Baptists in Livingston established Ariel Baptist Church circa 1852 and petitioned for membership in the Bethlehem Association, which included nine Texas counties, in 1855. The congregation later belonged to a series of associations before becoming a founding congregation of the Unity Baptist Association circa 1908. Its name changed over time, becoming Livingston Baptist Church after the Civil War and Central Baptist Church in 1917. From its founding until 1887, the congregation shared a building with other churches in Livingston, but that year Mrs. Susan Hunt and Mrs. Patience Watts sold Livingston City Block 41 to the church and contributed one third of the 75 dollar purchase price. The first permanent church building was completed in early 1888, and a second red brick structure was built on the site in 1906, with additional buildings added later. Throughout its history, the church has been active in missions, educational programs, and community outreach. The ladies' aid society was established in 1904, a men's organization called the Brotherhood was active for many years, and the Livingston Baptist Helper began publication in 1911. The church also helped support the Unity Association's purchase of the Piney Woods Baptist encampment at Woodlake in 1945, began radio and television ministries in the 1980s, and since 2002 has sponsored a school of the arts offering instruction and personal development in music and the arts.