was not church gossip, but heartfelt prayer time.

I recall Ken Andress fondly. He loved the Lord and loved people. Pastor Ken had wonderful stories in his sermons and could tell them with a catch in his voice always at the right time. AND I have one about him! One evening when Brother Ken and I were talking in the back of the sanctuary, a couple of ladies came out of the ladies' restroom and told him that it was time to fix up the restroom and get rid of that old bench. Ken listened and told them he would see about it. They left. Ken said that the bench had been in the red brick sanctuary. I told him that I would make a $25 contribution to the mission fund and haul the bench off. He said, "Deal!" So, I gave him $25 and we hauled it home. Now, it is an important piece of our family heritage.

Many of my memories involve the FBC music program. In 1970 we went on a youth choir tour led by David Anderson. We sang in Abilene and Canyon on the way to Glorieta, where we sang at the evening service one night. We sang at a church in Albuquerque on a Sunday evening. We visited Los Alamos and some Native American cliff dwellings and rode the tram up Sandia Peak in Albuquerque.

The next year we took our choir trip to Louisiana. We sang at a Christmas festival along the river in Natchitoches and slept on pews in a sanctuary in Leesville. I think Linda Anderson, David's wife, was from Leesville.

I recall taking the church bus to the Cotton Bowl to see KHS in a playoff game (1971?) against Dallas Carter, I think. Long ride home.

Dave Anderson directed "What Price Freedom," a patriotic musical we performed at church, for Channel 6 TV and prior to the Fort Hood Fireworks display on July 4.

Easter, April 1976: David Anderson had the choir singing several songs for worship service. Debra and I were supposed to sing a part in one but I had to do it alone because she was in Hillandale Hospital and had just given birth to Amy.

Charles Hardage was our next music minister. I remember Charles as fun although he took adult choir seriously. Charles encouraged choir members to do solos, duets, and small ensemble numbers. We always had a nice Christmas program. One Wednesday evening in the Fellowship Hall after the Wednesday meal, Charles sat down at the piano and began playing some hymns. He stopped, came to where we were sitting, picked Amy up and sat her on the piano and let her sing "Jesus Loves Me." Amy must have been three or four years old at the time.

My memories of choir with George Koehl are fond, as well. Big Christmas cantatas. Joining with the Methodist Choir for "The Messiah" performances. Outstanding musicals - adult (Bind Us Together), youth (Friends), and children's (Hur, the Handholder). But especially the Easter pageants. The rehearsals, costumes, orchestra, live animals, solos by Janice Frazier, Paula Lohse, Duke Robnett, Danny Quintanilla, Brad Bush, Jimmy Myers, and others. Andy Greer usually portrayed Jesus. I was a disciple. Debra was the lady healed. Jan Hallmark was the lady who washed Jesus' feet and used her hair to dry them. Our son, David, was, at one time or another, one of the children turned away, Jesus in the temple at age 12, Lazarus coming out of the tomb. Amy played flute in the orchestra. A real family activity! Easter Pageant was always a highlight because it told the story of Jesus.

In 1985, the deacons voted to recognize Ken's fifth anniversary by sending Brother Ken and Mrs. Betty on a preaching mission trip which Ken opened to anyone who wanted to go and could pay their own way. The destination was Armidale, Australia. Debra and I took out a loan from the teacher credit union to pay for our trip. Martha and Richard Surface went as well as a young pilot, Andy Kennedy. 25 years later I learned that Andy Kennedy and his wife had spent many years on the mission field in South America. At one of our pre-trip meetings, Brother Ken stated that a mission trip would change your life. So true! I learned that missions involve everyone who wishes to be involved. I learned that I am not a preacher. I learned that ordinary people can be missionaries. I learned to not be afraid of foreign missions. I learned that God will provide the means if we are willing to say "Here am I, Lord, send me."

That trip started our family on a journey of missions which have continued to this day, as Amelia, Amy's oldest daughter, has been to Peru twice, and Candice, David's youngest daughter, currently serves as a counselor at a Christian camp in Michigan. Members of our family have participated in mission endeavors in Brazil, China, Ukraine, Kenya, China, South Africa, and Peru as well as mission efforts in various locations in the USA, from South Texas to Alaska.

Other mission trips we participated in were youth mission trips led by Jimmy Myers and George Koehl. I was able to participate as an adult sponsor. Our youth sang and ministered in Rio Grande de Sol in south Brazil and in Ukraine helping to build a church. Amy and David went and worked in Peru in 1976.

Wednesday night meals at church were opportunities for great food and fellowship. Mrs. Nellie Birkenholz led the meal team with able help from her husband, Dick. KISD cafeteria ladies Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Bessard helped prepare delicious meals for our church family. Chicken fried steak was our favorite, but all the meals were good.

