Mobberly Baptist Church fills the northeast corner of Loop 281 in Longview with a 52-acre campus that draws thousands of East Texans each week. From that main campus on East Loop 281, and from a second location on West Carolanne Boulevard in Marshall, Mobberly pursues a single mission: people leading people into a life-changing, ever-growing relationship with Jesus Christ. The church describes itself as fully grounded in Scripture with practical application for modern living, and that combination of rooted teaching and active community life has defined the congregation since its earliest days.
From Forty-Nine Members to a Regional Network
The story of Mobberly begins on Sunday, September 4, 1938, when forty-nine members of the South Highland Mission, sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Longview, voted to form the South Side Baptist Church. Lester C. Bell pastored briefly before Reverend C. L. Porter was called as the permanent pastor that October. Under Porter's leadership, the small frame building was expanded with new rooms, and in 1942 the congregation purchased property on Mobberly Avenue and renamed itself Mobberly Avenue Baptist Church. The first sanctuary was completed in 1945 as World War II ended, followed by an education building in 1952 and a second sanctuary in 1957.
Pastor Barney Walker took the pulpit in 1961, and the church grew from eighty charter members to more than 1,800 by 1964. A children's building with a nursery and educational facilities for children through sixth grade was completed in 1963. Walker served until 1966 and Reverend J. Dalton Havard from 1967 to 1969.
Dr. Laney Johnson began his pastorate in March 1970 and led the church for thirty-eight years. Under his guidance, Mobberly broke ground on October 5, 1980, for a satellite location on Loop 281 on the north side of town. On March 6, 1981, the church officially became Mobberly Baptist Church, meeting as one family in two locations. A new worship center at the Loop campus was dedicated on September 13, 1992, bringing the reunited congregation under one roof, followed by a Senior Adult and Administration building in February 1999.
Membership passed 3,000 by the year 2000, and the campus grew to fifty-two acres. In 2005, a 25,000-square-foot youth complex called Elevation was dedicated. Dr. Glynn Stone succeeded Johnson in November 2007 and led the church through three additional worship services, a foyer expansion, the Bridge educational building, and the church's first church plants.
Mobberly planted True North Church in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2010 under Pastor Brent Williams, and Connection Church in Spearfish, South Dakota, in 2011 under Pastor Doug Hixson. Both have grown to average attendance above 200 and have launched additional sites. The Marshall campus opened in 2014 at the Marshall Convention Center and moved into the former Bel Air Baptist Church building at 101 West Carolanne Boulevard in October 2017 after extensive renovations.
After more than a year without a pastor, Dr. Andrew Hébert was called as Lead Pastor in August 2022 and continues to lead Mobberly forward today.
What Mobberly Believes
Mobberly's confession is shaped by the historic Southern Baptist tradition. The church teaches that there is one true and living God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became fully man while remaining fully God, that He died on the cross for sin and rose again, and that He now sits exalted at the right hand of God and will return in glory. The Holy Spirit is confessed as fully divine, the author of Scripture, the one who convicts of sin, regenerates believers, baptizes them into the body of Christ, and bestows spiritual gifts for service.
The Bible is received as God's revelation, totally true and trustworthy, with Christ as its focus. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the church teaches eternal security, holding that the perseverance of the saved rests on the perfection of the Savior rather than human effort. A New Testament church is understood as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, governed under the Lordship of Christ with pastors and deacons as its scriptural officers. Mobberly observes two ordinances, baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, both understood as acts of obedient symbolism.
Six values give shape to daily ministry: Biblical Truth as the standard for every decision, Personal Transformation through dependence on God, Family Discipleship combining the influence of church and home, Generational Connection across ages and backgrounds, Gospel Urgency sending believers outward, and Sacrificial Commitment of every believer's very best.
