First Baptist Church

 Our Legacy

The First Baptist Church of Crestview is the result of God's rich blessings through the commitment of many faithful Christians. The founding fathers were willing to sacrifice and act upon their faith. To appreciate the present, one must look to the past. Many people from various walks of life and over the many eras and decades have been a part of the continued history of this church.

Through The Years

Since 1889 when Milligan Baptist Church sponsored a Baptist Mission in Crestview, efforts were made to have an established Baptist Church. Services were held bi-monthly; first in the Masonic Hall and then in the Congregational Church. The first known pastor was J. E. Holley who served the church from 1890-1891. This mission was disbanded in 1906. Services were held sporadically afterward by a few interested Baptists with pastors from neighboring churches preaching once or twice a month. Reorganization was attempted in January 1916.
After reorganization, the members elected C. B. Ferdon and R. J. Diamond as messengers to attend a February meeting in Milton. Even though this effort failed, the Baptists continued to work.

On August 8, 1917, a committed group came together and started a church, which would become the First Baptist Church of Crestview. The Rev. J. D. Wilkes came from Milton to help organize the church. He became the first pastor. Some of the known charter members included:

Services were held monthly in the Northern Methodist Church located on what is now Main Street. Rev. Wilkes appointed a committee to raise funds for a church building. In the fall of 1917, a frame building with a sawdust floor was built at 152 Hickory Avenue. It was called The Baptist Tabernacle. Goats would enter the building during the week leaving fleas and an unpleasant smell. After the school building burned, The Baptist Tabernacle was used as a school. Once, adventurous boys turned eighteen owls loose in the building causing more problems for both the school teacher and the congregation.

 1920's

In 1920, The Baptist Tabernacle building was sold and a new frame building was built at 516 North Main Street. It was known as Crestview Baptist Church. It included the first pastorium and a combination sanctuary and educational building.

The church had plans to build a $10,000.00 sanctuary and a pastorium. When $2,000.00 was raised, a load of cement was bought. Before it was used, the post WWI depression set in and the cement was sold to the City of Crestview. It was used for sidewalks from the courthouse to the L&N Depot. The city suffered financially and was unable to pay for the cement. The only thing to show for this effort was an unfinished pastorium that was used for a church building.  A partition constructed across the back of the building created space for four Sunday School rooms.

1940's

The church felt the impact of the Florida land boom. People stopped in Crestview and made it their home. Continued growth made additional space a necessity. A third building was started in the early 1940's. Mr. J. A. Edenfield, a carpenter and brick mason, donated time and labor at night to complete the building. Truly, this was a labor of love. In a business meeting, Mrs. O. H. Thomason made a motion to change the name to First Baptist Church of Crestview.

In 1945, the church-property was sold and ten lots of the present property were purchased for $3,500. Two frame buildings were moved from Main Street to the Hickory Avenue side of the new property. These buildings were used until a new sanctuary and educational facility could be built.

At the end of the 1940s, a mission church was begun by the First Baptist Church.  Mr. T. H. Edney donated four lots and the mission began there. It later became Southside Baptist Church. Recently, the church name was changed to Central Baptist Church.

1950's

The sanctuary which fronts Cedar Ave, was completed in 1951. Mr. J. A. Edenfield and Mr. Dave Gordon were in charge of the building project. The building was completed and furnished at a cost of approximately $128,869. After the sanctuary was finished, a pastorium at 798 North Pearl Street was completed for $4,500.00. The pastor was Reverend Joe. W. Hough.

In the mid-1950's the first wing of the educational building and Fellowship Hall were built at a cost of $149,879. The wooden buildings that had served as pastorium, sanctuary, and educational buildings passed into history.

Early in this decade, the church sponsored a mission which later became Evelenar Baptist Church. In 1955, the church continued its local mission effort. It purchased property on North Ferdon Boulevard to start a mission church; later to be named Woodlawn Baptist Church.

1960's

The second wing of the educational building, a memorial chapel, and offices were completed early in 1960 at a cost of $172,444. In 1961, the furnishings in the memorial chapel were given as memorials to loved ones.

In 1965 another home was purchased to house the pastor. The house was located on North Main Street and was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Harris for $35,000.00. The church paid $10,000.00 in cash and the remainder in church bonds. The assistant pastor and educational director then used the Pearl Street pastorium.

