Gambrell Street Baptist Church: A Teaching Church on Fort Worth's Seminary Hill Since 1915
Gambrell Street Baptist Church stands on the near south side of Fort Worth, Texas, in the neighborhood long known as Seminary Hill for its proximity to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. From its founding in 1915 the congregation has described itself in the same words: a teaching church that loves God and loves people. More than a century later, that identity still shapes everything from the Sunday School hour to the Spanish-speaking mission down the block and the bilingual Japanese congregation that meets in the parking lot behind the main building.
The church's motto, "Loving God and Loving You," is lived out across an unusually broad ministry. Sunday mornings draw families for traditional worship in the Sanctuary; Sunday evenings draw a different crowd for a contemporary service led by a worship band in Maston Hall. Midweek brings children's choirs, handbell rehearsals, youth discipleship, and a family meal. On any given week, members are serving in deacon care, mentoring women through the Christian Women's Job Corps, leading outreach in the surrounding neighborhoods, or rehearsing music for an upcoming concert with the seminary. The congregation holds to the Baptist Faith and Message (1963) and is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention through the Tarrant Baptist Association.
A Century of Ministry on Gambrell Street
The church began on November 14, 1915, as Seminary Hill Baptist Church, gathering 52 charter members in the shadow of what was then Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. W. T. Conner became the first pastor, and within four years the congregation had elected its first officers and deacons, joined the Tarrant Baptist Association and the Southern Baptist Convention, and started a mission on Hemphill Street at the Bolt Steel Works. By 1919 the church library already held 425 volumes, and a second pastor, L. M. Sipes, was called.
The early decades were marked by growth and the constant need for a permanent home. The church purchased four lots fronting Gambrell Street from the seminary in 1921, then received three more lots facing Beddell Street in 1924, giving the property a full half-block. Barracks from Camp Bowie, obtained through the seminary, served as the first worship space until they were moved to the property and faced onto James Street. In 1926 the church added a baptistry, purchased an organ and piano, and started a small orchestra; membership reached 670.
In 1928 the congregation changed its name from Seminary Hill Baptist Church to Gambrell Street Baptist Church, reflecting its identity with the surrounding neighborhood rather than only the seminary. The Great Depression slowed building plans, but by 1948 the church had saved enough to break ground for a new sanctuary at the corner of Gambrell Street and James Avenue. That sanctuary was inaugurated in 1949 and remains the heart of the church today. A balcony and pew cushions were added in a 1975 renovation.
The post-war decades brought a wave of ethnic ministries that continue to define the church. In 1969 the church launched a Spanish mission and a Japanese mission, started a Friendship Club for seniors, and began a well-baby clinic. The 1980s saw a thriving house-church program and aggressive ministries among Japanese, Laotian, Hispanic, and Chinese neighbors. The Japanese mission constructed its own facility nearby, and the First Chinese Baptist Church was constituted in 1987. In the 1990s the church oversaw five mission churches, six house churches, ten apartment missions, two foreign-language missions, and three retirement-home ministries. The Wanda Helms Christian Women's Job Corps was added to the church's outreach in the 2000s, and a Spanish mission called Genesis was begun.
Gambrell Street marked its centennial in 2015 with a year of celebration, an anniversary hymn, and a centennial booklet that captures the long story. Today the church is pastored by Dr. Jim Spivey, who came as interim pastor in 2013 and was later named permanent pastor. Under his leadership the congregation has stabilized its staff, renewed its ministries for children and young adults, and continued the multi-ethnic work that has marked the church for half a century.
Sunday at Gambrell Street
Sunday at Gambrell Street follows a three-part rhythm of Bible study, morning worship, and evening worship.
Sunday School runs from 9:15 to 10:15 AM for all ages, with classes for children, youth, and adults meeting across the education building. The adult class is taught from a Gospel-rich, verse-by-verse approach that is part of the church's identity as a teaching church.
Morning Worship takes place in the Sanctuary from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. The service is traditional and authentic, with congregational singing from hymnals, a Sanctuary Choir, handbells, scripture reading, and congregational prayer. Members participate as well as attend. The service is livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. The Sanctuary Choir performs regularly in the morning service and occasionally joins Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary choirs for concerts in the Fort Worth area.
