First Presbyterian Church of Bay City

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Bay City was brand new, barely a year old, when Alexander D. Hensley was already looking around and deciding something needed to be done.

The year was 1894, and Hensley had just arrived as one of the town's original settlers. Most folks were still figuring out where to put the furniture. Hensley was organizing a Sabbath school.

He didn't do it alone, either. A man named Gilford M. Magill was right there beside him, and together they got an interdenominational congregation going, meeting wherever they could find a roof over their heads.

The county courthouse. A community center. Wherever the door was open, that's where early religious services were held.

Now, that arrangement worked for a while, but Hensley had bigger ideas. By 1898, he and Magill and others sat down together and drafted a Presbyterian Church covenant, signed it, and formally organized this congregation. Before that same year was out, First Presbyterian was enrolled as a member of the Brazos Presbytery.

That is how you build a church from nothing. But here's something the marker wants you to know about Hensley, because the man was not finished. He is also credited with the organization of the Mexican-American Presbyterian Church in Bay City.

Not just credited with founding it and moving on, either. He was actively interested in that congregation, and he taught Sunday School classes in Spanish there for many years. The Brazos Presbytery was sending pastors to First Presbyterian, but those pastors held few services in Bay City, and by 1903 the relationship was dissolved.

You might think that's where the story starts to dim. It did not. That very same year, 1903, the congregation built its first church building nearby, with the Reverend George Wallace Story serving as pastor.

A frame sanctuary, and it served that community faithfully all the way until 1936, when a new brick sanctuary was constructed at this very site. The congregation kept growing, and the facilities kept expanding to meet it. First Presbyterian Church of Bay City has been providing religious guidance ever since.

Started in a courthouse, built by covenant, taught in two languages. That is a founding story worth pulling over for.

What the marker says

Within a year of becoming one of Bay City's original settlers in 1894, Alexander D. Hensley organized an interdenominational Sabbath school with the help of Gilford M. Magill. Early religious services were held in the county courthouse and in a community center. In 1898 Hensley, Magill, and others drafted and signed a Presbyterian Church covenant to formally organize this congregation. First Presbyterian was enrolled as a member of the Brazos Presbytery later that year. Hensley is also credited with the organization of the Mexican-American Presbyterian Church in Bay City. Actively interested in that congregation, he taught Sunday School classes in Spanish there for many years. Pastors assigned to First Presbyterian Church by the Brazos Presbytery held few services in Bay City, and in 1903 the relationship was dissolved. The congregation built its first church building nearby in 1903 with the Rev. George Wallace Story serving as pastor. The frame sanctuary served the congregation until 1936 when a new brick sanctuary was constructed at this site. Church facilities have expanded over the years to meet the demands of a growing congregation. First Presbyterian continues to provide religious guidance for members of the community. (1994)