Church of the Good Shepherd

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wichita County. Now settle in, because this one starts small, in a bedroom, and ends up being one of those stories that just keeps on growing. It is 1876, and Wichita Falls is brand new.

We're talking a town that barely has its boots on yet. And right in the middle of all that newness, a woman named Harriet Seeley sensed something was missing. Spiritual enrichment, to be specific.

So she did what any determined person does when there's no church to go to. She held Sunday school in her bedroom. No steeple, no pews, no stained glass.

Just Harriet, her room, and whoever showed up. Three years that went on. Then, in 1879, the Episcopal Bishop of Dallas, Alexander Garrett, discovered this ongoing class.

Discovered it. You have to love that word. Like it had been quietly running all along, which it had.

Five more years passed, and in 1884 the Reverend Henry Shaw arrived in Wichita Falls with a purpose: build a new church and serve as Rector. The first service was held on December 8 of that year. Then, in 1885, the church purchased lots at 8th and Lamar and built itself a proper house of worship.

And the very next year, 1886, a women's auxiliary all the way up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, gifted the congregation a carved marble baptismal font. Carved marble, shipped from Philadelphia to a young Texas town. That font has been used in baptisms ever since.

Some gifts just keep on giving. Now the church kept growing, and on February 20, 1913, it received parish status. That's a significant step, and the congregation followed it up the very next year when the Reverend Frederick Datson accepted the call to be the new rector.

Reverend Datson had work to do. He oversaw the purchase of lots at 10th and Burnett streets, and that purchase ran seventy-eight hundred dollars. The cornerstone for a new church was laid on April 13, 1915.

And on October 3, 1915, the church was dedicated. Contractors Dyer and Co., out of Stamford, had patterned the twenty-one-thousand-dollar building after parish churches in England designed during the Middle Ages. Right there in Wichita Falls, Texas.

A little piece of the Old World, planted firm in North Texas soil. And once they were in that new building, the Church of the Good Shepherd started reaching out. In 1928, they held the first Election Day Soup Bazaar, a tradition that has kept right on going, drawing community members year after year.

During World War II, the church led many war effort projects. And then came 1979, and a devastating tornado. Church of the Good Shepherd stepped up as one of the leaders in relief aid, and those efforts became the foundation of an organization called Interfaith Outreach Services.

That is the kind of thing that outlasts a building. Among the notable leaders along the way, the Reverend Claude Beesley served as Rector from 1933 to 1962. He also served Wichita Falls State Hospital as Chaplain for twenty-one years and held the offices of both President and Secretary of the Wichita Falls Ministerial Association.

One person carrying a lot of weight for a long time. It all started with Harriet Seeley and a Sunday school class in her bedroom. What began in one room in a brand-new town has been a pillar of Wichita Falls for over a century.

Some things, once started, just will not quit.

What the marker says

Sensing the need for spiritual enrichment amongst the residents of the brand-new town of Wichita Falls, Harriet Seeley began conducting Sunday school classes in her bedroom in 1876. The Episcopal Bishop of Dallas, Alexander Garrett, discovered this ongoing class in 1879. In 1884, the Reverend Henry Shaw arrived in Wichita Falls to build a new church and serve as Rector. The first service was held on December 8. In 1885, the church purchased lots at 8th and Lamar and built a house of worship. In 1886, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania women's auxiliary gifted a carved marble baptismal font to the church. It has been used in baptisms ever since. On February 20, 1913, the church received parish status. The next year, the Rev. Frederick Datson accepted the call to be the new rector. The Rev. Datson oversaw the $7800 purchase of lots at 10th and Burnett streets. The cornerstone for a new church was laid on April 13, 1915. The church was dedicated on October 3, 1915. Contractors Dyer & Co. of Stamford patterned the $21,000 building after parish churches in England designed during the Middle Ages. In their new building, Church of the Good Shepherd began to engage the community. The Election Day Soup Bazaar, first held in 1928, is an ongoing tradition attended by many community members. During World War II, Church of the Good Shepherd led many war effort projects. After a devastating 1979 tornado, Church of the Good Shepherd was one of the leaders in relief aid. These efforts were the foundation of an organization called interfaith outreach services. Notable leaders include the Rev. Claude Beesley, Rector from 1933-1962. He served Wichita Falls State Hospital for 21 years as Chaplain and served as President and Secretary of the Wichita Falls Ministerial Association. Church of the Good Shepherd has been a pillar of Wichita Falls for over a century. (2022)