Craft Baptist Church

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 somewhere humble, and this one starts in 1891, out in Cherokee County, Texas, at a little place called the Shiloh Schoolhouse. A group of folks from the Baptist Church of Christ at Corinth decided it was time to plant something new — and what they planted, they called the Baptist Church of Christ at Shiloh.

Right from the start, they meant business. Charter members elected E.M. Carter as their first pastor, and the congregation set about becoming exactly what a church in rural Texas had to be: resilient, resourceful, and rooted.

Now, before long, they moved just a touch west of that schoolhouse, and in a move that tells you something about the spirit of these people, they renamed themselves the Baptist Church of Christ at New Independence. Independence. Out here in the piney woods of East Texas, that word carried weight.

They put up their first building in 1893 — two years after organizing, mind you, which means they'd been meeting however they could until they could do better. Then in 1899, the name changed again, this time to Craft Baptist Church of Christ, the name that would stick and grow into something lasting. A new building went up in 1910, and they replaced that one in 1953 — the same year, not coincidentally, that they made a rather significant upgrade: moving from twice-a-month worship to every single Sunday.

See, up until 1944, this congregation gathered just once a month. Then twice a month from 1944 to 1953. Now, before you raise an eyebrow at that, the marker is honest about why — attaining full-time pastors in rural communities was no easy thing.

That's the quiet, unspoken struggle running underneath so many small-church stories across Texas. You make do. You show up when you can.

You keep the thing alive. And this congregation kept it alive in style. Pastors and members both took education seriously — they opened the pulpit to ministerial students from Jacksonville College, giving young preachers a place to find their footing.

Several pastors went on to serve in colleges, seminaries, and other educational institutions. Some rose to serve as presidents of state and national associations. Others packed their bags and went overseas as foreign missionaries.

And all the while, the people of Craft Baptist Church were feeding their neighbors — food pantries, holiday food baskets, a benevolent fund covering utility bills, medical expenses, whatever the need happened to be. More than a hundred years after that first gathering at the Shiloh Schoolhouse, the marker placed in 2007 calls Craft Baptist Church a spiritual beacon for central and northern Cherokee County. Started once a month in a schoolhouse.

Still going. That's not just a church — that's a testament.

What the marker says

Organized in 1891 at the Shiloh Schoolhouse by members of the Baptist Church of Christ at Corinth, this church was originally called the Baptist Church of Christ at Shiloh. Charter members elected E.M. Carter as the first pastor. The church was soon renamed the Baptist Church of Christ at New Independence, reflecting its location west of the schoolhouse. Members constructed a building in 1893, and in 1899, they changed the name to Craft Baptist Church of Christ. A new building was constructed in 1910, which members replaced in 1953, a year after expanding to weekly worship services. Up until 1944, members met for worship once a month, and twice a month from 1944 until 1953, reflecting the difficulties in attaining fulltime pastors in rural communities. The church has been active in providing for the physical, spiritual and educational needs of Cherokee County residents since its early years. Members and pastors have a long record of involvement in education, allowing ministerial students from Jacksonville College to preach here. Several pastors have also served in colleges, seminaries and other educational institutions. A number of Craft Baptist Church pastors have served as presidents of state and national associations; others have become foreign missionaries. Additionally, members have aided needy residents in the community through food pantries, holiday food baskets and a benevolent fund for utility, medical and other expenses. Today, more than 100 years after its establishment, Craft Baptist Church continues to be a spiritual beacon for central and northern Cherokee County. (2007)