DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, every good story starts with a disagreement — and the story of Bethel Baptist Church is no different. In 1890 and 1891, the Reverend Jack Yates and a group of worshippers left Antioch Baptist Church.
The falling-out? A disagreement about renovation funding. Some disputes simmer for years.
This one built a church. They named their new congregation Bethel Baptist Church, reaching back to something older than any argument — the word Beth-El, meaning a center near an individual's heart called the House of God. That is a name chosen with intention.
In October of 1891, the congregation purchased a lot on Andrews at Crosby, and a simple building went up not long after. Simple, but standing. And then came 1900.
If you know Texas history, you already feel what's coming. The 1900 storm came through and blew that church down. Blew it clean down.
But here is the part worth leaning in for — the congregation rebuilt, using salvageable material right out of the wreckage. Same bones, new life. What rose from that storm would eventually be shaped by two men who served longer than most folks work a career.
Reverend James R. Burdett pastored from 1917 to 1946. Reverend W.
H. Dudley followed from 1948 to 1970. Between them, those two men oversaw the building of something genuinely remarkable.
The first phase — a one-story structure with Gothic Revival influence — was designed by architect John L. Blount in 1923. Then in 1949 and 1950, architect James M.
Thomas expanded it all the way to three stories. Three stories, with an at-grade entrance and an oversized arched entry and a modern minimal façade that the marker calls unusual. Unusual in the best way — progressive, intentional, a building that looked like the people inside it.
And those people. Oh, those people. Bethel was sometimes called the Silk Stocking Church on account of its well-to-do members, and the marker names a few worth knowing.
Dr. B. J.
Covington, co-founder of the Houston Negro Hospital. J. H.
Harmon, dry goods merchant. Eldridge — known as Bud — Jackson, funeral home owner. Anderson Lacey, an internationally known violinist.
Clifton F. Richardson, Sr., editor and founder of both the Houston Informer and the Houston Defender. And Rutherford B.
H. Yates, Sr., printer and educator. These weren't footnotes.
These were pillars. Bethel was also one of the earliest congregations in Freedmen's Town — Fourth Ward, Houston — and that community ties run deep and long. On January 24th, 2005, fire destroyed the interior of the church.
The exterior held. And though the Bethel congregation now worships in another community, it has maintained a close relationship with the residents of Fourth Ward since its very founding. Blown down by a storm.
Rebuilt from the rubble. Burned from within. Still standing on the outside.
Still connected to the neighborhood that watched it all happen. Some buildings are just walls. Bethel Baptist Church is a testament.
What the marker says
IN 1890-91, REV. JACK YATES AND A GROUP OF WORSHIPPERS LEFT ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH OVER A DISAGREEMENT ABOUT RENOVATION FUNDING. THEY NAMED THEIR NEW CONGREGATION BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH, REFERRING TO "BETH-EL" MEANING A "CENTER" NEAR AN INDIVIDUAL'S HEART CALLED THE "HOUSE OF GOD". IN OCTOBER 1891, THE CONGREGATION PURCHASED A LOT ON ANDREWS AT CROSBY UPON WHICH A SIMPLE BUILDING WAS SOON ERECTED. THE CHURCH WAS BLOWN DOWN IN THE 1900 STORM AND REBUILT WITH SALVAGEABLE MATERIAL FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE TWO LONGEST-SERVING PASTORS, REV. JAMES R. BURDETT (1917-1946) AND REV. W. H. DUDLEY (1948-1970), OVERSAW THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GOTHIC REVIVAL INFLUENCED STRUCTURE. THE FIRST PHASE, A ONE-STORY BUILDING, WAS DESIGNED BY JOHN L. BLOUNT IN 1923. THE CHURCH WAS EXPANDED TO THREE STORIES BY ARCHITECT JAMES M. THOMAS IN 1949-50. THE INTERIOR WAS DESTROYED BY A FIRE ON JANUARY 24, 2005, BUT THE EXTERIOR REMAINED. BETHEL'S DESIGN, WITH ITS AT-GRADE ENTRANCE AND OVERSIZED ARCHED ENTRY WITH A MODERN MINIMAL FA��ADE EMBELLISHMENT, IS UNUSUAL AND REPRESENTS ITS PROGRESSIVE AND AFFLUENT CONGREGATION. BETHEL WAS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE "SILK STOCKING" CHURCH BECAUSE OF ITS WELL-TO-DO MEMBERS INCLUDING DR. B. J. COVINGTON, CO-FOUNDER OF THE HOUSTON NEGRO HOSPITAL; J. H. HARMON, DRY GOODS MERCHANT; ELDRIDGE "BUD" JACKSON, FUNERAL HOME OWNER; ANDERSON LACEY, INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN VIOLINIST; CLIFTON F. RICHARDSON, SR., EDITOR AND FOUNDER OF THE HOUSTON INFORMER AND HOUSTON DEFENDER; AND RUTHERFORD B. H. YATES, SR., PRINTER AND EDUCATOR. BETHEL WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST CONGREGATIONS IN FREEDMEN'S TOWN. ALTHOUGH THE BETHEL CONGREGATION NOW WORSHIPS IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY, IT HAS MAINTAINED A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RESIDENTS OF FOURTH WARD SINCE ITS FOUNDING.