Evening Worship meets at 5:00 PM in Maston Hall, the education building named for T. B. and Bessie Mae Maston and dedicated in 1981. This service has a more contemporary feel, led by a worship band. Sunday evening also includes Youth on Mission, a gathering for teenagers that meets alongside the evening service.
On the last Sunday of each month, the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking congregations come together for a joint worship service in the Sanctuary at 10:30 AM, hosted by Pastor Jim Spivey, Pastor George Swan, and Minister of Music Ben Caston. The service is a touchstone of the church's multi-ethnic identity.
Bible Study and an extended teaching session also meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM in the Sanctuary, offering a longer-format option for those who want a deeper teaching time that spans the Sunday School hour and the morning service.
What to Expect on a First Visit
First-time guests arrive at a brick campus on West Gambrell Street and find parking around the main building. The morning service is traditional in style: members dress in a range from business casual to suits, and the music draws on the classic Baptist hymnal heritage along with choir anthems and handbell offerings. The service lasts about ninety minutes and includes a sermon from Dr. Jim Spivey or another teaching minister.
Children are welcomed from infancy. Sunday School classes for babies through sixth grade meet at 9:15 AM. Extended Session care for babies through kindergarten is offered during the 10:30 AM worship service, while children in first through sixth grade worship with their families in the Sanctuary. On Wednesday evenings, preschoolers and children gather for choirs, Mission Friends, and Children on Missions after a 5:00 PM family meal.
Visitors do not need to be members to take part. The church's online contact form invites requests for information, prayer, a relationship with Jesus, joining the church, volunteering, or making a donation. The building is open during office hours through the week, and the staff is glad to answer questions in person or by phone at (817) 926-1785.
Beliefs and Teaching
Gambrell Street Baptist Church holds to the Baptist Faith and Message (1963), the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church teaches that the Bible is the Word of God, that salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that every believer is called to follow Him and to share the Good News with others.
The church frames its teaching around six goals: to reach the lost for Christ, to learn more about Christ, to touch the city through Christ, to train leaders to serve Christ, to embrace the world with Christ, and to build strong families in Christ. The worship service is "not a show; it is authentic and respectful of our Lord," and the teaching ministry is built around verse-by-verse exposition of Scripture.
The church offers a Bible GPT assistant that allows visitors to ask up to ten questions a day about Scripture and Christian teaching. The church also produces a weekly sermon podcast available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
A Multi-Ethnic Family of Faith
Few things distinguish Gambrell Street as clearly as its multi-ethnic ministry. The church's mission statement celebrates "the rich diversity of cultures within our congregation" and the unity believers share in Christ across those cultures.
Iglesia Bautista Genésis is the church's Spanish-speaking congregation, pastored by George Swan and his wife Jackie, who served as missionaries in Guadalajara, Mexico, before coming to Fort Worth. Genesis brings together Latinos from Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Cuba, and holds a joint worship service with the English-speaking congregation once a month in the Sanctuary.
First Japanese Baptist Church meets at 1512 W Gambrell Street, in the building behind the main church's parking lot, with Pastor Hirohisa Hogaki. The 11:00 AM Sunday service is bilingual: the message is preached in Japanese with English translation shown on the screen, and the congregation worships together in both languages. The church also offers free Japanese language classes taught by native speakers.
The church's history includes earlier Japanese, Chinese, Laotian, Cambodian, and African-American ministries, some of which have become independent congregations over the decades. The church's long-standing commitment to ethnic ministry is one of the reasons the Southern Baptist missions community has remained a partner throughout its history.
Children's Ministry
The Children's Ministry at Gambrell Street meets children where they are with the conviction that "Children's Ministry may very well be one of the most important ministries in the church." The team focuses on teaching the Bible and educating children of all ages, with the goal that "each child will come to know God more through Bible Stories, Scripture Memory, and Missions."
Sundays begin with Sunday School at 9:15 AM for babies through sixth grade. During the 10:30 AM worship service, Extended Session care is provided for babies through kindergarten, while first through sixth graders worship with their families in the Sanctuary. The ministry also supports family discipleship, helping parents and guardians as the primary teachers of their children's faith.
Wednesdays begin with a 5:00 PM Family Fellowship Meal. From 6:00 to 6:45 PM, Preschool Choir and Children's Choir rehearse. From 6:45 to 7:30 PM, preschoolers gather for Mission Friends and elementary students for Children on Missions, two organizations that introduce children to global missions and the work of the church.
