First Baptist Church Waco — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Matt Snowden (Pastor, since August 2010)

Founded Unknown

Denomination Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) / BGCT

Service Times Sunday Bible Study (all ages); Sunday Worship (check website for times)

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.fbcwaco.org

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Baptist -- trinitarian.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

CBF -- may not hold strict inerrancy.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Men's Spring Fish Fry listed (May 9); no dedicated discipleship program detailed

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Baptist.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Not explicitly stated; BFM1963 silent on women in ministry (the 2000 revision added male-only pastor clause)

Verify

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Not explicit on homepage

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Not described on homepage

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Historic missions emphasis.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

CBF/Waco context -- verify.

Caution

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Site references 1963 BFM (not 2000) — a hallmark CBF/moderate-BGCT signal; full affiliation not explicit

WARNING!

Assessment

First Baptist Waco is CBF and BGCT-affiliated with pastor Matt Snowden (since 2010). The church has a historical legacy of allowing women deacons (dating back to B.H. Carroll's era) and commissioned women for missionary work. CBF affiliation means the church likely affirms women in ministry roles. Located in the Waco Baptist ecosystem alongside Baylor University. No explicit LGBTQ affirmation found, but CBF alignment and Waco's broader Baptist culture warrant caution for complementarian-minded men.

#cbf#bgct#waco-tx#women-deacons-historically#baptist#waco#mclennan-county#possible-cbf#needs-review

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Archived snapshot web.archive.org/web/20260307114200/https://www.fbcwaco.org/
↳ Snapshot of fbcwaco.org (live link)

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.