in
Austin, Texas was organized in
1907 -
1908 to serve students at the
University Of Texas . Originally leasing space from the Highland Presbyterian Church, the church was officially chartered on
September 27 ,
1908 with 80 original members.
In
1914 the church absorbed members of the then-defunct Central Baptist Church, soon growing to almost 500 members. In
1916 the church purchased land at the southwest corner of 22nd Street and Guadalupe Street to construct a church building. Philadelphia architect
Albert Kelsey designed the structure in the
Spanish Colonial Revival style to match the University of Texas buildings across the street. It was built to house 1,100 people and was an immediate cornerstone of "The Drag."
The church welcomed African-Americans as members in
1943 , becoming one of the first integrated churches in the
Southern Baptist Convention . The church was expelled from the Austin Baptist Association for doing so (though it was later readmitted). The church earned further notoriety in the
1970s when it began ordaining women as
Deacon s.
In
1995 the church was again expelled from the Austin Baptist Association for ordaining a gay man as deacon. The church stood by its position, and in
1997 for this and other reasons, the church voted to disaffiliate itself with the Southern Baptist Convention. In recent years the church has become known for its welcoming stance toward homosexuals and has joined several like-minded church organizations.
The main church building, completed in
1921 , was added to the
National Register Of Historic Places in
1998 . It features a carved stone facade facing Guadalupe Street and cathedral ceiling vaults with an excellent acoustical signature, and has hosted performances by
Willie Nelson and
Larry Gatlin . A student union building was added to the west in
1949 , featuring a
Charles Umlauf sculpture relief over the front door.
