First Baptist Church Zapata

If These Walls Could Speak...

...they would tell a story of one woman's vision to reach children, and how that vision took root in the hearts of others and grew into what is now First Baptist Church Zapata. If these walls could speak of the oft heard story of Mrs. Emilia Perez Bland's in-home kindergarten, which began in the winter of 1954, and which became the catalyst for in-home Bible studies. They would speak of E.L. Kelly coming to Zapata in the Spring of 1954 and eleven people coming to know Jesus as Savior at his first service here.
These walls would tell that in May 1957, the first building (now the Fellowship hall) was completed. Ten years later the walls of the current sanctuary were raised.
Many great men of God have put forth His Word within the these walls... E.L. Kelly, Eddie Young, B.R. Wilkes, Carl Leeper, W.D. Shores, David Spence, Jerry Coy, David Rogers, Mack Caffey, Preston Taylor, and Lee Ortegon. These men served God both inside and outside these walls.
But of all the things these walls would say, they would consider this one thing their greatest honor: that for many years they have had the privilege of holding safely within them the body of Christ every time it gathered here. Whether two or three people or two or three hundred, no brick or mortar can serve a finer purpose than this!