“The Brothers and Sisters met at Branch Sunday, May 3, 1903, for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church. We went into the organization with the following members: J.L. Branch, W.P. Osborn, Jas MacElroy, W.J. Lee Osborn, S.A. McElroy, Annie Wormick, Susie Lafon, O.G. Osborn, J.R. Osborn, Rebecca Walls, A. J. Sanders, Jas Osborn, J. H. Betterton, Rachel Betterton, R.F. Oakly, and Mary Oakley.”
Nestled in the heart of the Branch community, Your Community Church (First Baptist Church of Branch) was founded in 1903. These people with names both familiar and long forgotten shared a vision to worship God and bring His Word to this community. And indeed, it has been a place of faith, fellowship, and hope for generations. From its earliest days, this church has stood as a faithful presence in the Branch community where neighbors gather to worship, encourage one another, and pass down a legacy of faith rooted in God’s Word.
Though small in size, our church has always held a deep commitment to fellowship, prayer, and service. The simple beauty of this historic country church reflects the enduring values upon which it was founded – faith, perseverance, and love for both God and neighbor.
The Beginning: In 1903, probably due to a shortage of full-time pastors and money, the church met each month on the Saturday preceding and on the first Sunday. Records seem to indicate that the church business was conducted on Saturday and the worship service was on Sunday. In the June 1903 meeting, the church was officially named the Branch Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. G.M. Cook was called as the first pastor in September the same year. In the December 1916 meeting, the church voted to build the first “church house”, costing $900. March 1917, as the building neared completion, three men donated posts for “hitching racks” for their horses. April 1917, the completed building was dedicated.
Mid Years: Early records do not indicate where the church was located at the time it was organized, but by the 1950’s, a small, white, frame building stood where the current church now stands. Pictures indicate that church must have been the social center of the community. During the mid-fifties, the church was thriving and even growing in the small community. The church was active in participating in associational mission work, supporting missionaries, even voting to sponsor a young girl from Buckner’s Children’s Home, providing her with clothing and other necessities. Between its organization at the turn of the century and the early fifties, the church affiliated itself with the Southern Baptist Convention and with the Collin County Baptist Association. This association continues today.
Many of the church records between 1920 and 1970 are missing, destroyed by fire or by being misplace, but the records that do remain provide us with a glimpse into the past with hope for the future.
Through Present: Several pastors came and went and the church suffered from some inconsistency, but a high point of this era was the pastorate of Bro. Marc Hooks as one of the longest serving pastors of this church. After he resigned in February 2025, the church voted in October 2025 to replant and merge with FBC Lavon.
