DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and it's a story worth every mile of the telling. Way back in 1865, a congregation gathered beneath a brush arbor — nothing but poles and branches overhead, and the open Texas sky above that — on land belonging to their founding pastor, the Reverend Phillip Burrell. No walls, no roof to speak of, just faith and the shade of whatever timber was close at hand.
That's where Bethel Missionary Baptist Church drew its first breath. Twelve years passed, and in 1877, Phillip and Jane Burrell made it official — they deeded one acre of their land at this very site to the trustees of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. Put it in writing.
Made it permanent. Or at least, they made the ground permanent. The building would come later.
After additional land was purchased, the congregation raised a permanent house of worship here in 1894, under the leadership of the Reverend Martin Reece. Now, you want to talk about dedication — Reverend Reece was born in 1859 and lived all the way to 1942, and somewhere in that long life he served Bethel as pastor for fifty-nine years. Fifty-nine years.
Some churches go through five pastors before they get through a single building campaign. Reece stayed through it all. The next chapter belongs to the Reverend W.
D. Dowe. Under his pastorate, with a congregation that had been growin' and growin', a new brick church went up in 1952.
Brick, now — a long way from a brush arbor in 1865. Growth kept coming. The Reverend J.
H. Holland led from 1958 to 1961, and then the Reverend T. H.
Foster carried the work forward from 1962 to 1968. The congregation didn't slow down after that, either. In the latter half of the twentieth century, Bethel expanded its reach into community service, education, Sunday morning television broadcasts, and outreach over the Internet.
A church that started under open sky was eventually reachin' folks through the airwaves and the worldwide web. In 1992, a fellowship hall and education building were added to the grounds. Over all those years, Bethel has sponsored a number of its own members for the ordained ministry — sending people out, not just drawing them in.
Members of this church have counted among Crockett's civic leaders, educators, and public officials. What started as one acre deeded by Phillip and Jane Burrell, one brush arbor, one congregation finding its footing in 1865 — it grew into something the founders might have dared to dream about but couldn't have fully imagined. The marker says Bethel retains the ideals and traditions of its founders while looking to the future for growth and expansion.
A hundred and thirty-some-odd years of doing exactly that. Not bad for a church that began in the shade.
What the marker says
This congregation began worshiping together in 1865 under a brush arbor on property owned by its founding pastor, the Rev. Phillip Burrell. In 1877, Phillip and Jane Burrell deeded one acre of their land at this site to the trustees of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. After additional land was purchased, the congregation constructed a permanent house of worship here in 1894, under the leadership of the Rev. Martin Reece (1859-1942), who served the church as pastor for 59 years. During the pastorate of the Rev. W. D. Dowe (1893-1957), a new brick church was built in 1952 to house the growing congregation. Growth continued under the leadership of the Rev. J. H. Holland (1901-1969) from 1958 to 1961 and the Rev. T. H. Foster (1914-1975) from 1962 to 1968. The congregation expanded its ministries in the latter half of the 20th century to include community service, education, Sunday morning television broadcasts and outreach over the Internet. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church has sponsored a number of its members for the ordained ministry. The congregation added a fellowship hall and education building in 1992. Members of this church have included Crockett civic leaders, educators and public officials. A significant part of the community's social and religious history, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church retains the ideals and traditions of its founders while looking to the future for growth and expansion. (2001)