Church History
Believers' Bible Church actually had its beginnings in 1958 with a women's Bible study in the home of Mrs. Annette Keathley. This women's study group met for several years and eventually an evening Bible study was begun for couples. For many years the evening couples class listened to tapes or had Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) students come to teach the weekly Bible studies.
Many times in the 1960s, while Hampton Keathley III was a student at DTS and later pastor of a Bible church in Decatur, Alabama, the Keathley family would come to Lufkin on weekends and for summer vacations and Hampton was always invited to teach the Bible study. In June 1970, after a week-long series of studies, the group (consisting of eight-to-ten families) decided to establish a Bible church so that they could have sound Bible teaching on a consistent basis. Hampton was invited to be the first pastor and BBC was officially incorporated.
During the early years, Believers' Bible Church met primarily in the break room at Brookshire Brothers general offices on Loop 287 and Highway 94. By Easter Sunday 1974, the church had grown to approximately 90 people and moved into new facilities at 408 South Medford Drive. A primary emphasis of Hampton's ministry was teaching and discipling men. As a result, BBC has had the joy of seeing seven young men graduate from seminary who are serving the Lord today. After eight-and-a-half years, Hampton resigned in December 1978 to accept a pastorate in Victoria, Texas.
Bill Mouser, a DTS graduate, became the second pastor. Bill came to Believers' Bible Church in 1979 as a single man and left a married man in 1983 to serve in a ministry in Vienna, Austria. Among Bill's accomplishments while at BBC was his book "Walking in Wisdom," an essay on Proverbs, and his involvement in the Lufkin anti-alcohol election.
Bill Troth, also a DTS graduate, served as pastor of Believers' Bible Church from 1983 through fall 1988. During Bill Troth's tenure, the church studied the issue of personal and corporate debt. As a result, the church became debt free with all property now owned. Bill also involved BBC in the church/city Ministerial Alliance. Because of his love for missions and his writing of the missions guidelines, BBC increased it's outreach through missionaries.
As interim pastor-teacher, Hershel Dixon led the remodeling of the auditorium and fellowship hall. He involved the congregation in this process and today the results are apparent in the beautiful walnut pews and color coordinated carpet and wallpaper.
Having experienced some major problems, attendance was down and people were discouraged. During the summer of 1989, Hampton Keathley III was extended a call to return to Believers' Bible Church to help develop leadership, and to motivate and encourage the few who remained. During the past three years, we've dealt with these problems, seen the development of new leadership, grown in numbers and have seen people encouraged and growing in their walks with the Lord.
Today, under the direction of Pastor Bob Klund, also a graduate of DTS, Believers Bible Church continues to be actively involved in missions, maintains a dynamic Small Group Ministry and works diligently to be a vital part of the Lufkin community through various outreaches including a non-denominational Women’s Bible Study, Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study, and Crossfire Youth Ministry.