Throughout the year the Children's Ministry offers special events: an Easter Celebration, Mother's Day and Father's Day activities, Vacation Bible School, a Fall Festival, a Christmas Celebration, Baby Dedication, and annual Mission Camps for second through sixth graders (Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action). Children's Ministry is led by Justin Cordery, Minister to Children, who serves with his wife Mariah and their children Lukas and Zoe. Parents can follow Kids Zone @Gambrell Street on Facebook and Instagram at GSBC_KIDSZONE.
Youth Ministry
The Youth Ministry at Gambrell Street, called Youth Lighthouse, gathers teenagers from a wide range of backgrounds for Bible study, discipleship, worship, and fellowship. The ministry's aim is "life-long discipleship and growth," grounding teens in biblical foundations so that when they move on to young-adult life they will stand firm in their faith.
Sundays begin at 9:15 AM with Sunday School and continue with the 10:30 AM worship service in the Sanctuary. At 5:00 PM, Youth on Mission meets during the evening service hour, giving teenagers a chance to engage with missions and outreach. Wednesdays bring the Family Fellowship Meal at 5:00 PM followed by Youth Lighthouse from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, a discipleship and Bible study hour. Other activities include a Summer Youth Camp, Disciple New Weekend retreat, and various outings throughout the year.
The ministry is led by Jennifer Johnson, who grew up at Gambrell Street and has served in both children's and youth ministry for many years. She is a Certified Public Accountant working in the oil and gas industry during the week.
Young Adults: Trellis
Trellis is the church's ministry for single and married young adults between the ages of 18 and 30. The ministry exists "to give young adults a place to serve God and His church, learn more about Christ and what His will is in their lives, and be bold in bringing people to Christ through growing in their confidence by doing outreach to the community."
Trellis meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 AM in Room 200 for Sunday School, worships in the Sanctuary at 10:30 AM, and joins the 5:00 PM service in Maston Hall. On Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:45 PM, Trellis gathers for fellowship, worship, and Bible study. Every other Tuesday a small group meets offsite. Wednesdays begin with the 5:00 PM Family Fellowship Meal (free with a student ID), followed by monthly Lead Bible Studies from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in Maston Hall, the JuBELLate Handbell Choir from 6:45 to 7:30 PM, and the Sanctuary Choir from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. On Fridays and Saturdays the group schedules one outreach or evangelistic opportunity a month and one fun fellowship event.
Trellis is led by Elias Matos, who has been attending Gambrell Street for 26 years and serves as Young Adult Minister, Administrative Ministry Assistant, and Media Team Manager. Matos is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Music Ministry
Music is woven into nearly everything at Gambrell Street. The Music Ministry is led by Ben Caston, Minister of Music, who is also Professor of Voice and Chair of the Performance and Pedagogy Division at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Caston is a graduate of William Carey University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees. He has performed as a soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in Bass Hall and has an extensive oratorio background that includes performances of Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
The Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 PM under the direction of Mariano Gongora, Organist and Music Associate. The choir sings regularly in the 10:30 AM Sunday worship service and performs concerts in collaboration with the seminary. The JuBELLate Handbell Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 6:45 to 7:30 PM in Room 202. Preschool Choir and Children's Choir rehearse on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:45 PM.
Allen Lott has served as the church's pianist since 2011. Lott is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio and holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the City University of New York. He teaches music history in the School of Church Music and Worship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The 5:00 PM Sunday evening service in Maston Hall features a contemporary worship band, and the church welcomes volunteers who play or sing and want to serve. For more information on joining the music ministry, contact Beverly Spivey.
Pastoral Leadership
Dr. Jim Spivey has pastored Gambrell Street since 2013. Before coming to Fort Worth, he was a Professor of Christian heritage at Carroll Institute, directed the Marsh Center for Chaplain Studies and the Doctor of Ministry program, and taught at Southwestern Seminary, where he also served as dean of the Houston campus. Spivey's background includes service as an Army chaplain in Texas, Oklahoma, the First Gulf War, and at the Pentagon, where he helped direct the Family Assistance Center for families of the Pentagon victims after 9-11. He and his wife Beverly, a music educator, are part of a family ministry team at Gambrell Street.
