Book Review of The First Baptist Church of Dallas

The First Baptist Church of Dallas: Centennial History (1868-1968)

by Leon McBeth

Zondervan Pub. House (1968), Edition: First Edition first Printing, Hardcover, 358 pages

This book covers the first one-hundred years of one of the most influential churches in the Southern Baptist Convention, including the lengthy pastorates of great men like George W. Truett and W. A. Criswell.  Here is my review, after reading about half the book so far.  I occasionally post book reviews like this on my entry for the book on librarything.com, where I catalogue all our family's books.

Book Review:

Many better books I have read, but fewer better stories. What the author lacks in style is more than made up for by the subject matter covered. The great working of Jesus Christ through the lives and ministry of His humble servants like George W. Truett, W. A. Criswell and lesser-known men before them in Dallas and state-wide is portrayed in this work. Such accounts, often teetering on the unbelievable or miraculous to a modern-day Christian, will thrill the soul of any Baptist, every preacher and all saints who love to be encouraged in the mysterious Providence of the God we serve.

Every chapter details events that make me want to shout "Glory," or get on my knees calling down the same blessings on my own ministry, or jump head first into new endeavors of service with renewed vigor and confidence in Christ. From the struggling starts of early Baptist works in Dallas, through doctrinal controversy involving the entire Southern Baptist Convention, through church strife or personal disaster as well as blessed times, what shines through in this amazing story is the working of the God of all grace, Who uses flawed men and women to accomplish His will.

I give this book four stars out of a possible five, detracting none for the story and only one for the author's mildly annoying habit of circling around the bush and back again before diving into the main vein of every chapter. The biographical material on the men and women of First Baptist is excellent. The extensive and exhaustive research into local church and Convention records aids in understanding the character and times of this story. The author occasionally places too much focus on numbers and extravagance and denominational machinery, but this may be a true reflection of the focus of the church at times. The only other complaint, a mild one at best, is that the book sometimes seems slightly targeted at readers who were current First Baptist members or at least those familar with the Southern Baptist works of central Texas. For a reader who only has a passing acquaintance with names like B. H. Carroll, J. B. Cranfill and other men of the day, or the colleges and factions of the time, I would have appreciated more background information on them to better understand the roles they played in the history of this leading church in their movement. But perhaps this work would have been double its size and not worth reading if it included all I think it should have. I rejoice instead for the amazing glory of God shown in the accounts given and I pray God will keep using people today the way He worked in the past, as portrayed in this work.

Victor E. Mowery, June 6, 2015 ( )

A personal note by Victor Mowery that is not a part of this review: I would not today endorse the Southern Baptist Convention or the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

VM