Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Church gets new steeple

According to information gathered from old records and "old timers", First Baptist Church was formed in 1882 by Bro. W.A. Forbes.

Forbes was the principal of the Arkadelphia Baptist High School, which today is known as Ouachita Baptist University.

Gurdon was founded in 1880 and shortly after that is when the church was founded.

Information recorded at the Arkansas History Commission in Little Rock by the Arkansas Baptist Historical Society indicates that on September 23, 1882, the 34th Annual Session of the Red River Baptist Association met in Nevada County at Providence Church.

Gurdon petitioned for membership in the association and was received.

The Gurdon Baptist Church was then formed with seven charter members. However, during the 1894 the Red River Association meeting was held at Southfork. Statistics indicate Gurdon Baptist Church received five members by baptism and 13 by letter and made the total membership of the church 26.

Around 1915, a group of members from the church could not see eye-to-eye on things and withdrew from the church. This was when Beech Street Baptist Church was formed. At that time the Gurdon Baptist Church changed its name to First Baptist Church.

During the past several years First Baptist Church has grown and seen several pastors come and go.

At this time Brother Paul Sheets is ministering to the church.

The congregation is still growing and the church recently received a steeple. At no time in all of the church's history has it had a steeple.