Three Locations and Online Worship
Mobberly describes itself as meeting in three locations, four venues, and online. The flagship Longview campus at 625 East Loop 281 holds three Sunday morning worship gatherings in the Worship Center. The Marshall campus at 101 West Carolanne Boulevard holds a single family-friendly service. Mobberly En Español meets in The Crossing on the Longview campus. The church also lists a Vietnamese Mission among its venues and streams all Longview gatherings live on YouTube.
Worship at Longview blends the newest contemporary songs with the oldest beloved hymns, with the common thread that every song exalts God. Dress ranges from jeans to suits. Children join Family Friendly Worship in the Worship Center before or after attending age-graded Connect Groups at 9:30 or 11 a.m.
Worship on the Marshall campus begins at 10:30 a.m., with Connect Groups for all ages meeting at 9 a.m. and a corporate prayer time at 8:30 a.m. Preschool groups are available during the Worship Gathering, and families worship together throughout the service.
Connect Groups: Where Life Happens
The church considers Connect Groups the primary place where members grow in biblical community. More than seventy groups meet on campus at three different Sunday morning hours or off campus throughout the week. The Longview campus hosts Legacy Adult groups in the B Building on Sunday mornings, with classes such as Goetz, Son Risers, Lamb, Hayes, Yeates, Hall-Conner-Green, Encouragers, Lindsey, Norwood, and Prime Time serving adults from their sixties through their nineties.
Median Adult groups fill The Bridge building with options like Open Table for unmarried adults in their twenties and thirties, Pathfinders for singles thirty-five to fifty-five, Wisdom Seekers for adults sixty and over, and numerous married couples groups organized by life stage, from nearly-wed through empty nest. Additional women's and men's groups meet in The Bridge as well. Marshall Connect Groups are organized separately.
Mobberly also runs an active online Bible study archive through its Women's Ministry, with studies including Loving God, Woven, It Is Well, Bible Study Method, Fruit of the Spirit, Ruth, and Better Together, all freely available.
Kids and Students: From Babies to Seniors
MobberlyKIDS walks with children from birth through sixth grade through age-appropriate Bible study, preschool and children's worship on Sundays, and Wednesday nights called KidsLIFE, an evening of activities, music, missions, and discipleship. Each third Sunday is Honor Sunday, when children focus on the honor code shaped by Romans 12:10. The children's ministry partners with parents through Merge, a philosophy that combines the influence of church and home in spiritual formation.
KidsLIFE gathers Pre-K and kindergarten in the Preschool Building and first through sixth grade in The Depot on the second floor of The Bridge building, with KidsLIFE Worship Teams leading pre-teens in worship. The program runs Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. during the school year. A separate Leaps & Bounds class serves children with special needs, and the preschool Mother's Day Out program offers a daytime option for younger children.
Elevation Student Ministry reaches seventh through twelfth graders. On the Longview campus, the student building opens at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, with junior high worship at 6:30, combined worship at 7:15, and high school worship at 7:30. Sunday mornings offer Connect Groups at 9:30 and a unified worship experience in the Worship Center at 11 a.m. Marshall students meet for Connect Groups at 9 a.m., worship at 10:30 a.m., and a combined youth gathering Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.
College and Young Adults
The College and Young Adult Ministry gathers at The Crossing on Sunday mornings at 9:30 for breakfast, community, and study before moving to the 11 a.m. Worship Gathering. A midweek dinner and Bible study meets Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in The Bridge D104. The Open Table group serves unmarried adults in their twenties and thirties with Bible-based teaching and open discussion in The Bridge D110 at 9:30 a.m.
The Marshall campus hosts its own college ministry with Sunday morning Bible study at 9 a.m., Sunday evening small groups in homes at 5:30 p.m., and a Tuesday night fellowship called TurnUp from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. featuring board games, basketball, and pickleball. The ministry partners with Baptist Student Ministry at Kilgore College.
