
Circa 2003 by Rev. David Keith
On Saturday before the fourth Sunday in March, 1878, Carlton Baptist Church was organized. T. M. Byers was the moderator and J. M. Evans was church clerk. The first pastor was Rev. R. M. Cumbie and the first deacons were Dewey Pierce, J. A. Rowland, Martin Jones, and Joe Hicks. J. A. Rowland was the first Sunday School superintendent.
Charter members were F. M. and Mary Carlton, R. M. and Mollie Cumbie, W. J. and Nancy Hicks, J. M. and S. J. Evans, J. R. and Martha J. Nix, J. P. Nix, C. A. Miller, James Nix, Callie Center, William Miller, Bettie Smith, James S. Carlton, Cynthia Pierce, Drewry Pierce, Nancy Pierce, Napoleon Pierce, Penelope McCarty, and James S. McCarty.
R. M. Cumbie was born 1 January, 1849, in Barber County, AL. Converted at the age of 20, he was baptized by D. B. Burt into the Damascus Church. He came to Texas in 1870 and was licensed by Concord Church of Henderson County. Cumbie was ordained by Carlton Baptist Church on the third Sunday of November, 1881.
Carlton Baptist Church was admitted to the Comanche Baptist Association prior to 2 September, 1881, when Carlton hosted the Comanche Baptist Annual meeting.
No rain fell in Hamilton County from January, 1886, until August 31, 1887; hence severe drought conditions prevailed. The Saturday morning session of the Comanche Association in September, 1887 adjourned to the river bank for a baptismal service. Sixteen of those baptized were from Carlton.
On 3 December, 1885, R. M. Cumbie, Drewry Pierce, H. L. Lynch, J. E. Stringer, J. H. Everett, and J. T. Cumbie, Trustees of Carlton Baptist Church purchased for ten dollars from W. C. Murphree and wife, D. A. Murphree, a tract of land on which to build a church house.
The first church was a one room structure. Carlton Baptist Church was admitted into the Hamilton County Baptist Association on 14 August, 1891.

Interior of the worship center taken around 1997.
Early pastors were:
- J. H. Vinson, 1891–1895
- J. H. Cunningham, 1896–1897
- J. T. Beam, 1898–1899
- T. P. Speakman, 1901
Early church clerks were:
- J. C. Finley, 1891-1900
- W. McKenzie–1901
Early messengers to the annual association meeting were:
- 1891–W. Graham, F. M. Richburg
- 1892–W. Graham, J. W. Porter, F. M. Richburg, James Wilson McKenzie
- 1893–J. H. Vinson, A. Boatwright, F. M. Richburg
- 1894–J. N. Adams, J. W. Richburg
- 1895–Warren Graham, James Wilson McKenzie, J. N. Adams, B. G. Richbourg, J. H. Vinson, J. W. Porter, Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson
- 1896–F. M. Richbourg, J. C. Finley, Warren Graham, J. W. Porter, Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson
- 1897–A. L. Fisher, James Wilson McKenzie, A. G. Bingham, Rev. Warren Graham
- 1898–James Wilson McKenzie, R. Adams, V. B. Mitchell, J. M. Adams, Sisters Lou Mitchell and Orelia McKenzie
- 1899–Revs. Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson, J. T. Beam, Warren Graham, and Brethren J. M. Adams, James Wilson McKenzie, F. M. Richbourg, W. S. Fisher
- 1900–James Wilson McKenzie, Rev. Warren Graham, J. A. Rowland, Sister Orelia McKenzie
- 1901–J. T. Gibson, James Wilson McKenzie, J. A. Rowland, J. W. Richbourg, Randolph Hunter “Randall” Gibson, M. L. Gibson
A new church building was completed in September, 1917 by J. L. Thompson. This was the last building Mr Thompson built before his death. The first couple married in the new church were Rev. Clarence Allen Morton and Miss Hallie Adams. The baptistry was added in 1945. On 25 October, 1953, an educational building was dedicated. The parsonage was remodeled in 1977.
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