First Union Baptist Church Restoration Project

First Union Baptist Church's Restoration Project

Who are we?

First Union Baptist of Galveston, Texas was established in 1870. We are one of the oldest black Baptist churches in the state of Texas and have always been a beacon of light in the Galveston community for over 150 years. We have been in our current location since 1955. On July 16, 1994, First Union was honored with a “Texas Historical Commission Marker”.

What We Provide

In addition to offering church services every Sunday at 10 am, First Union has provided live streaming for its members that were unable to attend services due to the quarantines associated with the COVID pandemic. Our Church congregation is devoted to various programs and outreach locally as well as nationally. Our church has also provided and plans to continue its reading tutoring, math tutoring and computer literacy to the public via its 501 3c Community Resource Center.

First Union Baptist Church also organizes events to further our church mission and outreach locally through our clothes closet and food bank which provides food and clothes to families in need. We are also a distribution site for Toys for Tots. All donations are kept confidential to protect the identity and integrity of those served. The church has hosted numerous law enforcement and first responder summits. The “Breakfast with the Badge summits” involved the local police coming to share a breakfast with the members of our congregation and discuss issues involving police procedures, and how to bridge communication gaps between law enforcement and the community.

What we need...

Being such an entity of hope in this community, does not deflect the fact that the church has been affected by its share of wear and tear with over 150 years of existence. It was recently discovered that the structure of First Union Baptist church has suffered a sufficient amount of damage. This amount of structural damage can soon become detrimental to the safety of both its members, as well as its visitors. Fiduciary funds from its member’s financial obligations that are made every Sunday during service, will not suffice for the amount of work that is required to repair the church. However, we must start somewhere.

In the spirit of cheerful giving, we are petitioning you to contribute to Phase I of our church project. Along with the donations that we receive from our members via tithes, and offering, your donations will be used to start Phase I of our church renovations. In order for us to remain as transparent as possible, we welcome you to our plans.

What we are considering as Phase I is when we will begin with a Structural and Architectural SCOPE of work. During this process, the Architectural team will evaluate and formulate a conceptual design and a schematic design to submit for approval by governmental authorities. The estimated cost of Phase I renovation is $50,000.

After Phase I completion we will proceed to Phase II of the project. The overall venture will exceed $250000 to $350000. We know that this seems like a lot, but our church is 150 years old, and the safety of our members is essential.

Family, friends, or followers of Christ, we need your help to ensure that the right people are in place to make this process a success. We are asking for your contribution to our GoFundMe of any amount that is laid upon your heart. We are grateful and welcome all donations. We are a (501) c3 non-profit organization. Therefore, upon request, we will include a tax receipt for any donations.

Your support will be greatly appreciated, and you will become an official part of our church’s history. You can help a beacon of light in the community of Galveston to continue to “shine brightly”.

God Bless You who gave, and those who had a desire to give, but had it not.

First Union Baptist Church's Restoration Committee