Highland Park was founded over 50 years ago in Austin Texas.
During these years there have been a number of significant milestones that reflect the spirit and character of the church.
The following are a sample of the events and actions that have shaped the church:
1954
Nov. 15 First meeting of the HPBC Women's Missionary Union, organized by Mrs. G.S. (Elsie) Foscue and Mrs. Avery (Beulah) Smith.
Dec. 5 First HPBC deacons ordained at First Baptist Church.
They were Tilford Bean, W. H. Jung, Jr., Johnson Gault, Edgar Perry and Vernon Matthews.
1977
Jan. 5 Sunday school enrollment was 641 and the
annual budget was $187,944. Receipts for 1977 totaled $189,349.29.
Jan. 26 Music Committee began Memorial Organ Subscription Campaign with goal of $44,000
to replace the present organ with a pipe organ.
April 29-May 1 Church celebrated 25th anniversary.
Events included presentation of "Godspell" by the Youth Choir, Sunday school, morning worship,
all-church luncheon and church history presented in slide show and movies.
Sept. 11 Church ordained its first female deacons:
Jean Bringol, Babs Davis, Elsie Foscue, Nancy Lamb and Marge Whiteker.
Nancy Lamb was elected secretary of the deacon body.
Also ordained were Jerry Dow, John Fields, Gary Oliver, Clay Wilkins, Ron Bringol, and Art Coltharp.
2000
Sep 17 Reverend Barbara Holloway is Highland Park's guest preacher this Sunday, September 17.
Barbara's sermon topic is death and dying, an issue highlighted this week on PBS series by Bill Moyers.
Barbara's years as Seton Hospital Chaplain have presented her with daily experiences on this difficult and sensitive issue.
In addition to her work at Seton, the past ten years Barbara has taught Clinical Pastoral Education to Theological Seminary students.
Reverend Holloway is quite a legacy to this church as well as to our community.
She and her husband, Dr. Milton Halloway have both served in many capacities at Highland Park and raised their daughters,
Teresa Faught and Lorinda Holloway, here. In 1982, Barbara worked with several other members to start the Touch group,
a ministry that is of obvious importance to this church family.
She and Milton's mother, Mattie Holloway sat together at their kitchen table and drew the hands of the Touch
circle logo that we continue to use today. Ordained here by Ray Burchette on January 31, 1983,
Barbara became the first Baptist woman ordained in Austin, and the first woman
ordained to the ministry at Highland Park Baptist Church.
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