The third new sanctuary for the First Baptist Church of Dallas is a gigantic amphitheater (some say a TV station set) that can comfortably hold 3000 people. Now spread over 5 city blocks in downtown Dallas. First Baptist of Dallas is one of the oldest megachurches in the United States. As of 2013, over 11,000 people are registered members of the church.
For more on the history of First Baptist Dallas, see the church website here:http://www.firstdallas.org/our-legacy/
"Dallas in the mid-1800s was wild and reckless. Several Baptist churches were run out of town before eight women and three men formed our determined little congregation and put down roots in 1868. Our first building on Akard cost a whopping $6,000. We soon outgrew it. The cornerstone of the historic sanctuary where Day One Worship is held today was laid in 1890. The campus now covers six city blocks. That definitely puts us in the category of large churches; however, one thing our members have been able to do through the past century and a half is maintain the feeling of a warm, intimate community. We hear it over and over again: This doesn’t feel like a huge church.
Through the years, First Baptist Dallas has been a downtown anchor and a nationally recognized beacon of Bible teaching, a tradition that began with the earliest of First Dallas’ legendary pastors, George W. Truett. For 47 years, Dr. Truett led First Dallas to a place of worldwide acclaim and phenomenal growth.
Truett’s successor, a visionary leader and riveting preacher, Dr. W.A. Criswell, took charge of the next great transformation of First Baptist Dallas. He brought young families back to the church, and he led a program of aggressive expansion.
Another shepherd, Dr. Robert Jeffress, was called as pastor in 2007. His arrival brought a much-needed tidal shift. Dr. Jeffress is a thoroughly down-to-earth teacher, known for sharing practical and often surprising principles from the scriptures.
Clearly we’ve stood the test of time, and now there’s a fresh energy in the church. But we’re certainly not resting on our laurels. In 2013, we completed a $135 million re-creation of our downtown campus. The project is the largest in modern church history and serves as a “spiritual oasis” covering six blocks of downtown Dallas. With the historic 1890s sanctuary standing gracefully at our center, our new campus now enables First Dallas to remain a spiritual oasis and a testimony of God’s love and truth in the heart of Dallas for generations to come."
And for more on the new campus, see: : (
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"First Baptist of Dallas unveils its new campus
By DAVID FLICK
Staff Writer
Published: 30 March 2013
The Rev. Robert Jeffress hopes the restoration and expansion of First Baptist Church of Dallas will inspire worshippers, but he won’t mind if they’re also wowed.
When the downtown campus is officially inaugurated Sunday with Easter services, worshippers will be greeted with a ¾-acre concourse with a 60-foot cross surrounded by soaring water jets coordinated with sacred music.
Inside the new worship center, a mile of pews can seat 3,000 people in the 178,000-square-foot worship center. Colored LED lighting, and a 142-foot video screen, will enhance the mood of the service. The orchestra platform can be raised at will and the choir screen retracted.
“We’re using technology to enhance worship,” said Jeffress, the congregation’s pastor. “This is a spiritual space. But I think God is a God of beauty. God cares about architecture. We wanted a space that reflects the beauty and majesty of God.”
The project comes at a time, and in a part of town, that in recent years has seen a massive investment in new amenities.
The five-block church campus around Akard and San Jacinto streets is within walking distance of the Dallas Arts District, Klyde Warren Park and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.
Its $130 million price tag is in league with other recent high-profile projects. Klyde Warren Park cost $110 million, compared to $182 million for the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and $185 million for the Perot Museum.
The restoration of the 11,000-member church, moreover, comes in an era when the largest church-building projects are more commonly in the suburbs.
The church’s decision to re-commit to downtown predates his 2007 appointment as pastor, Jeffress notes. But he said he sees the urban location as a defining part of First Baptist’s mission.
“I believe the downtown area will be a source of ministry,” he said. “We want to attract the growing number of people living in both Uptown and downtown. But we will continue to draw people from the entire region.”
Old and new
Though the fountain plaza and the worship center are the most visible new features, the project also includes the five-story Horner Family Center. Sunday school will be housed there; so will three stories of themed playgrounds, a gymnasium, two theaters and a nursery.
Four older buildings were imploded to make way for the new facilities. Among the structures that remain is the historic sanctuary, built in 1890. Although church officials refer to the revived campus as a restoration, virtually all changes have been new construction.
The old sanctuary will be used for weddings and funerals. Beginning April 28, it will host weekly contemporary services that will run concurrently with the traditional service in the new worship center.
First Baptist Academy, though considered a separate entity from the church, will have access to the gymnasium and the new family center.
The renewed campus was designed to be mindful of its surrounding environment in all senses of the word.
Jon Mindrup, who designed the facility for the Dallas-based Beck Group, said the project has applied for a silver certificate from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design organization’s Green Building Rating System.
The facility’s vast areas of glass are energy efficient. Its building systems are designed to lower electricity and water use, he said.
The glass also serves to connect the church with the surrounding city, Jeffress said.
“We wanted a plan that was open and inviting. We wanted people who were passing by to be able to look in and see the activity inside,” he said.
In Dallas since 1868
For well more than a century, the church’s history has been entwined with that of the city that surrounds it.
Founded in 1868, the congregation is just a little more than a quarter of a century younger than Dallas itself.
There were earlier Baptist congregations, but only First Baptist survived. Its first building on Akard Street cost $6,000.
The church achieved prominence under the Rev. G.W. Truett, who was named pastor in 1897 and served for the next 47 years. Under Truett, and his successor, the Rev. W.A. Criswell, First Baptist became the largest Southern Baptist congregation in the country and attracted nationally known speakers.
Through the years, the church has also known controversy, something that has attended the current restoration.
Last month, New York Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow canceled an April appearance intended to be part of the celebration. Although Tebow did not specify why he was canceling, the decision was widely interpreted as discomfort with some of Jeffress’ past comments.
In speeches and interviews, Jeffress has referred to homosexuality as “an abomination to God,” said Islam and Mormonism were each “a heresy from the pit of hell” and said “you can’t be saved being a Jew.”
Jeffress has said that while such comments might offend people, he is following the word of the Bible.
Whatever the other effects, such controversies have not had an apparent effect on fundraising.
Mark Lavvorn, who led the fundraising effort, noted the drive began at the depth of the Great Recession.
“In March 2009, when the Dow was at its lowest point, we met to decide how to proceed,” he recalled. “We decided that the best thing was just to pray and ask God for his help.”
As the preparations for unveiling proceeded, Lavvorn reported that $116 million of the $130 million in pledges has been collected.
“The fact that this is now happening is due to the power of God,” he said."