Northrich History
The history of Northrich began when the Dallas Baptist Association purchased 5.15 acres of land on Custer Road in Richardson, Texas. The First Baptist Church of Richardson sponsored Northrich as a mission church, and two years later the Church Loan Association loaned them $65,000.00 to pay for the land and build the first building. Park Cities Baptist Church also became a sponsor of Northrich by endorsing $25,250.00 of the note. The firm of Brown and Chapman was selected as the architect, and the Colwell Construction Company was selected to build the first building. Construction began in April of 1960. Dr. McKinley Norman was called as mission pastor, and the first services were held on August 7, 1960, with 119 in Sunday school and 62 in Training Union. The offering was $161.09. In January of 1961, Rev. Paul Petty as called as the first full-time pastor. As church membership grew, the need for additional space led the church to build a new sanctuary and two educational wings. Due to the faithfulness of God and His people, Northrich has been debt-free since September of 1999.
In 2001, Northrich made the decision to leave the liberal General Baptist of Texas Convention and became affiliated with the conservative Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. In 2004, Northrich left the Dallas Baptist Association and joined the newly formed North Texas Baptist Association, an affiliate of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Northrich is a Bible-believing church that is committed to reaching the lost with the life-changing message of the Gospel. Throughout its history, Northrich has had the privilege of being led by godly pastors who have built on this commitment. In September of 2007, Mike Nelson became the senior pastor of Northrich and has continued the legacy of outstanding preaching and a commitment to the inerrancy of the Word of God.