At the RA campout when David was young at Alton Kenon's ranch east of town, Brad Bush caught a nice bass and Jon Boyd taught the boys the "pull my finger" trick. Debra was not amused when David returned with that stunt.

One time on a ladies' retreat to Highland Lakes the van stopped at a small convenience store for a Coke break. Debra decided to remain in the van. The other ladies returned all excited and laughing; they had met Willie Nelson inside! And Debra missed out.

So many blessings to the Burch Family as a result of our time worshipping our Lord with First Baptist Church Killeen. Cherished memories, wonderful experiences, great friends!

In the late 1990s, Sunday School classes were growing and seating space in each classroom was becoming limited. Associate Pastor Pat McDonald voiced the need for the larger classes to divide into two classes. Hence, the 8:30 a.m. Joy Class was established in 1997. Cindy Berry was the Joy Class teacher and initial class members were Brenda McDonald and Delores Williams. As time progressed, other ladies joined the class.

With the increase in church attendance and the need for three morning sessions, Life Groups were instituted for 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 a.m. in 2013. Originally, meeting at 8:30 a.m., the Joy Class began meeting at 11:00 a.m. with Elaine Hayes as the teacher. This change resulted in the loss of several class members to another class as they elected to continue meeting at 8:30 a.m. As the years progressed, the class membership fluctuated. Unfortunately, members were lost to relocation as well as death. However, new members were acquired, and since COVID, the class maintains a membership roster of 20 to 25 ladies of varying ages and status in life.

Since the initiation of the class, several ladies have been the class teachers and others have served as substitutes. The ladies share their praises and prayer requests each Sunday along with studying the selected Bible text and praying for each other.

Over the years, the class members have participated in many church activities and have been a contributor, both financially and in person, to many ministries as well as community projects. These include, without being an inclusive list, the church-wide mission offerings, Disciple Now, Vacation Bible School, youth camps, Trunk or Treat, local nursing homes, prison ministry, Hope Pregnancy Center, Salvation Army, Killeen Food Care Center, and FBC Children's Ministry and Preschool Volunteers.

Ruby Lee (Spruell) Wilson, AKA by many at FBC Killeen as "Nonnie," was born in 1912 in Brookhaven, Texas, which was between Owl Creek and Cowhouse Creek. Brookhaven was taken over by the military, becoming part of Camp Hood. Her family home was incorporated into Camp Hood, as well, causing them to be moved to Hood Village in 1942, a relocation site, where she later established a library and directed the recreation program. Nonnie attended Avenue D School (THE school in KISD at the time) and graduated in 1932. She was baptized by Pastor John M. Hunt at First Baptist Church, Killeen, in 1931 in the old red brick building in downtown Killeen. She married Roy Bailey Wilson in 1933 at First Baptist Church, Killeen. All three of her children (Lee Bailey, Adelia Ann, and Billy Gayle) were born in Killeen and attended FBC from the time they were born. After her husband died unexpectedly in 1957, she began working at First Baptist Killeen as the financial secretary in 1958. She recorded all offerings and gifts, sent out financial statements to all church members for income tax purposes, paid the bills, and took care of all the budgets and accounts of the church. As FBC grew, the work load grew as well, especially since most of her work was done manually in the years before computers and automation. She often took work home with her to keep up with the workload. Her granddaughter, Karen Sue Weiss, remembers helping Nonnie alphabetize the offering envelopes for each church member; these boxes of envelopes were set out on long tables in the hallways for members to pick up as they made their way to the sanctuary. Ruby Lee served in many areas of church work, including being an officer in the WMU (Women's Missionary Union), being Superintendent of both Training Union and Sunday School, working with the Youth Department, and serving on various church-appointed committees. She taught the Lois Women's Sunday School class for many, many years, and was always proud to say that if you promoted from this class, your promotion was to heaven! Mrs. Wilson worked as the financial secretary for FBC Killeen for 27 years, and the church had a "Ruby Lee Wilson Day" on June 30, 1985. Then Killeen Mayor Allen Cloud also designated June 30, 1985, as "Ruby Lee Wilson Day" in the City of Killeen.

