STBC was started by the Baptist Convention of New Mexico in the early 1990s. Its origins were traditional Southern Baptist. The BCNM sent Mission Service Corp volunteers, Wes and Linda Barnett, to Santa Teresa as church planters. The earliest extant documents show a post office box, PO Box 1524, opened at the Santa Teresa Postal Annex on August 28, 1992.
In September 1996, Dave Hendrickx and his wife Cathy, then members of FBC, El Paso, were invited by Wes to come and assist him in the work when his wife entered the terminal stage of cancer. With the blessing of FBC, Dave, Cathy and another 10 or so members of First Baptist came to assist STBC. Shortly after Linda died the planter suddenly abandoned the work. With no prior ministerial training and with no one else in the fledgling congregation capable, Dave assumed the duties of pastor. With the approval of the sponsoring church, the congregation officially called him to be their pastor and ordained him in February 1997. STBC constituted in February 2002 as a Southern Baptist Church.
Meanwhile, by the grace of God, Pastor Dave, reading good books by reformed authors was slowing coming to understand the Doctrines of Grace and early English Baptist history. Through a very slow and trying process, fraught with many errors along the way, he led the church to a confessional Baptist position in 2004. Sadly, after losing over half the church membership, A remnant persevered and unanimously adopted the Second London Confession in December 2005.
Today STBC is still a small but thriving congregation of predominantly young couples with small children. Set in a Hispanic community, we consider ourselves a neighborhood church. Located on the international border with Juarez, Mexico, STBC strives to be a true multicultural church. Our location strategically positions us to function as a Reformed Baptist gateway to Latin America. Over half of our membership is bilingual and we are able to offer simultaneous translation of all our sermons for Spanish-only speaking guests.
STBC supports a Reformed Baptist church plant in Juarez (Iglesia Bautista Pacto de Gracia) and cohost to Building Tomorrow’s Mission (BTM) - a nationwide ministry designed to inculcate a dynamic mission-mindedness in young single and married adults.
Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel is a Southern Baptist Spanish-speaking congregation served by Pastor Ramiro Lopez that meets in our church building.
STBC is a member of ARBCA, the Reformed Baptist Network (RBNet), the Texas Association of Reformed Baptist Churches (TAARBC), and retains membership in the SBC.
Click HERE for our services times and contact information.