First Baptist Church of Lytle

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Baptist Church of Lytle. Now picture this: April of 1893, Atascosa County, Texas. No grand sanctuary, no steeple catching the afternoon light.

Just Dr. J.V.E. Covey and sixteen charter members, standing in the shade of a stand of oak trees, starting something.

That was their first meeting. The oaks were the roof, the ground was the floor, and whatever they had in their hearts was the foundation. From that beginning, a small frame building eventually went up, becoming the church's first permanent home.

And when it came time for baptisms in those early days, the congregation didn't have to look far. The Medina River did that work. Folks waded in, and the river bore witness.

Over the years, the church kept building. New buildings, larger buildings, each one a sign of a congregation that kept growing and wouldn't sit still. But here's the part that really tells you what kind of church this was.

They didn't just tend to their own flock. They had a hand in starting additional congregations out in Natalia, Atascosa, LaCoste, and Castroville. When a church plants other churches, that's not just growth, that's vision.

And come 1996, when this marker was set down, the First Baptist Church of Lytle had been active in that community for over a hundred years. Started under the oaks. Still standing.

What the marker says

Dr. J.V.E. Covey and 16 charter members organized this church in April 1893 and held their first meeting under a stand of oak trees. A small frame building was later built, becoming their first permanent church building. Early baptisms were performed in the Medina River. Over the years the church has erected new and larger buildings to serve its growing congregation. The church has been instrumental in initiating additional congregations in Natalia, Atascosa, LaCoste, and Castroville. The church continues to be active in the community as it has for over 100 years. (1996)