Welcome to First Baptist Church

We exist to assist others in their walk with God and serve our community

Bible Fellowship Groups

Find friends and better understand God’s Word in a small group which meets weekly. We have a variety of groups meeting on both Sundays and weekdays.

Youth Pastor Search

If you or someone you know would like to apply, please click on the "Youth Pastor Search" title for a direct link to the Vanderbloemen Search Group website posting for this job.

Children’s Ministry

Let us help instill character and spiritual values into your children through Sunday School, Missions Activities, Children’s Choir, and other activities.

Recently, the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News carried a front-page story entitled “Abuse of Faith” which recounted numerous times in which children and youth had been sexually abused by leaders in Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) churches. They created a database of roughly 380 individuals including those “who were convicted, credibly accused and successfully sued, and those who confessed or resigned.” There are more on the list from Texas than from any other state. It is a database which has long been needed. The series of articles relates that since SBC churches are autonomous and independent, there is not a central means to screen staff members. However, there are things which can be done, including creating a national and ongoing database and removing churches from the convention which knowingly fail to report such incidents to such a database.

For those who have been physically or sexually abused in any context, if you have not already done so, I would strongly encourage you to reach out to a trained professional who can help. Three sources where you can receive assistance are:

• The National Hotline for Domestic Violence number is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
• The National Child Abuse Hotline number is 1-800-422-4453.
• The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network number is 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

For abuse victims who desire professional counseling, our church partners with the Oakwood Counseling Center in New Braunfels and we will usually cover half of the cost for our members who utilize their services. Any form of abuse should always be reported to law enforcement authorities. If you were abused as a child, you can report it to Child Protective Services. Even if the statute of limitations has expired, by reporting it the incident may appear on background checks.

While I am not aware of any incidents in our church during the eighteen years I have served here, we can never become complacent in the battle against evil and must safeguard our children and others who are vulnerable with all means available. We must, as Jesus said, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Pastor Brice Mandaville