A History of the
First Presbyterian Church
of Waco, Texas

The Central Texas Presbytery, meeting at Oak Island, south of San Antonio, was petitioned by Presbyterians in Waco Village on April 20, 1855 to organize a church in their area. McLennan County had been organized in 1850, and had a total population of approximately 400. Waco Village itself was then only 6 years old. Their request was granted and the first congregation consisted of seventeen members and two ruling Elders.

The initial church service was held in a small Union Church building located on South Second street between Franklin and Jackson Streets. Later, services were held in the Methodist Church which stood at the corner of Franklin and Third Streets.

In 1872, the congregation erected its first church building at the corner of Second & Jackson Streets.

By 1882, the membership had outgrown the first building, and a new church home was completed in 1884 on Austin Avenue just above Eighth Street.

The third and present building was erected on Austin Avenue at Eleventh Street in 1911. A gymnasium was erected in 1922, and it was removed in 1947. A new educational wing was added in 1950. The property was doubled in 1967 with the addition of a landscaped parking lot, including a new entry from the parking lot. In 1972, the chancel was completely remodeled. In 1992, the "First Into the 21st" Building Program was completed which provided a new two story addition along Austin Avenue, an enhanced organ and new case, remodeled fellowship hall and kitchen, a relocated and enhanced children’s playground and remodeled classrooms along with participation in the Bicentennial Fund of the PCUSA. In 1999, the chancel walls were expanded to accommodate a new organ console purchased with funds provided by the Golden Memory Memorial Fund. Later that year, the church purchased property across Austin Avenue that doubled available parking.

During its history, the church has had the following six pastors:

Samuel A. King was born in Woodford County, Kentucky on October 11, 1834. His father was Rev. William M. King, also a Presbyterian minister who died here in Waco in 1883. His mother entered the church triumphant in 1852. The family emigrated to Texas in 1851, locating first at Henderson, then moving to Smith County. Dr. King received his entire education from his father, as schools and colleges were rare at that time in Texas. Following an examination in Theology, Church History, and Polity, and the delivery of a sermon, he was ordained on Saturday, April 5, 1856. This began a period of constant travel, preaching throughout Eastern and Central Texas. He preached forty-five times in 1856 and one hundred twelve times in 1857. In 1858, he preached 131 times, divided among Crockett, Centerville, Palestine, Larissa, Liberty, Rusk, Garden Valley, Randolph, Antrim Church, Fairfield, Union Academy, Waco, San Marcos, and Huntsville. Dr. King married Athelia Ann King, the daughter of Adam C. King, an elder in the church at Crockett, on January 19, 1859.

Dr. King, who first preached in Waco in 1858, riding down from his home in Milford, began preaching once a month in 1863. Four years later, he increased the frequency of his preaching to two Sundays each month. This began a 15 year period of service as the church’s stated supply until he was called by the church and installed as its first full time pastor on June 25, 1882.

Dr. King was active in the national church as well. In 1877, he attended the Pan-Presbyterian Council in Edinburgh, Scotland under appointment of General Assembly. In addition, he served as moderator of the General Assembly, meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1892. Well respected for his biblical knowledge, Dr. King resigned to become Chair of Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas.

Charles T. Caldwell was called from his former position as associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas to be the second pastor of the church on Sept. 1, 1903. Charles Turner Caldwell was born at Bonham, Texas on August 7, 1965. He attended Southwestern Presbyterian University at Clarksville, Tennessee, graduating in 1894. He was ordained to the ministry that same year, and was installed as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Greenville, Texas, where he served until 1901. He then accepted a call as associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Houston, where he served until he was called to Waco.