Retirement did not slow her down. Nonnie continued serving in her church, teaching her Sunday School class, being an officer for WMU, and volunteering at the Food Care Center as their financial secretary. She also found time to take up bowling, winning the Gold Medal at the 198l Texas Pepsi Games in the senior citizen category. Then she added javelin throwing (Wouldn't David have been so proud to have her at his back?), billiards, shot put, and basketball free throwing, bringing home gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Karen, her granddaughter, had this to say about Nonnie. "Our grandmother, 'Nonnie,' was such a special person; writing a few lines about her doesn't even begin to do her justice. I'm sure each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren have their own Nonnie stories; I will try to speak for all of us. Whenever we would need Nonnie, she was there. She invested countless nights at our bedsides, watching over us when we were very sick. Whenever someone was hurt or in need, Nonnie was always the first one for us to tell because we were convinced that she had a hotline to Heaven! She lived every day of her life for the Lord and could always find something good in every person and in every situation. She touched so many lives in such a positive, lasting manner, yet, she was extremely humble! The only thing about her that really bothered me is that she consistently beat me at bowling, putt-putt, and forty-two dominoes. We loved our Nonnie very much and know our lives would have been very different without her influence. If I can aspire to be one-half the Christian that Nonnie was, then one day I, too, will hear the Lord say, 'Well done, my child.'"

Ruby Lee Wilson's entire adult life was intertwined with FBC Killeen. She could always be found in attendance on Sunday mornings and evenings, Wednesday night prayer meetings, and revivals. She was always "in her place," her pew, with her Bible at her side. Ruby Lee was a faithful church member for 73 years until her passing in September, 2004. She loved the Lord with her whole heart and spent the majority of her life serving Jesus. She witnessed to many, many people and was a mighty prayer warrior.

Lawanna Elliott married Tommy Joe Mills in 1949. They were wed in the First Baptist Church of Killeen. She led her new husband to know the Lord and they began their life together. The church was an important part of their growth as a couple. They had me, their first child, in 1950. Their best friends were also a part of FBC Killeen. I remember dinners, Sunday School, revivals, and so much fun revolving around church.

Mother and Daddy added my brother and sister to our family. We all learned to know Jesus at FBC and followed in baptism. We were excited to go to Vacation Bible School and church camps in the summer: mother always taught a class. She also taught Sunday School.

She was a homemaker and would be so generous in opening our modest home for bridal showers and baby showers for young brides and mothers in our church.

In the mid 1980s, Lawanna felt a calling to help feed the hungry families in Killeen. She had grown up with a mother who had lost her husband (her daddy) at a very young age. She knew what it was like to worry about whether there would be food in the house for the next meal. She and Raymond Smith, educational director at FBC at that time, started brainstorming and praying about a way to help so many families in need. After many fundraisers, including a ladies softball game, made up mostly of FBC women, and a "Poor Man's Dinner," with a menu of beans, cornbread, and water, they were able to open the Food Care Center of Killeen in 1987. FBC was always front and center to help financially and with volunteers.

It started very small with mostly basic staples like bread and flour and canned goods, but it grew mightily! Many people in Killeen have been fed physically through the center and also spiritually. Lawanna would be amazed at its growth!

She became ill with cancer at age fifty. Through her battle, she continued to spread the love of Jesus. Our church family supported us through a difficult time. She went to be with our Lord at age 55. A prayer room was added to our church in her name when the building was on Second Street. When our new building was built, the fellowship hall would bear her and Daddy's name because of all the donations given on their behalf.

She saw seven grandchildren born into our family and benefit from FBC Killeen. The Mills family will always be grateful beyond words for the love and teachings of our church.

Gwen Mills Stewart (daughter)
Billy Jay Mills (son)
Susan Mills Bond (daughter)

My mother was an incredible woman. She gave abundantly because she loved greatly. Mother's journey at First Baptist Church of Killeen began in 1955 when she made her profession of faith, was baptized, and became a member along with my father, Clyde Bostick.

Mother loved to cook and shared this gift in many ways through the years. She provided snacks for Vacation Bible School for many, many years. She provided food for any family in need whether this was because of an illness or death in their family or for any reason. She was on the hospitality committee and provided food for church fellowships, children, youth, and adult functions, and bereaved families before and/or after a funeral service. When there was a need, she provided. Mother also worked in Vacation Bible School as a teacher and in other capacities. She loved being around our friends at church and providing in any way needed for church get-togethers with them.

Mother loved the ladies in her Sunday School class. These women were near and dear to her heart throughout her adult life. They had many class activities and enjoyed being around each other. She kept in touch with these ladies even when some of them moved away. Strong friendships were formed, as they were great prayer warriors. Her husband (our father) died of cancer in 1970 at the age of 43. Her Sunday School class loved on her and helped her through this terribly hard time in her life.

Mother continued to serve her church until her health made it impossible. I will forever be grateful to my parents for raising my sister and I in the church and by being living examples of what it means to live a life guided by our precious Lord and Savior.

