History
An amazing tapestry woven together
from God’s faithfulness
From its beginning, Second has always
invested in changed lives
In March 1927, Second Baptist Church was born in a prayer meeting at the old Taylor School on Louisiana Street in downtown Houston. 121 people were led by God to leave their home church and start a new congregation. From its beginning, Second has always invested in changed lives and maintained an intentional focus on reaching the world for Christ.
One year later in 1928, thanks to the sacrifice of 12 faithful families who put up their homes as collateral, Second purchased the buildings of St. Paul’s Methodist Church at Milam and McGowan which would be their home for the next three decades. After decades of growth, in 1957, the church voted to move the existing campus west to 25 acres at Woodway and Voss – a move designed to reach families in the rapidly growing area west of town.
A Pastor Search Committee formed in 1976 was given the responsibility of finding “a great leader with a passion for soul-winning and a heart for the city of Houston.” Their search led them to Dr. Ed Young, then a pastor in South Carolina, who accepted the call to become Second’s fifth pastor. In 1978, Dr. Young, his wife Jo Beth and their 3 sons moved to Houston.
Years of incredible growth in Bible study and Worship attendance led to the construction of the current Woodway Worship Center. When the Second Family voted to undertake the initial development of a second campus at I-10 and Fry Rd in the late 1990s, Second officially became a multi-site church. In the last 15 years, we have continued to position ourselves to meet the needs of our rapidly growing city with campuses in Kingwood, Pearland, Cypress, Fulshear and even online.
In 2024, Dr. Ben Young was called to be sixth senior pastor of Second Baptist Church. As we undertake an exciting new season in the life of the church, the Second family remains committed to worshipping and walking with Christ and winning others to Him.
The Second Story is rich indeed – an amazing tapestry woven together from God’s faithfulness and people whose lives have been changed by the good news of Jesus Christ.