Clay Street Baptist Church is one of Waco’s numerous Baptist church. The history of this church seems to have been forgotten. This news article will explain some of the history behind Clay Street Baptist Church.
The First Baptist Church donated a lot at the corner of South 15th Street and Webster Avenue for the Second Baptist Church and Dr. B. H. Carroll organized the church after a revival in 1886. Second Baptist Church originally had 50 charter members. Clay Street Baptist Church was originally first called Second Baptist Church. The first pastor of Second Baptist Church later purchased property at 11th Street and Clay Street and changed the name of their church to Clay Street Baptist Church. The location Clay Street Baptist Church was established and constructed on was known then as 11th Street and Clay Street and is now South 11th Street and Clay Avenue. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/47956605/)
The church changed names multiple times and merged with others so there are various other churches mentioned throughout many records. Several years later the name was changed to Tabernacle. History of the church is scanty because the records burned in a fire in 1932. (Ref: Waco Tribune-Herald, Page 75, Sunday, April 28, 1963)
The church was an independent Baptist Church, meaning it is not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, or any other Baptist group. It had an annual budget of $43,000. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/51161439/)
According to members of the congregation and attendants at the Clay Street Baptist Church, licensed saloons are the greatest of evils. Second to the saloon comes the white slave traffic and third is Sabbath desecration. The dam o hall came fourth, the picture show fifth, the club house sixth. Lying, stealing, indifference, evil dress by women and hypocrisy were voted as being great evils. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/48077861/)
Revival service was conducted under the tutelage and conservatorship of Dr. A. J. Barton by 1913. Dr. A. J. Barton drew large crowds during his revival services.
Revival services began being held in a tent in the summer of 1915. This tent provided comfort in the hottest of weather in Waco. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/44356238/)
“The first service in the tent which will be used during the revival of the Clay Street Baptist church was held last night, the tent was erected yesterday on tin church lawn, and provides comfort in the hottest weather”
Clay Street Baptist Church decided to move their church from 11th Street and Clay Street to 15th Street and Clay Street in October 1915. This came as the culmination of a plan long cherished by the pastor, Rev. O. E. Bryan, and doubtless by many of his congregation. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43895923/)
“In a special conference last night, the Clay Street Baptist church decided on a new location at the corner of Fifteenth and Clay streets. This came as the culmination of a plan long cherished by the pastor. Rev. O. E. Bryan, and doubtless by many of his congregation. The matter of a new site was brought up last Sunday and the church invited an advisory committee to view out the field and recommend a future building site.”
[The committee spent yesterday surveying the situation and preparing their report. At the church list night a large and very representative number of the members were present to hear the findings of the committee. The report was adopted very heartily and unanimously. Those present say they have scarcely ever seen a movement so grave and so important carried through with such splendid feeling and spontaneous spirit. The report as adopted follows: "We, the undersigned, acting as a committee, invited by Clay Street church to advise as to the question of site for its future work, recommend the site at Fifteenth and Clay streets."]
Some of the reasons leading to this recommendation are as follows:
1. Deference to a general expectation. For more than a year there seems to have been a general feeling that Clay Street church would ultimately be located as to meet the needs of the entire southwest section of the city. While the church is, of course, not bound by this public expectation, we feel that it would be well for the church to fulfill, as much as possible, without doing violence to its own work, this expectation on the part of the Baptist facility of the city.
2. Unifying on common ground the interests of the entire community. Facility is always to be desired and is, in fact, essential to the most efficient work. It seems to us that the location recommended would, more than any other, call out the co-operative activity of the whole section to be ministered to by this church.Caring for the entire field. Not only is the location recommended favorably situated, when viewed from the standpoint of the convenience of all the community, but it also meets the sociological, economic and evangelistic needs of this entire section.
Clay Street Baptist Church had a membership of 735 and was rapidly expanding by the year of 1915. This meant the church needed to relocate. So Clay Street Baptist Church decided to move their church from 11th Street and Clay Street to 15th Street and Clay Street in 1915. (Ref: Waco Morning News, October 31, 1915)
“Clay Street Baptist Church is located at Eleventh and Clay streets. But it has just been decided to remove the Church to fifteenth and Clay an option having been procured on necessary ground at this point. Rev. O. E. Bryan is the pastor of the Church which is rapidly expanding. It has the organizations of the average Baptist Church with a membership of 735. The value of the church property is placed at $9,000.”
A contract for the construction of a modern church building for the Clay Street Baptist Church was advertised in the Waco Morning News on December 13, 1915. This modern church building would be located at 15th Street and Clay Street. The original church building in that location was torn down and demolished. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/43897468/)
“Contract will be let within the next weeks for the construction of a modern church building for the Clay Street Baptist church, to be erected at Fifteenth and Clay streets. The new building is an outgrowth of the consolidation of the Clay Street Baptist Church with the Ross Avenue Baptist Church. The Ross Avenue church was moved last week from Twentieth and Ross Street to the new building site at Fifteenth and Clay. Prayer meetings and other gatherings will be held in the auditorium this building. Sunday services will be held in the present Clay street church at Eleventh and Clay streets. Within the next few weeks the church at Fifteenth and Clay will be torn down and much of the building material used in the construction of the new church at Fifteenth and Clay. The new building will be out of stucco, somewhat similar of the Cotton Palace.”
Then Clay Street Baptist Church merged with Bell's Hill Baptist Church and moved to Fifteenth Street and Clay Avenue in 1915. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/47956605/)
The old Clay Street Baptist Church disbanded some time prior to the mid-20th century. Exactly when is unknown. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/47942294/)
Clay Street Baptist Church was originally located at 520 South 11th Street, Waco, Texas, US 76706.
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