The Golden Triangle has been dubbed "The Bible Belt" from time to time. Seems like we have a church on nearly every corner of our community. If you set aside doctrinal differences, is there anything that makes one church different from the next?

Some churches have a large membership, some small. Some are known for their music and others for a beautiful building. Some are quite friendly, while others are a bit cold. Some are "black," some are "white," and some are a cultural mix. While most churches offer something unique to their congregation, Beaumont's First Baptist Church is home to our area's only Deaf Church. True, many churches make an interpreter available, but the Deaf membership at FBC have their own pastor, own ministries, events and fellowships.

First Baptist Church was established in March of 1872 and was then known as "Beaumont Baptist Church." This historical church used to call home to the beautiful stone building located at Pearl and Forsythe Streets which is now the Tyrrell Historical Library. This church was instrumental in the establishment of the former Baptist Hospital and the Baptist Student Union (now Baptist Student Ministry) building at Lamar University. Today, FBC is home to unique ministries such as the aforementioned Deaf Church, a Chinese Church, Inner City Hands Up Ministry (feeding the homeless every Wednesday night) and more.

One more cool tidbit:

• By 1900, Beaumont had a population of approximately 9000. The church was being pastored by Reverend John Allen Sharp and Patillo Higgins, a former one-armed gunslinger who was saved in a First Baptist Church revival, was teaching Sunday School. No one except Higgins envisioned the event that was about to change Beaumont forever. It was Higgins' new life in Christ that directly led to Spindletop. Frequently he would take his Sunday School class on outings to a slat dome about three miles south of Beaumont. Higgins received help from George W. Carroll, a fellow member of First Baptist Church, and Captain George O'Brien. They formed a corporation called the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company. The company was named for Gladys Bingham, a little girl in Higgins' Sunday School class.

You can visit Beaumont's First Baptist Church at 900 Calder or online at www.fbcbeaumont.org. Going to Kid's Fest on August 18? Stop by their booth!

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