"Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4 NIV
Back
in 1964 … or was it 1966? … First Baptist of Lake Jackson
began a mission in a rented beach house on 9th Street in Surfside,
Texas. The response was encouraging so First Baptist Church of Lake
Jackson purchased land at Surf and 2nd Streets and built a church
on "stilts" with Sanctuary and Sunday School rooms upstairs.
Brother Allen, director of the Youth Home in Oyster Creek, served
as part time pastor.
In 1968
Bill Sims was called as the first full time pastor. Together he and
Angie Brannan started a coffee house ministry. During the years of
1968 through 1974, students of Baptist Student's Union (BSU) from
all over the nation ministered at the coffee house and on the beach.
Bass Redd served again as part time interim pastor May '81 to May
'82. Dr. James White, then director of the Brazosport Christian School,
became interim pastor in May '82. Dr. James and Ann lived in the parsonage
until May '84. During that time legal documentation was completed
and the Anchor, First Baptist Church Surfside, became an autonomous
church. We were accepted as a church into the Southern Baptist Convention
the Fall convention of 1984.
Families of First Baptist Church Lake Jackson housed the students.
In the early 1970's the downstairs area of the church building was
closed in and the fellows stayed on the grounds. The girls were housed
in nearby beach houses. During 1971 to 1974 local Brazosport kids
began joining in the ministry. One of those kids, then 16, 17 and
18 years of age, was our own David Burleson from a Lake Jackson Church.Bass
Redd, employee of NASA at the Johnson Space Center, served as a part
time pastor for one year - 1975-1976. Chip Louden came to the Anchor
in 1976 and was pastor util his resignation in 1980.
In December of 1977 disaster struck - The Anchor burned down.
Services were held in the fire station for a year while the present
building was constructed. Funds for materials came in spurts and most
of the laborers were volunteers so the new building was used a year
before it was completed. Some current Anchor members remember meeting
with bare concrete floors and sheetrock walls. The mission had grown
and Lake Jackson members continued to minister and support the Anchor.
After
Chip left, various members of the mission conducted the worship
services; then came a series of Brazosport area pastors and laymen
who held the morning worship service at the Anchor and hurried back
to their own churches for the eleven o'clock service.
Bass
Redd served again as part time interim pastor May '81 to May '82.
Dr. James White, then director of the Brazosport Christian School,
became interim pastor in May '82. Dr. James and Ann lived in the
parsonage until May '84. During that time legal documentation was
completed and the Anchor, First Baptist Church Surfside, became
an autonomous church. We were accepted as a church into the Southern
Baptist Convention the Fall convention of 1984.
In
May of 1984, David Burleson, a former "Anchor Coffee House
Kid" accepted the call as pastor to the Anchor.