In 1978, when Lila, Mom, and I joined First Baptist Church, transferring our membership from Memorial Baptist Church, where my grandmother had been a charter member, I began attending the Ruth Sunday School Class. It was a woman's class, married, never married, divorced, or widowed, ages 25-45 years. It was wonderfully well taught by Sue Ham and had been for years. When Sue wanted to step aside, I felt called to become the teacher and have continued in that role for 49 years.

For our first twenty years we met in a small room upstairs; Dr. Patterson led the devotional and then we would go to our individual classrooms. Over time, our class grew in number of members and our members' ages also grew, preferring not to be promoted into another class. So, we became the Ruth Class, ages 25-55; the Ruth Class, 30-60; the Ruth Class, 40-70, until we reached our current status of 45-85.

A more important transformation happened about 20 years ago. A man visited our class! His wife attended class with us and he wanted to be with her. Who says no to that? Then, sensing an opportunity, another man attended, also wanting to learn with his wife. We all held our breaths. What could this mean? We had two concerns. First, this flew in the face of our Sunday School class structure. Second, what did our class members, women, think about it?

So, when we had an opportunity to discuss this phenomenon among ourselves, we weighed the pros and cons and considered the answer to that great question: "What has God said to us about this lately?" As it turns out, we had forgotten to ask Him. So, when we did, we prayed and sensed that this was God's direction and agreed, tentatively, to try it.

Now, 20 years later, out class is pretty fluid with respect to age, includes a healthy mixture of women and men, and is called, cleverly, the "Ruth and Boaz" class. We learn together and we serve together, assisting others with mission projects, providing support (usually food) for Vacation Bible School and church celebrations, and volunteering at the Food Care Center. It is indeed a brave new world.

I grew up in First Baptist Church Killeen attending Sunday School and church, as well as our annual VBS and summer church camps at Highland Lakes Baptist Encampment. I loved my church, but I had never gotten involved in the Youth and Music ministry until our new Youth and Music Directors, Linda and David Anderson, came to town.

Linda and David were both accomplished musicians and they were directing our Youth Choir in a contemporary Christian Musical that summer and still needed a flute player to complete the band for the group. Someone told them I played flute and guitar so they gave me a call and invited me to join. David explained that the group was about to head out for a tour on their way to Glorietta, New Mexico, to perform during Youth Camp week there. The Youth Choir would also be performing at several other churches on the way to Glorietta and we would be gone for almost two weeks.

I wasn't sure I had time to learn the musical before they left for Glorietta, but with David and Linda's help and encouragement I decided to give it a try. It was truly the beginning of my love for contemporary Christian music and a time in my life when my faith began to grow.

Over the next several years, our youth group did so many fun things together and all of it revolved around music. Our Youth Choir had a blast touring to Natchez, Louisiana, and to St. Louis, Missouri.

David and Linda Anderson encouraged me to go into music when I went away to college and were always checking up on me to see how I was doing. They became my dear friends and I will forever be thankful to God for their influence in my life.

Originally chartered with the Boys Clubs of America as Killeen Boys Club in 1964, Clarence Roy (C.R.) Clements was instrumental in the growth and prosperity of what is now known fondly as Clements Boys and Girls Clubs.

After returning to Copperas Cove following eleven months of active-duty service in World War I, C.R. Clements became heavily involved in a number of business and organizations throughout the Killeen/Copperas Cove area. As the founder of the Killeen Savings and Loan Association and the Fort Hood National Bank during the 1950's and 1960's, C.R. Clements quickly became well known throughout the community as a successful businessman, involved community member, and active philanthropist.

Mr. Clements joined the Board of Directors to help lead the club toward success. He also engaged regularly with the boys attending the club and was known fondly by club members as "Mr. C."

Along with an overwhelming dedication to supporting the Killeen Boys Club with his direction and wisdom, C. R. Clements made numerous major philanthropic contributions. In 1970, his financial support of the Club funded the relocation of the organization from its original meeting location in an Army barracks to an off-post building on East Veterans Memorial Blvd.

In Killeen. In 1974, the organization officially changed its name to the C.R. Clements Boys AND GIRLS Club in honor of Mr. Clements's unyielding passion, dedication, and service to the organization and the youth it served. C. R. Clements continued to support the organization both with his time and with his philanthropy until his passing in 1990.

The Club currently serves 8,000 members annually, ages 6-18; half of them come from single-parent households and 75% of them qualify for free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at school. These are children of our community who could use a hand and a hand-up; they receive both due to the efforts and generosity of our own Clarence Clements.

March 13, 2020 - Do you remember where you were?

