First Baptist Church of Huntsville

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Now settle in, because this one goes way back. We're talkin' about one of the earliest Baptist congregations in the whole state of Texas — organized in 1844, before a whole lot of things in this land were settled at all.

The man who pulled it together was The Reverend Z. N. Morrell, the church's first pastor.

After Morrell came The Reverend J. W. D.

Creath, a missionary who'd traveled all the way down from Virginia to serve as the second. And the third pastor? A man named The Reverend G.

W. Baines. Now that name might not ring a bell on its own — but the marker makes sure you know that G.

W. Baines is remembered today as an ancestor of United States President Lyndon Baines Johnson. History has a long reach, doesn't it.

Then there's the matter of the membership. One of the men sitting in those pews was General Sam Houston — ex-president of the Republic of Texas itself. Not a small congregation to be part of, let's put it that way.

In 1851, the congregation dedicated its very first church building, right here on this site. And sometime in the 1850s they added a bell — and that bell became, as the marker puts it, a pride of the city. Not just the church.

The city. This congregation also hosted the Baptist State Convention five times across the 1850s and 60s, and by 1864 one of the first regular Sunday schools in the state of Texas was functioning right here. In 1868, the Black members of the congregation requested and received letters of dismission to organize a church of their own — and the marker names that plainly, and so do I.

Then in 1879, Sam Houston Normal Institute was established — known today as Sam Houston State University — and many of its people came to augment the leadership of this church. The congregation has kept building, too: new houses of worship went up in 1891, in 1924, and again in 1954. And through all of it — through every decade, every pastor, every bell and building — this church has promoted and financed mission work, and helped to organize and encourage other congregations across the region.

One church, organized in 1844, and its roots run through the soil of Texas history like something that was never going anywhere.

What the marker says

One of the earliest Baptist congregations in Texas, this church was organized in 1844 by The Rev. Z. N. Morrell, who served as first pastor. The Rev. J. W. D. Creath, a missionary from Virginia, was the second, and The Rev. G. W. Baines, known now as an ancestor of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson, was the third. General Sam Houston, ex-president of the Republic of Texas, was a member. The congregation dedicated its first church building in 1851; it was on this site. A bell added in the 1850s became a pride of the city. This church hosted the Baptist State Convention five times in the 1850s and 60s. One of the first regular Sunday schools in Texas functioned here by 1864. Blacks in the membership requested and received letters of dismission in 1868, to organize a church of their own. After Sam Houston Normal Institute (now Sam Houston State University) was established in 1879, many of its people came to augment the leadership in this church. The congregation has erected houses of worship in 1891, 1924, and 1954. Throughout its history, it has promoted and financed mission work, and has helped to organize and encourage other congregations.