DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way out in Kimble County, there's a little church with a story that goes all the way back to 1881. And it starts, as so many good West Texas stories do, with a man on horseback.
His name was Andrew Jackson Potter, a circuit rider, and he organized what would become the Copperas Methodist Church. Circuit riders didn't sit still. They covered hard country to bring a congregation together where there wasn't one, and Potter did exactly that.
He helped firmly establish the Methodist church in West Texas, one dusty ride at a time. Now here's the thing about this community. Once Potter got that congregation organized, they didn't have walls to worship inside.
For years (decades, really) they made do. They gathered in a schoolhouse. Or when the weather allowed, they met under a brush arbor, three-quarters of a mile to the southwest, right there on the west bank of Copperas Creek.
You think about that sometime. People showing up, come what may, because the faith mattered more than the roof. That went on until 1917, when the community finally decided it was time to build.
And when I say the community built it, I mean the community built it. J. A.
Cowsert donated the building site itself. The lumber had to be hauled in by wagon; all the way from Menard. And the labor?
That was donated by members and other local residents. No contractor cut a check. Neighbors drove nails.
That church didn't just rise from the ground. It rose from the people. Every board, every hour, every mile of wagon road from Menard.
Some buildings are just buildings. This one's a testament.
What the marker says
Organized in 1881 by circuit rider, Andrew Jackson Potter, who helped firmly establish the Methodist church in West Texas. Before construction of church on this site in 1917, services were held in schoolhouse or under brush arbor 3/4 mi. SW on west bank, Copperas Creek. Building site was donated by J. A. Cowsert. Lumber was hauled here by wagon from Menard. Labor was donated by members and other local residents. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968