The Talty Baptist Church (TBC) was established in 1989 as mission of the First Baptist Church of Forney (FBCF). The mission committee received a study done by the Association and Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) stating that this area would be appropriate for a new ministry.
The mission committee caught the vision and began organizing. People like Red Featherstone was instrumental in obtaining the land. Some 5 acres was donated by Bob Mitchell. A double wide three bedroom mobile home was purchased through an interest-free loan from BGCT. They arranged the larger area for worship and the bedrooms for Sunday School classes.
Eddie Neese, a missionary to Indonesia for ten years was invited to pastor the new congregation. He was, at that time occupying the missionary residence of FBCF. The mother church provided for pastor support first two years until the mission of self sufficient. He began a door to door visitation effort, and invited Jesse and Diane Melvin , then members of FBCF to participate, which they agreed to do.
One of the first organized meeting was on March 5, 1989, but it decided to rain ice and snow the night before and the meeting was postponed.
The official church rolls were opened on April 5, 1989 with 13 members being enrolled. Of course Jesse and Diane was in the first core group.
The initial meeting of the Talty Baptist Mission was on April 10, 1989. Most of those forty attending were from FBCF. However, others began attending from the community, with their 1st Baptism on July 30th 1989.
Within the first 12 months of TBM, 61 people had been added to the roll, with 21 people being baptized. Some of them are still with us today. Jesse & Diane Melvin, Ned & Imogene Carpenter, Niki Spraul, Christopher Abel, Jessica Abel, David & Kathy Session.
Within that same 12 months, plans for the Worship Facilities were drawn up and construction began. Most the labor, and much of the materials were donated. A church in Port Arthur came to the the framing, A Bptist Men’s group from Waco did the dry wall and wiring. During the time of construction, the church continued worshipping in a tent and the double wide. A volunteer bought the bricks and laid the brick without pay. At the completion the total debt was about $12,000.
Dedication Services for the Worship Facilities was on November 25, 1990.
Bro. Eddie Neese served as pastor for 5 years from 1989 to 1994. Soon after he resigned the mission called Bro. Clint Calvert, as bi-vocational pastor. Bro Calvert preached his 1st sermon as pastor on July 10, 1994.
Dedication Service for the Educational and Fellowship Hall was September 11, 1994.
On September 8, 1996. Talty Baptist Church was constituted into an autonomous church, under the Pastorate of Bro Calvert. On the 29th of this same month First Baptist Forney recognized Talty Baptist Church and granted letters to members that had moved to Talty.
Charter members included:
Jesse & Diane Melvin
Ned & Imogene Carpenter
Jessica Durbin
Christopher Abell
David & Kathleen Session
James & Wanda Bruer
Syble Bostick
Leanora Conger
Sara Conger
Stacy Neal
Jerry & Shirley Dainton
Victor & Robin Markle
Bro Clint Calvert served from 1994 to 1997, when he resigned to be a church planter in Minnesota.
Brother Lynn Eckyburger served as interm pastor while we searched for another pastor.
Bro. Jeff Roman was called in the winter of 1998 as a bi-vocational pastor and he preached his first sermon on January 24, 1999. He served for about two years and resigned to give full time to his seminary studies. After he resigned, in 2001, the church invited Bro. Charles Lee Williamson to be the Intentional Interm Pastor, and served about 1 year.
In April 2002 the church called Pastor Walter Evans, servings 11 years, retiring in March 2013.
After Bro. Evans ministry, Bro. Jim West served as interim pastor for one year.
In April of 2014, Bro. Lyle Wallace was called to Talty Baptist. The Lord is moving in the ministry and growth is coming to the church. God has done incredible things throughout our history and is showing Himself mighty for our future!