A sanctuary renovation and redecorating project was undertaken in 1966. L. L. Sams and Sons of Waco, Texas reworked the pews, installed stained glass in the windows, replaced the carpet, and added chandeliers. The cost was $75,000.00.

1970's

The three church-owned lots at Cypress and Webb Street were sold in May 1973 to Mrs. Z. P. Brown for $5,000.00. In February 1975 the church bought property on the corner of Hickory and Main Street from the estate of Dr. LeDue Stephens for $16,500.00 to be used for parking and recreation areas.

In 1977 the two pastoriums and the church plant were renovated at a cost of approximately $140,000.00. John Stafford and Mack Keith supervised this work. The value of all church properties in early 1975 was $1,400,000.00. The church made progress in keeping with the community's progress as the original membership of nineteen grew to thirteen hundred by 1978.

1990's

In 1992, the First Baptist Church of Crestview celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary. Memories were stirred as the present members recalled the sacrifices, struggles, dreams, and accomplishments of the early visionaries who formed this Family of Faith. Former Pastors present for the occasion were Hal Hunter, Carroll Caldwell, Anthony Kay, Bill Coffman and Gene Waterson, who brought the morning message.

During the 1990's, renovation was done to adapt the facilities to the needs and challenges of the times. Educational space was renovated and a fellowship hall stands in what was once the courtyard. The entire education area was put under one roof with a third floor and an elevator added.

2000's

The church dedicated the remodeled education building in October 2000. First Baptist Church was recognized as being among the top 100 churches in the Florida Baptist Convention in giving through the Cooperative Program. First Baptist Church of Crestview has had its high points and adversities, but through it all has been triumphant because it has proclaimed God's message. Some of the greatest souls that any church could possess, have passed through the doors to be blessed, comforted, inspired, married, buried, and sheltered from the storms of life - all aided in the hour of spiritual need. So its history has been more than the history of its faithful members; its experiences have at times carried the membership to the mountaintops of glorious moments of joy and achievement. The church has kept the faith. The future for First Baptist Church is as bright as the promises of God.

In 2005 the church voted to build a new building which included a new sanctuary, church office, nursery, and choir suite. Building began in 2006 with a ground breaking ceremony on December 3, 2006. Pastor Alan Kilgore led the ground breaking ceremony. The last Sunday service in the old sanctuary was held on June 22, 2008.

The first worship service in the new sanctuary was held, 10:30AM – 12:00PM, on Sunday, June 29, 2008. The first words spoken from the pulpit was by Pastor Alan Kilgore who began by saying, “Jesus is Lord”. Mark Salisbury, Chairman of the Construction Committee spoke. [First he summarized the events and actions, beginning in 2004, when the Long Range Planning Committee began to assess the possibility of a new sanctuary. With church body approval, a concept of a new sanctuary, office and nursery took form and was designed.] During the service, Jeff Barber led in a prayer of thanksgiving. Hayward Davis, Chairman of the Deacons, led in the offertory prayer. Reverend Kilgore preached the pastoral message. The choir sang three numbers during the service. Elaine Burgess was the pianist, and Tommy Watts, was guest organist. Paul Conrad led the congregational singing and choir specials.

The church dedicated the new sanctuary on August 24, 2008.

Participants in Building the new sanctuary, 2004 – 2008.

From Our Roots

Lance Clayton Richbourg - Lance was about 19 years old when the church was formed. He later attended the University of Florida and played baseball there. He caught the interest of professional baseball teams and played for the Giants, Boston Braves, Washington Senators, and Chicago Cubs. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had two children, Lance, and Elizabeth. During the 1950’s and 1960’s he was the Okaloosa County School Superintendent. He was born December 18, 1897 in DeFuniak Springs, FL and died September 10, 1975 in Crestview. Lance Richbourg had his best major league season in 1928 when he was in the top ten in the league in several batting categories. Although he played most of his major league career for the Boston Braves, early in his career he was on the 1924 World Series champion Washington Senators, and at the end of his career he was on the pennant-winning 1932 Chicago Cubs.

E. A. Fleming - was a dentist in Crestview. He may have been the only dentist for several years. He had two children, Dale and Nellie. Dale later became a dentist and established his practice in Crestview. Nellie married Lewis E. Bowers Jr., who was a businessman in Crestview.

W. H. Mapoles - was a state representative. He sponsored legislation to create Okaloosa County.

T. H. Edney - was a real estate businessman.