First Baptist Church of Hemphill

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Baptist Church of Hemphill, out in Sabine County. Now settle in, because this story starts the way all the best Texas stories do: with a handful of families, a brand new town, and a whole lot of faith. The year was 1858.

Hemphill was just being organized, and a number of families had made their way in from other states, looking to put down roots in this corner of East Texas. Five of those families didn't just build homes. They built something meant to last.

The Simon and Mary Ann Beckom family. The John and Ann Everett family. The Cannon and Sophronia Travis family.

The Richard and Rutha Travis family. And Henry and Mary White. Five families.

That's your founding congregation right there. Now, they didn't have a grand sanctuary on day one. They didn't have stained glass or a steeple or even a proper building.

They met in a residence, just folks gathered in someone's home, which if you think about it, is about as genuine as church gets. Before long they moved over to the old Housen Bayou School building, and two men stepped up as the congregation's first pastors: E.S. Phelps and W.C.

Southwell. The congregation grew throughout the eighteen hundreds, and particularly after Reconstruction, that membership swelled. And here's the part that really tells you something about the character of this church: all through that time, they weren't just tending to their own flock.

They were sponsoring, encouraging, and helping establish other early churches in the area. One congregation lifting up others. By the eighteen eighties the church had moved to Hemphill proper, and in 1886 construction began on an actual building.

A real, dedicated house of worship at last. But the story doesn't stop there. The congregation kept growing, and in 1910 a new sanctuary replaced that one.

Then another in 1962. Then another in 1984. Three times over more than a century, they built bigger because more people kept coming through the door.

Now throughout all of that building and rebuilding, the First Baptist Church of Hemphill never lost sight of why it was there. Members contributed necessities, gave food baskets to families in need, focused on programs for the elderly, education for children and youth, and mission work that reached well beyond Hemphill's city limits. From a gathering in someone's living room back in 1858 to a beacon for the whole community today, that is one long, steady, unbroken line of purpose.

The marker calls it a spiritual beacon for residents of Hemphill, and after a hundred and fifty years of servin' the same community, it's hard to argue with that.

What the marker says

The First Baptist Church of Hemphill has served the community since 1858, when Hemphill was organized. A number of families from other states settled Hemphill at that time, including the five families that established the church. The organizing members were the Simon and Mary Ann Beckom family, the John and Ann Everett family, the Cannon and Sophronia Travis family, the Richard and Rutha Travis family and Henry and Mary White family. They first met in a residence before holding services at the old Housen Bayou School building. E.S. Phelps and W.C. Southwell were the first pastors for the congregation. Membership grew throughout the 1800s, particularly after Reconstruction. Throughout this time, the congregation was critical in sponsoring, encouraging and establishing other early area churches. By the 1880s, the church moved to Hemphill and in 1886, construction began on a building. New sanctuaries replaces preceding ones in 1910, 1962 and 1984 to accommodate the growing congregation. Since its establishment, the church has provided spiritually and physically for residents of Hemphill. Members have generously contributed necessities and given food baskets to needy individuals and families in the community. The church has also focused on programs to aid the elderly, education of children and youth, and mission work. Today, First Baptist Church continues to be an important leader in the community, servings as a spiritual beacon for residents of Hemphill. (2008)