I was at a bowling alley in Temple with my family and my phone was blowing up with notifications. Major League Baseball was suspending spring training games. The NBA had already canceled their season. Disney World and Disneyland were preparing to close up shop. Even National Parks were putting locks on their gates. What was happening?

The word "unprecedented" is oft overused in today's parlance, but at a time in which governments the world over were simultaneously shutting down travel and commerce -- indeed, the world economy was about to go dark! -- it was as close to unprecedented as we could ever imagine!

It would be reckless to remember any one entity suffering under quarantine more than the next. Small businesses struggled to stay afloat. Schools moved to remote learning. And the Church, an institution built on fellowship, became an empty shell. The world was thrust into a new reality as we all struggled to find new ways to fulfill old mission statements.

How would First Baptist Church Killeen respond to this incredible challenge?

On Saturday, March 14, 2020, the deacons and staff of the church met for over three hours to discuss our response and thus began our shut down.

On the immediate horizon was Easter, the biggest weekend of the year in church life. One idea would have been to throw up our hands and bemoan the loss of normalcy as we headed into a lame duck Resurrection Sunday, but our church was unwilling to go quietly into the night!

The children's ministry adapted their regular Easter Egg Hunt into a drive-by experience on Good Friday, greeting kids after weeks of separation from each other. Later that night, the worship ministry partnered with musicians from Memorial Baptist Church in Killeen to present a combined livestream worship experience. And on Saturday, the student ministry gathered outdoors for an Easter picnic.

None of it was normal, but it was the ministry we were able to do.

One of the greatest blessings awaited the staff in the worship center on Easter Sunday morning. Earlier that weekend, with the help of Associate Pastor Tim McKeown, our Girls in Action had printed pictures of so many of your faces (taken from our recent church directory) and pinned them to the pews as if you were with us. Even writing this years later, it is tough to remember that moment without getting emotional. What a blessing it was during the pandemic to be able to look into your eyes, albeit virtually, and worship together on the most important day of celebration!

As the church gathered [remotely!] for worship that morning, the music ministry had one more trick up its sleeve! In kitchens and bedrooms, from couches and pianos, our musicians faithfully recorded their portion of our intended Easter anthem to be compiled into one collection for worship that Sunday morning!

You may have seen videos like this since. Virtual choirs became all the rage as the pandemic labored on, but our compilation was ready to go on April 12, less than a month after the shutdown began! In over twenty years of worship ministry, I don't know of a time that I have been more proud of our volunteers than this moment right here. Through a lot of hard work, we were able to lead worship as a choir! on Easter Sunday morning amid the quarantine.

I remember the Sunday we finally opened up our building and began meeting together again. As a staff, we thought we might need to take the hinges off the door for the stampede of members who would pour through our foyer, hungry to be together again at long last. In truth, it wasn't like that at all. Our first Sunday together had maybe two dozen people in the congregation.

But here we are three years later! After a season that was far longer than anyone could have predicted, in the midst of a darkness that seemed to never end, God brought us back and our church is thriving together as a testament of His enduring faithfulness.

Happy anniversary, FBC Killeen! May God see fit to make it another 150 years together!

As a composer, I am occasionally asked to write commissioned anthems. Sometimes an anthem is written to commemorate a church's anniversary or to honor a church staff member. But in early 2009, I was asked to consider writing a commissioned anthem for the relocation of First Baptist, Killeen - my own home church. What an honor that was! I prayed about it and felt that the Lord was indeed leading me to write the anthem.

After spending a lot of time in thought and prayer, I kept being drawn to the theme of Light. There are many passages in the Bible that refer to light. JESUS Himself is referred to as "the Light of the world," "the Light of life," and "the Light in the darkness." And in Matthew 6, we read Jesus' words to believers: "You are the light of the world ... Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." I kept these passages in mind as I wrote the lyrics, and gave it the title "Let Us be Your Light."

My prayer for our church was twofold. First, I prayed that the new building would be like a beacon of light, drawing people to Christ. But, even more importantly, I prayed that we - the CHURCH - would shine as lights for Jesus. He is the only true Light, and the only hope for the world. The world needs to see Jesus' light shining through us, through His Holy Spirit, so that God will get the glory and praise.

This is the main theme of the anthem:

"Let us be Your light that shines in the darkness;
Let us reflect the love that You give.
Let us share the glorious news of salvation:
Jesus died that all might live.
Let us shine as stars in radiant glory,
lighting the way to Your heavenly throne.
Piercing through the night, like a candle burning bright,
Let us be Your light."

When the anthem was finished, I asked an editor friend to write orchestration for it. It was then submitted for publication and was published by Hal Leonard Publishing in November of 2009. It was a privilege and a blessing to be a part of the celebration as we relocated. And it is still my prayer that we will shine as lights for Jesus - in our homes, our work places and our community!

