About Us
Learn about our beliefs, history, staff, and our church’s culture.
Our Story
In 1939, four Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary students held revivals in Watauga, inspiring fifteen others to found Watauga Baptist Church with Dr. L. R. Scarborough delivering the inaugural sermon. Led by Rev. Kelly Johnson, the church began its journey of faith, later becoming First Baptist Watauga.
In 1941, the Texas T&P Rail Company donated land for the church’s first building, marking the start of its growth. Over the years, leadership and spaces evolved, but the Spirit’s guidance and commitment to serving the community remained constant.
As a sending church, we’ve equipped pastors, missionaries, and ministers to serve worldwide, continuing the mission established by our founders. Today, our purpose is to glorify Christ by exalting the Savior, equipping the saints, and evangelizing the lost.
You are always welcome at First Baptist Watauga. Take your next step with us—grow in faith, find community, and share the hope of the Gospel. Plan a visit and discover how God is weaving you, not into our story, but into His.
Our Beliefs
Discover the core beliefs of First Baptist Watauga about Jesus, the Bible, and the Church. Let's explore these fundamental principles that guide our faith and shape our community.
GOD
There is only one true God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Redeemer of all people, Preserver of His creation, and Ruler of the universe, who eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-18; John 16:5-15)
SALVATION
Salvation is a free gift of God and is received by individual people through personal faith in Jesus Christ by His sacrifice on the cross for sin. A person is justified by grace through faith apart from works and all true believers, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever. (Acts 13:38-39; Romans 4:5, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38-39; John 10:27-29; Ephesians 2:8-9)
THE BIBLE
All Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, is divinely inspired, is inerrant in the original manuscripts, and serves as the final authority in all matters of belief and behavior (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible, therefore, is the foundation for all of our preaching and teaching and all that we do.
THE CHURCH
A New Testament church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. (Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 5:4, 12:12; Ephesians 5:22-23; Matthew 28:18-20)
BAPTISM
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to live a new life in Christ. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper. (Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 2:41-42; Colossians 2:12)
THE LORD’S SUPPER
The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming. (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Acts 20:7)
Our Church
I’m NEW TO CHURCH, and I’m wondering...
Am I going to feel out of place?
We hope not! Visiting a church for the first time can be awkward, uncomfortable, or even a little weird if you’ve never been in a church before. However, know that if you ever come in our doors, we want you to feel welcomed, loved, and cared for!
What should I wear?
Come as you are! You'll find a wide range of dress at First Baptist Watauga, from t-shirts & shorts to dresses and sport coats.
I don’t know what happens at church... What am I getting myself into?
Every Sunday, we come together to worship Jesus and study His Word. We open our services by reading the Bible and respond in song (sometimes with a full band, sometimes in a more laid-back setting). One of our pastors then teaches from the Bible verse-by-verse, to teach us about God and how the Bible applies to us. We wrap up our service with a chance for anyone to respond, where we have people ready to pray with you.
I’m A CHRISTIAN, and I’m wondering...
Are you guys serious about the Bible?
We’re incredibly serious! Our desire and aim is for every part of our church life, whether it's small groups, congregational worship, or sermons, to be firmly grounded in the infalable Word of God.
Aren’t Baptists all about rules and regulations?
We pray that we’re all about Jesus! As its been said by many, Christianity isn’t a religon, it’s a relationship with a very real and personal Savior. We don’t try to please God with a hope that He’ll accept us. Quite the opposite! We try to live lives pleasing to Him becasuse He saved us. Or as it says in 1 John 4:9, “We love because he first loved us.”
Do you sing hymns or contemporary songs?
The simple answer to that question is both! At First Baptist Watauga, we care less about the age of the song or the style, and more about these things: that what we sing is rooted in God’s Word, that what we sing is singable for God’s people, and that what we sing is ultimately for God’s glory.
We actually have a Spotify playlist with many of the songs and hymns we sing collectively as a church body. Feel free to check it out!
Our Staff
We consider Christ the head of the church (Col. 1:18). As we serve Him, we serve you.
Our Deacons
What are deacons? - Deacons are model servants called by God and affirmed by the local church to serve His church alongside its pastors. [See Acts 6:1-7]
Some other great churches
Perhaps were not the church that you need to call home. That’s perfectly okay! Our heart’s desire is for you to be obedient to where the Lord is leading you. Let us know how we can pray for you as you search. And to help you as you look, here are just a few great churches here in our area.
