About Cottonwood

History of Cottonwood Baptist Church, near Dublin, Texas

ORGANIZATION-
Cottonwood Baptist Church was organized on February 23, 1908 with 46 charter members. They met in a one-room building which was also the Cottonwood Community School . In March of 1908, Lee Gilbreath was called to be Cottonwood 's first part-time pastor.

THE EARLY YEARS-
Cottonwood struggled to survive during the 30's and 40's, when attendance at one point dipped down to only a few families. Discouraged for a time, the adults stopped attending. But a handful of teenage girls kept the church doors open by continuing to meet together for Bible study on Sundays, and eventually the adults returned.

THE PASTORS-
During the early years, part-time pastors served the church, preaching on alternate Sundays. On occasion, pastors from First Baptist Church in Dublin would come on Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons to preach. Then in September of 1957, 49 years after its charter, Cottonwood called its first full-time pastor, Bro. Loyd Richardson.

THE BUILDING-
On February 23, 1959 , the 51st anniversary of the organization of the church, Bro. Richardson conducted ground-breaking ceremonies for a new chapel, which was built on the site of the original Cottonwood School . He remained pastor of the church until August of 1962. The part of the building that is now the Sunday School wing was built first, and church services were held there while the old building was torn down and the chapel building was built. In 1967, a 30' x 30' addition was built onto the building. The addition contained a fellowship hall, a kitchen, two restrooms, and two Sunday school rooms. This addition is now the church offices.

THE FAITHFUL FEW-
Attendance was low for decades. Some became discouraged and left, but the “faithful few” waited, prayed, and believed that God would do a work at Cottonwood in His own time. Sometimes this meant conducting Vacation Bible School for only a few children in the area. This even meant fighting the temptation of closing the doors of Cottonwood and joining together with another struggling church, but again the “faithful few” waited, prayed, and believed.

NEW LIFE-
Then on January 6, 1985 , God called to Cottonwood its 30th, and current pastor, Mike Fritscher. Dreaming of one day heading a large metropolitan church, Mike intended to stay only until he completed his last 18 months of seminary. But God had something better in mind. In 1987 God began to do a different and dramatic work in Mike's life, and in doing so, He asked him to "die to his dreams." As he submitted to the Lord, Mike was filled with a contentment to pastor Cottonwood 's congregation of 40 or 50 people for the rest of his life, if that is what God had for him. Mike only asked two things of the Lord: that He would satisfy him with His presence, and that these forty people would love one another.

Not only did God answer that prayer, he also gave Mike a message of freedom, hope and the pursuit of God's glory . That message, along with Mike's passionate style of preaching, filled to overflowing the pews of that chapel with people hungry to hear God's Word.

In September 1991, the new parsonage was completed, and in 1994, a new fellowship hall, nursery and kitchen was built adjacent to the chapel, completely debt free. On Easter Sunday 1995, over 320 people met for services for the first time in the new building. The next endeavor was the 2000 square foot expansion of the Fellowship Hall/ Worship Center , adding more seating and restroom space. Also added were portable buildings for children's Sunday School space and conversion of the parsonage into preschool and nursery space.

Because of God's faithfulness, Cottonwood has now become a regional church, serving about 800 regular attenders from 9 different counties. Without a doubt, the hand of God has been on Cottonwood from the beginning... and we thank God for using the 46 charter members who in 1908, heard God's call to start this body of believers known as Cottonwood. We also thank God for those "faithful few," that handful of teenage girls, who remained faithful during those difficult years, only to see God reward their faithfulness with a spirit of increase. And we're thankful for a pastor who has been willing to submit to God's will for his life, serving the Lord and the people of Cottonwood so faithfully for the past 23 years. Praise God, for only God could have known what He's had in store for this body of believers called Cottonwood from the very beginning.