First Baptist Church Tomball History and Vision
First Baptist Church Tomball was first organized in 1909 and met under a brush arbor at Main & Walnut Streets. Over the years, the church grew and newer worship centers were built and dedicated to the Lord in 1921, 1949, and again in 1986 on Houston and Oxford Streets in the Old Town area of Tomball.
Now in 2023, First Baptist Church Tomball again is being led to develop modern worship center and classroom facilities on the new Parkway Campus property which was purchased in 2003 for this very purpose of relocating our entire campus.
Situated strategically just north of the “Four Corners” intersection along SH-249 Business and between Quinn, Rudel, and Hicks Streets, we plan to build facilities that will represent Christ's Kingdom on the 32 acres of undeveloped land previously purchased.
While we are enthusiastic about the future and what God will do for our church body, we are also building with the community in mind. We have already built a multi-functional pavilion, restroom facilities and parking for a variety of church and community activities as our initial footprint on this new campus.
Recent Planning
Architectural and civil engineering planning has been underway for several years to develop a master plan on the campus with building locations, parking and driveway access, and phased development of the facilities.
Presently, an initial structure (Phase 1) is planned that will include a 600-seat worship center with large lobby and a two-story classroom wing for children, youth, and adults, along with parking and driveway entrance from Quinn Rd adjacent to the existing pavilion.
As a part of the encompassing master plan, future space is available and laid out for a larger worship center and expanded facilities for all age groups and ministries, along with parking and additional driveway entrances, including from SH-249B.
This initial phase of architectural & engineering study, termed “Concept Selection”, conducted in 2022 with Merriman-Holt-Powell Architects (MHPA), culminated with an interactive Townhall congregational meeting on August 21, 2022 in which the master plan was presented for Q&A along with a project timeline and realistic cost estimate for Phase 1, based on collaborative work with our general contractor, Paradigm Construction.
Activity in 2023
The next steps in architectural & engineering design study were therefore initiated in December 2022 with MHPA and will cover the remaining portions of architectural & engineering study through the construction and completion of our Phase 1 building and campus plan. This includes working in conjunction with our general contractor, Paradigm, for selection of subcontractors including civil engineering, mechanical-electrical-plumbing (MEP), early planning for sound/acoustical design, disability accessibility, facility commissioning, etc. This early identification and selection of subcontractors will aid in early planning of layouts and design of these systems within the building.
As study work proceeds and more details are evaluated and added to the architectural drawings and models, cost estimates will be refined as further details and decisions on building and campus features are considered.
This continued architectural and construction study will proceed through the year which will supplement planning for our capital stewardship campaign with Generis Partners during 2023.
The next congregational Townhall is tentatively planned soon after Easter to present and discuss the updates from this ongoing study and design work.
For additional reference (websites):
- Merriman-Holt-Powell Architects (MHPA): www.mhparch.com
- Paradigm Construction: www.paradigmconstruction-tx.com
- Ardurra Civil Engineering: https://ardurra.com/
- Generis Partners: https://generis.com/
Check back to this site often for updates on our progress this year as we seek to develop this new campus for serving Tomball and our communities with the light of the Lord.
If you feel led to support this project, be sure to select "Tomball Parkway Campus" from the fund options in the “Giving” section of this website.
Updated 2/14/2023