In 1905, the session granted leave to Dr. Caldwell so that he could tour Europe. He visited Scotland, Belgium, France, and went as far south as Geneva. Both on his way to Europe and upon his return, he made a stop at the Leesburg, Virginia home of Dr. J.W. Lupton, who had served as a pastor in the town where Dr. Caldwell attended the University. Dr. Lupton's youngest daughter, Millicent, proved to be an interesting and attractive young lady, and their engagement was soon announced. They married at Leesburg on October 25, 1906. In 1908, Dr. Caldwell declined a call from the First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Caldwell was very knowledgeable about music and during his tenure at our church, he served on the committee which created The Presbyterian Hymnal, published in the 1920's. He was also a contributing editor to the Southern Presbyterian Journal. Dr. Caldwell tendered his resignation on January 25, 1937, due to his declining health. In February of that year, the Session elected his as Pastor Emeritus.

Theodore B. Hay was called from Westminster Presbyterian Church of Memphis, Tennessee on September 19, 1937 as the third minister of our congregation. Dr. Hay was born at Mainsport, South Carolina, and received his theological education at Columbia Seminary at Columbia, South Carolina. He did three years of graduate work at the University of South Carolina, and was ordained on November 11, 1925. He then served churches in Aimwell, Langton, Rowan, Port Gibson and finally Memphis before accepting the call to our church. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity by Southwestern College in 1934. In July of 1942, Dr. Hay announced that he had received a call from the First Presbyterian Church of Memphis, and that he had decided to accept it. He preached his final sermon on August 16th of that year.

Thomas B. Gallaher was called from his post as Regional Director of Christian Education for the Synods of Texas and Oklahoma to be the fourth pastor on December 8, 1942. "Tom" Gallaher was born August 7, 1905, at Longview, Texas, where his father was pastor of First Presbyterian Church. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, in 1926; a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1929; and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas in 1943. In 1948, Austin College awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. After graduation from seminary, he accepted the pastorate at the Presbyterian Church of Comanche, Texas, and served there until 1931, when he accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church of Commerce, Texas. In 1941, the Executive Committee of the General Assembly appointed him to the position of Regional Director of Religious Education for Texas and Oklahoma.

Dr. Gallaher married the former Miss Alma Loudermilk of Jacksonville, Florida, on May 15, 1937 at Raleigh, North Carolina. Their daughter Alma Sarah "Sally", was born on August 1, 1938, followed by son Thomas Burke Gallaher, Junior, on November 28, 1943.

Dr. Gallaher active in church at Synod and General Assembly levels in addition to his work as pastor at our church. He was the Director of a conference for Young Adults, sponsored by the Synod of Texas and held at Kerrville, Texas, for four years. He was also a Director of the Mo-Ranch Presbyterian Assembly for several years, and was Director of the Senior High Conference, now called Senior High Youth Celebration, for several years. In 1945, he served as a Commissioner from Central Texas Presbytery to General Assembly, which was held at Montreat, North Carolina.

Roy T. Sherrod was called July 1, 1957 from Westminster Presbyterian Church of Austin, Texas, as the fifth pastor and served until May 31, 1981. He is a native of Knoxville, Tenn., and a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA.. His wife, the former Mary Hines Beard of Hillsborough, NC is a graduate of the General Assembly's Presbyterian School of Christian Education. The Sherrods are retired and living in Dallas, Texas. After serving many congregations as interim minister for over twenty years, they are now members of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. They have four grown children, Bill, Chris, Jeff, and Susan and a host of grandchildren. Roy and Mary Hines still keep in touch with old friends at First Presbyterian Waco.

Jimmie D. Johnson, our current pastor, was called from DeSoto Presbyterian Church, DeSoto, Texas, on September 1,1982. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Trinity in June, 1976, after receiving Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Degrees from Southwestern Seminary. His first call was as Associate Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ft. Worth, Texas. From June, 1977 to August, 1982 Dr. Johnson served as Pastor of the DeSoto Presbyterian Church. Jim and his wife, Sherry, are parents of two daughters, Shalyn, a lawyer in Dallas, and Shannon, an ordained Presbyterian minister currently serving as the Senior Pastor of Woodhaven Presbyterian Church of Irving, Texas.