Travis Baptist Church
TRAVIS BAPTIST CHURCH
IN 1911, RESIDENTS OF THE RURAL SOUTHWEST NUECES COUNTY FARMING COMMUNITY OF LONDON FORMED THE LONDON BAPTIST CHURCH. THE CONGREGATION INCLUDED FORTY CHARTER MEMBERS AND SERVICES WERE FIRST HELD IN THE COMMUNITY’S SCHOOL, WHICH HAD BEEN DONATED BY SAM AND FANNY LONDON. THE LONDONS DONATED PROPERTY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHURCH BUILDING IN 1920. ALTHOUGH THE BUILDING WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1936, ANOTHER WAS QUICKLY CONSTRUCTED.
WORLD WAR II CAUSED A DECLINE IN POPULATION IN THE LONDON COMMUNITY AS RESIDENTS ENLISTED IN THE MILITARY OR RELOCATED TO SUPPORT THE WAR EFFORT. THE CORPUS CHRISTI AREA BOOMED AFTER THE WAR, AND THE BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION OF TEXAS PROPOSED THAT LONDON BAPTIST CHURCH RELOCATE TO CORPUS CHRISTI, WHERE MANY CHURCH MEMBERS LIVED. A SITE WAS SELECTED NEAR TRAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE LA ARMADA HOUSING PROJECT, WHICH HOUSED NAVY PERSONNEL. THE CHURCH MOVED IN 1945, AND THE CONGREGATION’S NAME CHANGED TO TRAVIS BAPTIST CHURCH. WHEN A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION IN 1959 SHOWED THE NEED FOR A CHURCH IN THE SCHANEN ESTATES AREA, THE CONGREGATION AGAIN ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE TO RELOCATE TO PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF SCHANEN BOULEVARD AND WEBER ROAD.
TRAVIS BAPTIST CHURCH PARTICIPATES YEARLY IN A COMMUNITY-WIDE THANKSGIVING SERVICE AND SPONSORS AN ANNUAL SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN. THE CONGREGATION HAS SPONSORED MANY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, INCLUDING SUPPORT OF CHURCHES IN CALIFORNIA AND MARYLAND, AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE BAPTIST GENERAL CONVENTION FOR ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MINISTRY OF HISPANIC MISSIONS IN SOUTH TEXAS.
175 YEARS OF TEXAS INDEPENDENCE * 1836-2011.