On June 14, 1951 , a group of 55 Christians intent on building a new Southern Baptist church met at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Winston E. Carswell. Charter membership was closed after one month with a total of 123 members. Initially, Sunday morning worship services were held at the former Wilshire Theater (located at the corner of Skillman and Mockingbird). Other services and Sunday School classes were held in various business in the Lakewood area.

Since her founding, Wilshire has had four pastors:

• Huber L. Drumwright (October 7, 1952, through June 1, 1955)
• Ralph Langley (October 2, 1955, through February 25, 1958)
• Bruce McIver (November 30, 1958, through December 11, 1988)
• George Mason (August 29, 1989, to the present)

Following the leadership of these four men, Wilshire has grown steadily in membership, facilities and influence in the community.

Under Drumwright’s leadership, Wilshire purchased the present three-acre tract at 4316 Abrams Road and constructed the first education building. Later, the first sanctuary (now McIver Chapel) was constructed. During these early years, membership grew to more that 400 members, and Doryce and Ross Coggins were the first Wilshire members to be appointed as foreign missionaries.

Langley guided Wilshire’s continued growth as additional facilities were constructed. During his years, the church ordained its first deacons, had more members appointed as foreign missionaries, and membership exceeded 1,200.

During the next 30 years, Wilshire made great advances under McIver’s tenure. Membership increased to more than 3,000 and the church recorded more than 1,000 baptisms. Ground was broken in February 1965 for the present sanctuary, which was dedicated in 1966. With the growth that continued, Wilshire needed more education space. An addition to the education facility and a refurbished chapel were completed in 1982. At the church’s 35th anniversary on Oct. 19, 1986, the chapel was named in honor of McIver. He was honored with the title pastor emeritus when he retired at the end of 1988.

When Mason became pastor in 1989, the church faced many new challenges of a new day. Both the community and the times were changing. Wilshire's location originally was a thriving community of young families, new homes and businesses. By 1989, a mature congregation found itself in a multi-racial community with questions about the future. Mason led the church to pursue a comprehensive study of long-range opportunities and mission objectives. Wilshire decided to remain where it was and become a brighter beacon in the community.

At the same time, the Baptist world was changing. As women found more openness to their giftedness in the workplace, many churches continued to be male-dominated bastions. Wilshire carefully studied the issues and determined the biblical witness and the spirit of Jesus Christ indicated that women should be full partners with men in the life of the church. The church opened the door for women to be ordained both as deacons and as ministers.

As the Southern Baptist Convention charted a more fundamentalist course in the 1980s and '90s, Wilshire stayed true to its mission as a more open-minded Baptist congregation. An early affiliate of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Wilshire eventually left the SBC and today identifies exclusively with the CBF and the Baptist General Convention of Texas .

In recent years, both Wilshire and its immediate community have experienced a renaissance of sorts. Both church and community are growing and renewing together. Wilshire now has an intergenerational congregation with mature members and vibrant young families with a vision and mission.

Wilshire has developed a reputation across Dallas for excellence in a traditional worship style, outstanding messages from the pulpit, thoughtful Bible study classes, high-quality music and extraordinary missions involvement.