Memorial Baptist Church of Temple

Less than a decade after its founding in 1881, Temple was fast developing as an important commercial center. Reflecting that growth, plans for this church began in the early 1890s. It was formally chartered as Memorial Mission Chapel on June 5, 1892, with 12 members: 9 women and 3 men. The founder and first pastor was The Rev. John Hill Luther, retired president of Baylor Female College, now the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The church name honored the preacher's son, J.H. Luther, Jr., who died of tuberculosis at age 17. The first building was a small chapel in an early south side addition platted by J.E. Moore, on whose farm the original Temple townsite was located, and W. Goodrich Jones, Luther's son-in-law. Moved to a new site in 1905, the chapel served the congregation until facilities were built here in 1913. Memorial Baptist Church has served its community through such programs as a radio ministry, begun in 1939, and the formation of new churches. It has been associated with several well-known Baptist preachers, including the Rev. H. Carroll Smith and the Rev. B.B. Blaylock. A symbol of Temple's early growth, the church continues to be an important part of the area's religious and cultural heritage. (1991) [Supplemental plaque: The Memorial Baptist Church congregation relocated to this campus in 2005.]

Memorial Baptist Church of Temple is a historical marker in Temple, Bell County, dedicated in 1991. It is one of 226 historical markers documented in Bell County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 411 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.0368, -97.3653 near Temple. The nearest cataloged historic site is Green Oaks Farm (historical marker), about 0.7 miles away. Others within a short drive include Prater Cemetery, Blackland Experiment Station, Substation No. 5, and Marshall, John Leggett.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5027003323. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.