Our Story
Greenbrier Baptist Church was received into the Alvarado Baptist Association by petitionary letter in 1879. W.C. Edwards was the first pastor of the 17 member congregation. For many years, this congregation met in the schoolhouse, alternating weekly services with the Methodist congregation. After the Baptists erected a building, they met there weekly for Sunday School and for worship services every 1st and 3rd Sunday. They continued to meet with the Methodists on the 2nd and 4th Sunday for worship. It is best determined that the only buildings the Baptists ever built until 2009 was the structure erected in 1904 on a tract of land donated by Nathan Bast.
Greenbrier and Stubblefield were adjacent communities. Around 1915, an explosion in a whiskey still brought economic ruin to Stubblefield, the communities joined to form the community of Greenfield, but the church kept its original community name.
In the early 1900′s, there was a Baptist youth organization in the church (BYPU) which was heavily attended as this was the main youth activity outside the home. Baptisms were conducted in a nearby tank and later held in the Baptist Church in Alvarado. In 1918, five daughters in the C.F. Smith family were baptized on the same Sunday afternoon in the church’s tank following a fervent revival conducted by the Rev. W. H. Knight, a student evangelist studying at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Gospel singings continued to be a highlight of community activity as were the many revivals that were held at the church.
It was not until 1960 that the Baptists began having regular weekly Sunday meetings, with Wednesday night prayer meetings being added at a later date. Bible School was a special event in the life of the community during the 1950′s and early 1960′s under the leadership of Rev. Earl Hall and continued under Rev. Bill Malone.
Today, Greenbrier Baptist Church meets in a new building that shares the property with the historic church building. While treasuring our rich history, we’re excited to see God move today. We refuse to believe that our best days are behind us and that Greenbrier is a place where God used to save people.
Planted firmly in the past, we look forward to all that God is doing today and will do tomorrow. We believe that this is a place where Jesus still saves.
