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Mobberly Baptist Church is taking its next step in laying down a foundation in the Marshall community.

Mobberly members voted Wednesday to acquire the building and property currently owned by Bel Air Baptist Church at 101 W. Carolanne Blvd. Earlier this week, Bel Air members voted to gift the property to Mobberly.

“We are so grateful for their investment in God’s kingdom,” Dr. Glynn Stone, Mobberly’s senior pastor, said of Bel Air’s members. “We’re hopeful for their continued partnership moving forward.”

The church buildings and office include about 18,000 square feet of space and sit on about 3.5 acres.

Early plans call for Mobberly to renovate the buildings and start holding worship gatherings and other ministry events this fall. It is possible Mobberly could begin hosting outdoor events on the property as early as this summer.  

Mobberly, which has a campus located at 625 E. Loop 281 in Longview, opened its Marshall campus in April of 2014. It hosts worship gatherings Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. at the Marshall Convention Center. It has also hosted worship gatherings at East Texas Baptist University, Wiley College and Marshall High School when the convention center was unavailable.

“Members of both of our campuses have been praying for three years to secure a base of operations for our Marshall campus,” Stone said. “But in the past seven months, we have been praying more fervently. The Bible teaches that ‘fervent prayers avail much.’ During this time of fasting and praying, God had placed on the hearts of the members at Bel Air to link with a church that would continue a legacy of growing and impacting families for eternity. God knit the hearts of Bel Air members with Mobberly leadership immediately.”

Geoffrey Davis, Mobberly’s Marshall campus pastor, sees the eventual move to the new property as the next step in Mobberly’s commitment to engaging the Marshall community with the gospel.

“God has used Mobberly’s Marshall campus to reach people in East Texas that may not have been reached simply because we meet in a convention center,” Davis said. “These three years have served as a confirmation that church is not a time or place, but the people of God. 

“Our congregation will never be satisfied with occupying a building, but will always be looking for ways to take the message of Jesus to our community,” Davis continued.

The connections between Mobberly and Bel Air go back decades. Dick Lindsey, Mobberly’s associate minister of pastoral care and missions, was the pastor at Bel Air in the 1970s.

In addition, multiple current Mobberly members grew up attending Bel Air, and others have family members who still attend Bel Air. 

Davis says that he is committed to seeing Bel Air’s legacy live on through Mobberly. 

“I want to be as focused on God’s kingdom as the people of Bel Air Baptist Church are,” Davis said. “I’m so thankful that they see everything they have as belonging to God and to be used for His purposes.” 

 

IF YOU GO

Mobberly Baptist Church has campuses in Longview and Marshall. Worship gatherings are held Sunday mornings at 8, 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. on the Longview campus, 625 E. Loop 281, and at 10:45 a.m. at the Marshall Convention Center, 2501 E. End Blvd.