Marriage Ministries
Marriage Moments gathers couples and singles on the second Monday of each month in Longview, the second Wednesday of every other month in Marshall, and the fourth Monday of each month for Mobberly En Español. Led by Karen and Wayne Jacobs, the ministry uses storytelling as a path toward affirmation, empathy, and connection, and operates as an intergenerational fellowship that often doubles as a date night. Childcare is available by reservation.
The Re|engage course, drawn from Watermark's curriculum, runs as a structured fall study for married couples seeking to reconnect and address challenges. The current cycle begins in mid-September and concludes with a Fellowship Night in late November. Childcare is available by reservation for children birth through Pre-K, and Thrive! programming serves school-age children.
Hope Road Counseling, the church's biblical counseling arm, provides one-on-one premarital counseling using the Prepare/Enrich assessment and offers ongoing Christ-centered counseling for individuals, couples, and families. Senior Director of Spiritual Formation Sonya Reeder and Director of Counseling Treva Barham lead the team.
Women's, Men's, and Senior Adult Ministries
Mobberly Women gathers for Wednesday evening and Thursday morning Bible studies, with limited childcare available on Thursday mornings. Titus 2 Mentoring pairs women across generations, and Prayer Shawl meets monthly to knit and crochet shawls while praying for recipients. Widow to Widow offers encouragement through monthly fellowship, and a Worthy ministry walks alongside women who have experienced unplanned pregnancy. A Mentored Discipleship program offers Womenary, a series of seminary-style classes taught by seminary graduates in a relaxed setting.
Mobberly Men encourages men to pursue the unique plan God has for them. The ministry organizes multiple Bible studies throughout the week at Panera on Loop 281, IHOP on Loop 281, and in classroom space at the Bridge and Elevation buildings. A men's exercise group meets at Williams Lake Trail Head on Mondays and Tuesdays at 5 a.m. and at Lobo Stadium on Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 a.m. Opportunities to serve include the annual Rummage Sale, church softball, and disaster relief partnerships with Texans on Mission and Samaritan's Purse.
Legacy Adults, the senior adult ministry, brings together adults sixty-five and older in Connect Groups, fellowships, mission projects, and intergenerational ministry. The group's heartbeat is that legacy is lived out in everyday choices.
Worship Teams and the Arts
The worship ministry describes its mission as declaring God's glory among the nations and welcomes adults, students, and children to serve through music, drama, audio, video, and lighting. The Longview Adult Choir leads worship at all three Sunday gatherings, rehearsing Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall with no auditions required. The Orchestra joins the choir for the annual Patriotic Family Night and Sounds of the Season, rehearsing Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Worship Center by audition. Multiple bands of high school, college, and adult musicians serve across all campuses by audition. KidsLIFE Worship Teams and KidsLIFE Children's Choir give elementary students regular opportunities to lead.
Mobberly Media operates cameras, audio, lighting, and video streaming each week across every campus. Volunteers handle camera operation, audio mixing, video directing, slide advancement, photography, graphic design, and audio editing. The team extends worship beyond the walls through livestreamed services and archived sermons.
Thrive!: Care and Recovery
Thrive! is a network of support pathways within Mobberly designed to bring hope, healing, and restoration to those who seek it. Marriage Ministry, Sexual Integrity, Life Matters (which supports families in the fostering or adoption process), and Family Services/Benevolence all operate under the Thrive! umbrella. Sexual Integrity is a Christ-centered ministry for men, women, and couples pursuing freedom from sexual brokenness. Family Services/Benevolence serves Gregg County residents on Tuesday mornings with assistance for eviction notices, utility shut-offs, and gasoline, paired with conversation about life in Christ. The Barnabas Ministry provides financial assistance, mentoring, and Connect Group support to selected families.
Hope Road Counseling provides Christ-centered, professional counseling and spiritual direction. Oasis in the Pines, a separate ministry led by Oasis Pastor Dr. Gregg Zackary, offers rest, renewal, and personal restoration for pastors, ministers, missionaries, and other leaders. The Oasis Project envisions developing church-owned land into a wooded retreat center.