Do you remember playing a game about church, using only your hands? Turn your palms up and interlock your fingers. Next, point them downward, saying, "Here's the church." Then, turn your index fingers pointing up, saying, "Here's the steeple." Finally, turn your hands 180 degrees and wiggle your fingers, saying, "Here's all the people." Our church IS its people. The people are housed inside its building; the people accomplish its ministry; the church IS its people.

We relish the stories told of our people, of lives well lived over the decades. Our pastors, our stalwart men like Clarence Clements, and our warrior women are all heroes from our past. Sometimes their work was merely steady, going about the business of church. Sometimes their work was spectacular.

Mike Burch, raised in First Baptist Church, and now living in Lubbock, shared his memories that span fifty years and include being the proud owner of one of the pews from the red brick building.

Barbara Weiss shared her memories of the team who shouldered financial accounting responsibilities over the years. "Many years ago when Killeen was a small town and First Baptist Church was one of the few churches in town, only one person was needed to handle financial responsibilities. In 1957 there was a little more money to account for and that led to Ruby Lee Wilson being hired in January, 1958, as our financial secretary. She held that position until her retirement in June, 1985, working with Maebelle Stubblefield and Marjorie Jean in the church office. Sometimes these three had the assistance of part-time helpers. As the town and church continued to grow, so did the need for help with this job. In the mid-1970's, a money counters committee was established. They still meet on Monday morning to count and record tithes and offerings collected on the previous Sunday. Many sweet ladies and a couple of sweet men have taken on this important task.

Sunday School, now known as LifeGroups, has long been the backbone of our church and is a ministry populated by people of all ages. LifeGroups are small in number of members and focus on learning the Bible, growing as Christians, serving others together, and building connections among us. We currently have more than thirty LifeGroups, each different like variegated thread. Together they form a beautiful tapestry, like Joseph's Coat of Many Colors, that has Jesus's Name woven into it. Cherie Bostick Cockrell still has her mom's 1960's handmade-from-construction-paper handbooks for her Hope Sunday School Class. Their teacher was Willie Robertson; their verse, I Corinthians 13:30; their aim, to show love by their lives; their flower, the red rose; and their song "The Solid Rock." Delores Williams and Ann Farris have provided us with insights into two other Life Groups. Sunday School matters -- past present, and future.

Cherie Bostick Cockrell's mom, Janet Bostick, was among our warrior women. Her ministry was loving others unconditionally through cooking for them. Gwen Stewart's mom, Lawanna Elliott Mills, grounded her family's spiritual and social life in the church and opened her family's home to accommodate congregational needs. One of her monumental achievements, collaborating with Raymond Smith and St. Joseph's Catholic Church, was to establish the Killeen Food Care Center. Jesus said, "Feed my sheep," and she took it to heart. Her love for the Lord and her work on behalf of the Food Care Center was memorialized in the elegant, private prayer room built in her name at the church on Fourth and Green Streets. Hanging on the wall just to the left of the door into the prayer room was a portrait of this elegant warrior. A third warrior woman was Ruby Lee Wilson, better known as Nonnie, who served as financial secretary for our church for almost thirty years, prayer warrior her entire life, and a late blooming javelin thrower.

Music has played a key role in our ministries, beginning with the 1909 purchase of Baptist Hymnal and Praise books and continuing with the purchase of our bell tower chimes, first heard on Thanksgiving morning, 1947.

We are really good at making a joyful noise to the Lord! Some, like me, are merely joyful; most are really talented. When I have worked with Blake Coffee and One Another Project in churches and communities internationally and tell people that I am from Killeen, Texas, I am often asked two questions: "Where are my cowboy boots and hat?" (I know where they are: in my closet at home) and "Do I know Cindy Berry?" (I know where she is, too, every Sunday morning: in our choir loft, front row, fourth person from the left). The first question they ask out of curiosity; the second, out of love for her and the music that she has written for the world. Cindy Berry's works include more than 300 choral anthems for adults and children and about 35 piano collections. Among her beloved songs are "Sheep Without a Shepherd," "Restore My Joy," and "At the Name of Jesus." She gifted us with an amazing present as we were relocating our church from Fourth and Green Streets to South W.S. Young -- an anthem, "Let Us Be Your Light."

Music permeates our church building and the lives of our young people. Danielle Smith recounts our music program for children, First CREW, from 2011 until COVID season. The children's first musical was "Down by the Creek Bank." Their time together included building crazy set designs and creating planet costumes, learning to rap, and doing community service projects (collecting shoes for children) while experiencing endless joy and building lifetime friendships. Rebekkah Moon has taken up that gauntlet so that First CREW continues to flourish, post-COVID.

