Cedar Bayou United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to honor every word. Back in 1844, before Cedar Bayou was much more than a name on the land, a congregation came together at the home of a man named Hance Baker. Now, Baker was an early settler in these parts, and it was under the direction of the Reverend Robert Alexander, a noted Methodist missionary working through Texas' frontier period, that this little gathering took shape.

By the time the congregation met for the second time, it already had twenty-seven members. Twenty-seven. For a frontier community, that's not a small thing.

That's a statement. Worship services were held right there in Baker's home, and sometime after 1847, a log sanctuary was built near this very site. The church carried the name Alexander Chapel, for its founder.

Then came the Reverend L. S. Friend, who served as the first pastor of the church.

Think on that for a moment. A log building, a frontier community, a congregation finding its footing, and a man named Friend at the front of it. The church became a gathering place for the small Cedar Bayou community, and each summer, camp meetings were held out on the grounds.

Then, in 1853, something worth noting happened. The only Sunday School in the entire district was held right here. Not one of several.

The only one. That emphasis on Christian education took root and kept growing, and by the early nineteen hundreds the church had begun providing neighboring communities with Sunday School teachers and literature. Cedar Bayou United Methodist Church carries historic ties to Texas' years as an independent republic and to the very beginning of Methodism in the state.

It reflects the ideals and traditions of its founders, and it remains a significant element in the area's heritage. Some things you build in a log sanctuary near a bayou in 1844 turn out to last.

What the marker says

This congregation was organized in 1844 at the home of early settler Hance Baker, under the direction of the Rev. robert Alexander, a noted Methodist missionary during Texas' frontier period. with twenty-seven members by its second meeting, the church held worship services in Baker's home until a log sanctuary was built near this site sometime after 1847. The Rev. L. S. Friend served as first pastor of the church, which originally was called Alexander Chapel for its founder. The church building became a gathering place for the small Cedar Bayou community, and camp meetings were held on the grounds each summer. In 1853, the only Sunday School in the district was held here, and the congregation's emphasis on Christian education has continued over the years. By the early 1900s the church had begun providing neighboring communities with Sunday School teachers and literature. Cedar Bayou United Methodist Church continues to reflect the ideals and traditions of its founders. With historic ties to Texas' years an an independent republic and to the beginning of Methodism in the state, it remains a significant element in the area's heritage.