History

 

April 16th, 1959 at 9:25 pm, in the New Bethel Baptist Church, located at 3817 South Oakland Avenue, Dallas, Texas, the following ministers and brethren met along with the congregation and perfected an organization, thus know as the Ebenezer Baptist Church: Rev. R.C. McNeil, Rev. Morris Conley, Brother Robert Smith and Brother Perry Fields. At this meeting Rev. Louis Gene John Jackson was called as pastor. The Charter members were: Claude Crowder, Maureen Crowder, Clotiel Jackson, Bobby J. King, Jodie Mary Lee, George W. Pryor, Oran Pryor, Rufus Pryor, Bettie J. Smith, Mack Tennison, Aaron Williams, Euela Wooten, Henry Wooten, Weldon Wright, and Joe Edward Young.

After the completion of the organization, Rev. R.C. McNeil graciously extended an invitation for the newly organized group to worship with the New Bethel Baptist church until a suitable place of worship could be found. We accepted his invitation and worshipped with them for the next two Sundays. On the first Sunday in May 1959, we moved into the church building we purchased after we were organized for two weeks. The name of our church was changed to Third Avenue Baptist Church to identify with the community and was located at 802 Third Avenue.

April 16th, 1972, exactly 13 years to the day, we broke ground for a new sanctuary and educational facility at 2408 Hatcher Street. This present structure marks the fulfillment of our efforts in this direction.

June 6th, 1993, Pastor L.G. Jackson, members and friends gathered for the ground breaking ceremony for the structure of our new sanctuary. May 15th, 1994, we moved into our new sanctuary and by the grace of God the mortgage was paid in full. It is our sincere prayer that this house of God, which has been erected to His glory and honor, will serve as an instrument of winning souls to Christ. Rev. George W. Pryor delivered the entrance message.

August 19th, 1996 the Founder and Pastor of Third Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. L.G.J. Jackson was called home to be with the Lord, thus ending a season of unselfish service. He was a God-fearing, God-loving, servant of the Lord, who faithfully preached with an uncompromising boldness. A memorial celebration of his life was held Saturday, September 14th, 1996. The memorial symbolized closure to another chapter in the history of the church.

 

After much prayer, a pulpit committee was organized to select a new pastor. November 3, 1996, the committee interviewed Rev. Michael D. Pryor. After much prayer and deliberation, the committee submitted a decision to the congregation, recommending Rev. Michael D. Pryor as the new pastor of Third Avenue Baptist church. The congregation voted unanimously in favor of Rev. Michael D. Pryor. After which, he officially accepted his calling from God to serve as pastor. The installation service was held on December 15th, 1996. Pastor George W. Pryor, who is the father of Pastor Michael D. Pryor, was the presiding minister for the service.

Under the leadership of Pastor Michael D. Pryor, the church has grown in several areas, some of which are renovating the former sanctuary into our new Fellowship Hall, to acquiring additional church property surrounding the existing building, to forming the radio and television ministries, and contributing to domestic and foreign missionaries. Pastor Pryor’s devotion to God, family, his willingness to study God’s word, his spiritual growth in knowledge and wisdom of God’s word, his gift of teaching, and commitment to serving are evident.

As Pastor Pryor would say “Where the rubber meets the road, Third Avenue is a church that is small enough to need you, but big enough to serve you”.

 

Pastor Wright states, “God has truly blessed me with parents who have trained me up as a child to reverence God and serve HIM, a faithful wife of 22 years, who is committed to serving God, and three sons who have made the both of us proud. I am honored to be called as Steward and Pastor of the Third Avenue Missionary Baptist Church and I have made the commitment to God as stated in Isaiah 6:8, Here Am I Send Me. I look forward to many years of fostering this LOVE relationship with God’s People, as we work to please Him”