Providing another perspective, Judy Stubblefield Tyler shares her experience in the youth choir, including performing musicals like "Good News," and "Purpose", touring Louisiana in an old white, un-air-conditioned bus to perform "It's the Lord's Thing", and going on tour with "Life" throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas. Paula Lohse and Jane St. John also shared their youth choir experiences, speaking of their love for and experiences with David and Linda Anderson, brought to us courtesy of the army. He served as both director of music and youth and she volunteered to lead the children's choir at First Baptist Church from 1969 through 1977. David also served as the church's chief administrator and planned a revival during the absence of a pastor. When they left our church, it was to pursue their calling as music evangelists and Christian entertainers; the name of their first music album was "God Is So Good."

Most importantly, our music ministers through the years have done so much more than lead the music program. Years ago, the New York Times carried an article about Killeen and called us a "scruffy little town." I maintain that the journalist's thesaurus let him down. We are a SCRAPPY town. Rief Kessler, our current Minister of Music, is among the scrappiest! When COVID slammed the door shut on so many things including our church's many ministries, Rief found a way. It was both hilarious and moving! I am certain that God laughed out loud and slapped His sides as He sang along with us on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020.

Onward, Christian soldiers!

One memory I have is being part of the Girls Auxiliary (G.A.s). You could join Junior G.A.s as a 4th grader and you were in Junior G.A.s through the 8th grade. You then moved into Senior G.A.s from 9th through 12th grades. As a Junior, we had what were called steps to complete which included memorizing scripture, mission projects, community service, and cooking dishes from different countries where Southern Baptists had missionaries. You started out as a Maiden, followed by Lady In-Waiting, Princess, and Queen. If you were still considered a Junior when you completed the Queen step, then you could get Queen in Service. We weren't allowed to go beyond Queen in Service until we were a Senior G.A.

Once we became a Senior G.A., we could then receive our Queen with Scepter, then Queen Regent, and finally if you still had time before graduation, you could complete the Queen Regent in Service. As we completed requirements for each step our director would sign off on our progress. When all requirements were met for each step, we would go before the Reviewing Counsel of ladies from the Women's Missionary Union. We had to answer their questions without notes, to include any of the memory verses we were required to learn. I remember one of the requirements for the first step of Maiden was memorizing the words to the G.A. song, which was "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations". We had to learn all four verses.

Every year, we would have G.A. Coronation and each group was presented. The Maidens would first be presented as a group. Your name would be called out and each girl would walk the aisle of the Church. When all candidates reached the platform, each candidate would be given their Maiden emblem. The Maidens were followed by the Ladies In-Waiting, which were presented in the same manner, followed by all receiving the Princess candidates. When it was time for the Queens to be presented, a fanfare would sound and someone would announce the Queen candidate. They would say something like "Queen Judy of the House of Stubblefield" and I would go to the front. The Queens were presented individually. For those receiving the first Queen designation, a younger girl would be the crown bearer and carry the crown on a white silk pillow. When we got to the front, we would kneel on another white pillow and be crowned. After the Queens were presented, then the Queens with Scepters would be presented. They would have a scepter bearer who would carry their scepter on a pillow. They were presented with their Scepter once they reached the front. Then the same procedure was followed by the Queen Regents. Their cape bearers carried their cape on the pillow. The Director would then place the cape on each Queen Regent.

This was a very special ceremony rewarding us for the hard work we did in earning our designations. Afterwards a reception was held in our honor in the fellowship hall.

I aged out of G.A.s just as the organization was reorganized by the Southern Baptist Convention. The Junior G.A.s became Girls in Action (still called G.A.s) and the Senior G.A.s are now called ACTEENS.

Teacher's Perspective: Prior to the start of Vacation Bible School, which was held Monday through Friday mornings, church members would go door to door to the houses in the areas around the church and distribute flyers about our upcoming VBS and encourage the parents to send their children. Members also distributed these flyers to homes in their neighborhoods.

Each year the children attending VBS would gather as a class and they would take part in recreation, music, crafts, and snacks and spend time learning God's Word in the classroom. Wednesday night of VBS was 'open house' when children would bring their parents/guardians/friends to their classroom. This provided another way to share God's Word.

On the Sunday afternoon prior to Monday's VBS opening day, the classroom teachers spent hours decorating their classrooms with themes derived from the week's VBS lessons. One year we had a sandbox filled with two bags of sand which was used to search for hidden treasures. Donated jewelry was buried in the sand and the children searched for these hidden treasures which also included the Bible verses they were to memorize.

