Center City Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Center City Baptist Church in Mills County. Now settle in, because this story starts with a blacksmith. Not just any blacksmith.

Reverend Noah Turner Byars, a man who had served alongside Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution, and who, by 1875, had traded the forge and hammer for the pulpit. That year, Byars founded this church and served as its interim minister. And before he stepped back, he did something that would set the course of the whole congregation.

He ordained David Isaac Haralson as the first permanent pastor. That's how a church gets its footing. You find the right man and you put the weight in his hands.

Byars also led the congregation, known then as Bennett Creek Baptist Church, into his newly-formed Hamilton County Association of Baptist Churches. So from the very beginning, this little church on the Texas frontier was connected to something bigger than itself. Then came 1887, and the area was formed as Mills County.

The church was already one of the oldest in it. By the time the 1901 deed was drawn up, the name had become Center City Baptist Church, and soon after that, a permanent structure rose in the newly-established community bearing that same name. But here's a detail worth savoring.

Even after they had a proper building, summer revivals were still held under a brush arbor as late as 1940. There's something to that. Roof or no roof, the work continued.

Now, 1946 brought a reckoning. High wind destroyed the original wood frame church building. When the dust settled and the timbers were cleared, the congregation built a new structure, one that included an auditorium and classrooms.

From the very beginning, the church had been a cooperative member of its community, sharing its building and resources with other denominations. That spirit never left. The revivals, a tradition going back to the early years, never left either.

Special revival nights in the cooler months, longer gatherings through the summer. The tradition carries on right to this day. Over the years, Center City Baptist Church ordained many deacons and ministers who went on to serve much larger churches in the area.

And the reach didn't stop at the county line. The congregation threw its support behind missionaries worldwide, including missionaries to Alaska in the nineteen sixties and seventies. A small church in Mills County, Texas, with a hand extended all the way to Alaska.

That's not a small thing. The marker calls it a beacon for the surrounding area, and honestly, that word earns its place. Started by a former blacksmith in 1875, tested by wind and weather and a century of change, and still standing.

Some things are just built to last.

What the marker says

In 1875, Reverend Noah Turner Byars, a former blacksmith who served with Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution, founded this church and served as interim minister. Rev. Byars ordained David Isaac Haralson, the first permanent pastor. Byars also led the Bennett Creek Baptist Church, as it was known then, to be part of his newly-formed Hamilton County Association of Baptist Churches. In 1887, when the area was formed as Mills County, the church was one of the oldest in the county. It was called Center City Baptist Church in the 1901 deed and, soon after, a permanent structure was built in the newly-established community by that name. However, summer revivals were held under a brush arbor as late as 1940. In 1946, high wind destroyed the original wood frame church building and a new building was erected that included an auditorium and classrooms. The church was a cooperative member of the community from the beginning, sharing its building and resources with other denominations. Revivals were part of the mission of the church from the early years. The tradition continues with special revival nights in the cooler months and longer summer revivals. Over the years, Center City Baptist Church ordained many deacons and ministers who went on to serve much larger churches in the area. In addition, the church has been very active not only in the community but worldwide through the service and support of missionaries, including missionaries to Alaska in the 1960s and 1970s. For well over a century, Center City Baptist Church has been a beacon for the surrounding area.