Clyde Glazener serves as Pastor Emeritus after leading the church for 21 years, the longest pastorate in the church's history.
The pastoral team includes Chris Gardner, Minister to Adults and Families, who joined the staff in 2023; Zechariah Olabisi, Minister of Pastoral Care, who oversees prayer support, hospital visits, counseling referrals, and congregational care; and Gnana Naveen Korukonda, Mission Pastor, who serves in the Communications Department while completing a ThM in Preaching at the seminary.
Ken Wells serves as Minister of Administration, having returned to the church in 2016 after a long career in accounting and federal service. Cindy Olson is the Administrative Assistant, and Larry Parker is the Administrative Financial Assistant. Dwayne and Linda Merritt serve as Building Supervisors, overseeing the care and maintenance of the church's buildings and facilities.
Wanda Helms Christian Women's Job Corps
The Wanda Helms Christian Women's Job Corps (CWJC) of Fort Worth is one of the most distinctive ministries at Gambrell Street. A ministry of the Women's Missionary Union, CWJC provides a Christian context in which women in need are equipped for life and employment through healthy mentoring relationships.
The program offers life skills and career preparation training, basic computer classes, networking with employers and continuing education resources, and connections to known job opportunities and job fairs. Participants meet at the church Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM during a six-week session. The program is staffed by Christian volunteers from churches of multiple denominations, all of whom affirm a statement of faith that centers on the Trinity, the Bible as God's Word, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
CWJC's curriculum covers applications and resumes, interviews and job fairs, organizing a job search, computer basics, email, Microsoft Word and Excel, communication, relationships, managing money, anger and stress management, time management, decision making, nutrition, and spiritual growth. Participants develop a written personal mission statement, create a career and job goal, build a resume and cover letter, and earn a job reference based on their conduct in class.
Volunteers are essential. The program welcomes mentors, life-skills teachers, computer instructors, Bible study leaders, lunch providers, special event planners, and job and education lead trackers. To learn more, contact Jesse Vasquez at (817) 891-0370. The program is part of the broader ministry of the Women's Missionary Union and is supported by the Baptist General Convention of Texas through resources like the Northstar Digital Literacy Program.
Deacon Ministry
Deacons at Gambrell Street serve as a ministry body rather than an administrative board. Nominated by the congregation and meeting the scriptural qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:8-13, deacons must be at least 21 years old and have been members of the church for at least one year. Both men and women are eligible.
Deacons minister to families, serve as deacon of the week, assist in the offering collection, distribute the elements of the Lord's Supper, and sponsor special activities like the deacons' prayer day and the deacon-and-spouse dinner. A password-protected deacon resource provides materials for serving deacons, and the church's membership begins the nomination process each September or October.
Prayer Ministry
Prayer is central to life at Gambrell Street. The church teaches that "no problem is too great for Him; no situation is too difficult," and that believers are called to pray according to God's will, abide in Christ, ask without doubting, and ask in Jesus' name. The church regularly prays for the needs of members and of those who ask for prayer.
Visitors with a prayer request can call the church at (817) 926-1785 to speak with a pastor. Zechariah Olabisi, Minister of Pastoral Care, oversees prayer support along with hospital visits, counseling referrals, and congregational care programs.
Library
The Gambrell Street Church Library serves members and visitors of all ages. The Children's Library is located in the Welcome Center; books for adults and youth, as well as the library's computer, are available through the Welcome Center's inner doorway or from the west hallway. The collection focuses on the Christian life, religion, and Baptist life, with strong collections of Christian fiction and biography. The library's catalog can be searched online, and books can be checked out in person.
Giving and Communication
The ministry of Gambrell Street Baptist Church is supported entirely by the faithful giving of its members and other supporters. Giving is available through the Shelby Giving platform, and contributions can also be made in person during worship.
The church maintains an active online presence. The sermon archive, including recent series through Philippians and Matthew, is available with notes for download. Sermons are also available as a video on YouTube, as audio on Spotify, and as a podcast on Apple Podcasts. The church app can be downloaded for iOS or Android.
Gambrell Street Baptist Church is located at 1616 West Gambrell Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76115. Office hours are Monday through Friday, and the office phone number is (817) 926-1785. First Japanese Baptist Church, the bilingual Japanese congregation, meets at 1512 West Gambrell Street, in the building behind the main church parking lot.