First Baptist Church, Walker, Missouri, Records, 1948-1975, 1993 (C3947)

.4 linear feet on 1 roll of microfilm

MICROFILM

INTRODUCTION

Records of the First Baptist Church of Walker, Vernon County, Missouri.

DONOR INFORMATION

The First Baptist Church, Walker, Missouri, Records were loaned to the University of Missouri for copying by the church through Charles Foreman, Sr. on November 7, 1995 (Accession No. 5570).

ORGANIZATIONAL SKETCH

The earliest reference to the First Baptist Church in Walker, Missouri, is in the 1875 Minutes of the Eighth Annual Session of the Nevada United Baptist Association. In that year H. Hale was listed as pastor, C. J. Taylor was listed as a delegate to the association, and the clerk was L. M. Dixon. The post office for the church was at Virgil City, Missouri.

The church met at members' homes until 1879 when a wooden building with a belfry was built on the corner of 6th and Leslie in Walker. In 1894 missionary pastor S. M. Victor was at Walker for a quarter of a year and the church had 37 members.

After the resignation of pastor M. L. Belsher in 1909, the pulpit committee reported that they were unable to locate a pastor, and it was voted to give the Presbyterians use of the church building for six months. There were 57 members in 1917 who met every fourth Sunday for services.

On Monday afternoon, August 12, 1926, sparks from a Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad locomotive ignited a grass fire which eventually destroyed the church. The building was not insured, but the M-K-T paid $3,000 to cover the loss. In April 1927 a corner lot on Marvin Avenue was purchased as the site for construction of a new church. Church members borrowed $2,500 to build and furnish the building and Lawrence W. Cleland was hired as pastor at a salary of $20 a month.

A record of subsequent improvements made to the church building, activities of its members, lists of pastors and officers, and other data can be found in volume 6 of these records. The church is now affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The records of the First Baptist Church of Walker, Missouri, consist of record books containing membership rolls and minutes of church business meetings spanning the period 1948-1975. Earlier church records have been destroyed. A short history of the church compiled by members in 1993 follows the record books and includes lists of pastors, church officers, financial information, and other details.

VOLUME LIST

v. 1Record book, 1948-1956
v. 2Record book, 1956-1964
v. 3Record book, 1964-1971
v. 4Record book, Walker Brotherhood, 1964-1967
v. 5Record book, 1971-1975
v. 6History of First Baptist Church Walker, Missouri 1875-1993

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

  • Baptist Church--Missouri, Walker
  • Church records
  • Churches--Missouri, Walker
  • First Baptist Church, Walker, Missouri
  • Missouri, Vernon County
  • Missouri, Walker