Prayer as a Way of Life
More than 500 Mobberly members serve as Watchmen on the Wall, committing one hour each week at a consistent time to pray for God to move through the church. The Intercessory Prayer Room on the Longview campus is staffed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, by members serving in one-hour rotations. A Prayer Wall invites anyone to submit requests online for the prayer team and congregation to lift up.
Men gather Sunday mornings from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. in the Longview Crossing Hospitality Room to pray for Sunday gatherings and church plants, and Tuesday mornings from 6:30 to 7:15 a.m. in the Worship Center to pray for revival. Moms in Prayer meets Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in The Bridge D100, joining a worldwide network that covers every U.S. state and more than 140 countries.
Missions: Across the Street and Around the World
Mobberly's mission strategy reaches East Texas, North America, and the world. Local partners include Mission Marshall, Baptist Student Ministry at Kilgore College, Lakeview Baptist Assembly, Christian Job Corps of Gregg County, HiWay 80 Rescue Mission, Shade Tree, Graciously Broken, House of Hope, Mercy Manor, Rahab's Retreat and Ranch, Heartisans Marketplace, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters at ETBU, Wiley University, Marshall High School, and Marshall Junior High.
Across North America, Mobberly supports church plants including New Horizon Church in Pittsburgh, Radiant Church in Syracuse, Pillar Church Killeen, The Vine Church in Mount Pleasant, and Resonate Church in Seattle. International partners extend to Mexico, Ecuador, Zambia, Nigeria, Hungary, Romania, Dubai, South Sudan, Papua New Guinea, and multiple African ministries, alongside Wycliffe Bible Translators and Christ to the World.
Español: Una Iglesia Para Todos
Mobberly En Español meets Sundays at 11 a.m. in The Crossing on the Longview campus, with Comunidad y Oración at 9:30 a.m. in Room A200. The congregation frequently joins the main Worship Center for bilingual worship, with the message translated simultaneously into Spanish. The ministry offers Connect Groups, summer family challenges, and a devotional reading plan called Los Evangelios en 45 Días. Worship is described as joyful, energetic, and welcoming.
Next Steps: Baptism, Membership, and Serving
Mobberly baptizes by immersion on a regular schedule and encourages every believer to follow Christ's command. The baptism team walks with each person through a class and a shared celebration in a Sunday service.
The Membership class introduces the church's identity, beliefs, and expectations. Joining the church is a separate step from joining a Connect Group, which is open to anyone regardless of membership. To begin, visitors can text PLAN to 57686 to plan a visit, NEXT to 57686 to get connected, TRIPS to 57686 for mission trip information, or UPDATES to 57686 for prayer updates from mission partners.
More than 800 volunteers serve every Sunday across both campuses, with nearly 100 more during the week. Opportunities range from greeting and coffee service to children's ministry, media, prayer, music, special events, Upward Sports, and behind-the-scenes support.
Giving and Financial Integrity
Giving supports the annual church budget, the building fund, the Love the Nations mission offering, Family Services/Benevolence, the Counseling Ministry, the Marshall Ministry, the Oasis Project, and Oasis in the Pines. Contributions can be made online, by texting GIVE to (903) 418-4040, by mail, or in person at the Longview office. Mobberly submits monthly financial reports to the Finance Committee, quarterly reports to the Deacon Body, and an annual audit by an independent firm, with non-budgeted spending from surplus funds reported to the congregation in compliance with the church bylaws.
Christian Formation
Courses run on Wednesday evenings and include a seven-week Basics class (a prerequisite for further study), a seven-week Bible Overview, a twelve-week Bible Interpretation course, a study of Spiritual Disciplines, and a twelve-week Christian Doctrine course that surveys what Christians believe about God, salvation, humanity, the church, and the end times. Classes are designed to deepen biblical literacy and shape everyday Christian living.