One year classroom decorations included picking up empty appliance boxes from Modern TV & Appliance and painting and decorating them as a 'house' or community would appear in Biblical times. Fabric and other decorative items and robes completed the decor.

The lesson on Paul's journeys as he traveled via ship came to life as one teacher (Paula White) used pictures of her cruise to Alaska to share the story. She included what it was like to be on a ship and compared it to how Paul traveled during his lifetime.

Another year a teacher whose upstairs classroom was the farthest from the second-floor stairwell brought a bale of hay into the classroom as part of her classroom decorations. The children enjoyed 'playing in the hay' and when Friday afternoon arrived, it was no longer a bale of hay. Unfortunately, clean-up did not proceed as the teacher planned and straw was scattered all along the hallway and down the stairs all the way outdoors to the playground sidewalk. These remaining straws of hay were left for the custodians to clean up. I had completed cleaning up my classroom and was walking down the hallway to go home. Seeing all the straw lying in the carpeted hallway, which could not be vacuumed, and was not sweeping up well, Associate Pastor Pat McDonald, Custodian George Day, and I, with my children helping, picked up the straws of hay leaving the hallway and stairwell cleared of all the straw. It was quite a tedious job.

With the move to the new church on South W. S. Young, the front of the sanctuary was decorated with the VBS theme. Members, including Anne Cina, used their artistic abilities to create magnificent scenic displays which made one feel they were part of the story. As the years progressed, the scenic displays became more elaborate, and volunteers spent days preparing them. Each VBS day began with the children sitting in their grade designated group with their teacher and assistants. The opening ceremony included songs with motions which the children easily learned and a brief video story and message. Following this, the children would rotate from their classroom to other activity areas. During their music time, the children learned the motions to the songs. Crafts were usually completed each day but occasionally a class would have a week-long project. Outside recreation activities included games and competitions. In inclement weather, the Fellowship Hall was used but these activities were less physical. Snack time began with the pledges to the American Flag, Christian Flag, and the Bible followed by a prayer. After the children finished their refreshments, and before departing the area, they gathered near the stage and sang while they did the motions to the songs. On Thursday and Friday, the older children had an abbreviated snack time as they assembled in the sanctuary to hear the pastor present the Plan of Salvation. Each day ended with the groups in the sanctuary singing and listening to God's message. Parents waited outside the sanctuary until the children were dismissed before walking to the pew to 'check out' their child.

Since the lock down for COVID and no VBS that summer, attendance has dropped significantly. It is our prayer that in the coming years we will see hundreds of children attending VBS and members willing to volunteer their time to bring God's message to our future generations.

In conclusion, I am thankful to all the volunteers throughout the years that have aided in making our summer VBS successful in spreading the Word of God to those in our community. Thank you for your Christian service.

Student's Perspective: Judy Stubblefield Tyler, one of our lifelong church members who attended VBS faithfully through the years, tells a powerful story. "Growing up in FBCK and going to VBS are great memories. I don't remember ever not going to VBS in the summer. We would start gearing up as soon as school let out. A highlight of Saturday before VBS began was decorating the city busses that the Church rented and then riding around town in them yelling, 'Come to Vacation Bible School.'

Vacation Bible School lasted for two weeks and included all ages, nursery babies through high schools students. The Church ran bus routes throughout the city, picking up and dropping off the kids. Riding those busses was almost as much fun as attending VBS! When we got to the Church each morning, we would line up outside, behind our banner, and then enter the building in groups. Our church was full of kids! Classes included Bible lessons (John 3:16, for example), mission lessons, and crafts, all conducted inside our classroom. Our craft project took a full week to complete. When VBS ended, we each had at least two projects to show our parents and then take home. We also went to music class and enjoyed recreation and refreshments. The main snack was red Kool-Aid and cookies. I remember that one year we had a special treat on the last day: DQ ICE CREAM SANDWICHES!

At the end of our two weeks, we had parent night. Each group presented some kind of entertainment. Most sang a song; some put on a skit. After the program, we would take our parents to the fellowship hall to see all the things we had learned and what we had made. One year, I believe it was at the end of my sophomore year in high school, our project was a pencil holder. My mom was talking to a friend as they walked around looking at the crafts. When they got to the table where my class had our pencil holders, Mom pointed out the one that she thought was the prettiest. When she picked it up and saw my name on it, she was embarrassed. She was afraid that her friend would think that she was boasting, bragging on her daughter. I kept that pencil holder for years, ntil the macaroni decorations began to deteriorate.

At the end of VBS we received a certificate. If you didn't miss a day, you got a gold seal on your certificate. I loved that gold seal.

Those were the good 'ole days."