DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Baptist Church of Rocksprings, out in Edwards County. Now, 1893 is early days for just about any Texas Hill Country community, and Rocksprings was no different. Seven people — just seven — gathered themselves up and organized the Missionary Baptist Church of Christ at Rocksprings.
Seven souls with enough conviction to plant something in brand-new ground. But here's the thing about tender roots in hard soil. The church disbanded after a few years.
Gone. Or so it seemed. Because in 1898, it came back.
Reborn as the Rocksprings Baptist Church, with seventeen members this time — more than double that first gathering — and they called the Reverend Dan W. Matthews as their first pastor. The congregation was findin' its footing.
Two years on, in 1900, Mrs. Matthews got the Ladies' Aid Society up and runnin'. Then came a frame building in 1904, and a parsonage followed in 1909.
Step by step, brick by plank, this little church was buildin' itself into something real. And then 1927 arrived, and it brought a tornado with it. The storm devastated the town of Rocksprings.
Devastated is not a word to pass over lightly — that tornado tore through this community and left wreckage behind. The Baptist building was among what was lost. But here's where the story turns, and it turns on the character of people.
Texans came from far and wide — far and wide — to repair the community and rebuild that Baptist building. Strangers showing up with their hands ready. That's worth a moment of quiet appreciation.
The church didn't just survive. It thrived. Through the Depression years, through the war years, it kept going.
By 1932, a Mexican American mission sponsored by the Baptists had grown into a full Sunday School. In 1936, the membership stood at 157. By 1949, it had climbed to 207.
In 1966, modern brick facilities were dedicated right here on this very site. A long way from seven people in 1893 and a frame building that a tornado could take down. The marker puts it plainly: in missionary service, community outreach, and devotion to worship, the First Baptist Church of Rocksprings continues to uphold the values and traditions of its pioneer founders.
Seven people started it. A tornado couldn't finish it. That's a church that earned its place on the map.
What the marker says
In 1893, an early year in the community's history, a small group of seven organized the Missionary Baptist Church of Christ at Rocksprings. The church disbanded after a few years, but was reborn as Rocksprings Baptist Church in 1898. Seventeen members called the Rev. Dan W. Matthews as their first pastor in that year. The Ladies' Aid Society began in 1900 under Mrs. Matthews. A frame building was erected in 1904; a parsonage followed in 1909. The small church, through the dedication of its members, prospered until 1927, when a tornado devastated the town of Rocksprings. Texans came from far and wide to repair the community and rebuild the Baptist building. The church continued to thrive through the Depression and war years. By 1932 a Mexican American mission sponsored by the Baptists became a full Sunday School; in 1936 the membership of the Baptist church was 157 and in 1949 it was 207. The congregation was active in support of Baptist organizations. Modern brick facilities were dedicated on this site in 1966. In missionary service, community outreach, and devotion to worship, the First Baptist Church of Rocksprings continues to uphold the values and traditions of its pioneer founders. (1998)