James Stephenson

Built on the Bible Through the years, First Baptist Dallas has been a downtown anchor and a nationally recognized beacon of Bible teaching, a tradition that began with the earliest of First Dallas’ legendary pastors, George W. Truett. For 47 years, Dr. Truett led First Dallas to a place of worldwide acclaim and phenomenal growth. Truett’s successor, a visionary leader and riveting preacher, Dr. W.A. Criswell, took charge of the next great transformation of First Baptist Dallas. He brought young families back to the church, and he led a program of aggressive expansion. Another shepherd, Dr. Robert Jeffress, was called as pastor in 2007. His arrival brought a much-needed tidal shift. Dr. Jeffress is a thoroughly down-to-earth teacher, known for sharing practical and often surprising principles from the scriptures. Clearly we’ve stood the test of time, and now there’s a fresh energy in the church. But we’re certainly not resting on our laurels. We have completed a sweeping $130 million update of our campus — thought to be the largest church redevelopment project in the nation’s history. With the historic 1890s sanctuary standing gracefully at its center, the new campus has enabled First Dallas to remain a spiritual oasis and a testimony of God’s love and truth in the heart of Dallas for generations to come.