First Presbyterian Church of Marlin

Duane's take

The marker for the First Presbyterian Church of Marlin tells it this way, and I'm just the messenger. Now, before there was a proper church building, before there was even a proper pulpit sitting still long enough to preach from, the Presbyterian faith was being proclaimed inside the Falls County Courthouse in Marlin. The year was 1852.

And the pulpit, well, it was drawn up into the rafters when it wasn't in use. Picture that. A pulpit on a rope, tucked away up in the ceiling like some kind of holy secret, brought down only when the Word needed delivering.

The Presbyterians organized a church the very next year, 1853, out in the Carolina community, about ten miles southeast of Marlin. They held missionary services in Marlin from there, reaching out, building toward something. That something arrived on May 2, 1874.

The Reverend Levi Tenney and the Reverend Hilary Mosely, commissioned by Central Presbytery of the Synod of Texas, came together and officially organized this church. The charter members were a proper Texas roll call: Mrs. S.

K. Bartlett, A. M.

Chatam, William McPherson, W. L. Patillo, K.

Sewall, and Dr. and Mrs. E. S.

Weisiger. Agnes Patillo Clark, W. S.

Clark, and Mrs. H. Singer joined them soon after.

Patillo and Dr. Weisiger served as ruling elders. For years, this congregation worshipped in borrowed quarters.

No building to call their own, no permanent walls to hold the hymns. Then, in 1893, they erected their first building, right at the corner of Fortune and Perry streets. And from that congregation came a young man named Motte Martin, who joined the church in 1894.

By 1902, he had become one of the earliest missionaries to the Congo. A youth from Marlin, Texas, carrying the faith to the other side of the world. The marker notes it like a point of quiet pride, and it earns that.

The present edifice was completed in March of 1918. And it had barely cooled from construction when, on November 22, 1918, it became the site of the city's service of Thanksgiving at the end of World War I. A new building, a city's relief, all gathered under one roof.

In 1922, the Synod of Texas met there as well. The educational building was erected in 1954. The present manse followed in 1966.

And since 1972, Marlin has been part of the Presbytery of the Covenant, in the Synod of Red River. From a pulpit on a rope in a courthouse ceiling, to a congregation that sent a young man to the Congo, to a city gathering in tears and relief at the end of a world war. That's not just a church history.

That's a long walk with a lot of weight on it.

What the marker says

The Presbyterian faith was preached in the Falls County Courthouse in Marlin in 1852, from a pulpit that was drawn up into the rafters when not in use. Presbyterians organized a church in 1853 in Carolina community (10 mi SE) and held missionary services here. On May 2, 1874, the Rev. Levi Tenney and the Rev. Hilary Mosely, commissioned by Central Presbytery, Synod of Texas, organized this church. Mrs. S. K. Bartlett, A. M. Chatam, William McPherson, W. L. Patillo, K. Sewall, and Dr. and Mrs. E. S. Weisiger were charter members. Agnes Patillo Clark, W. S. Clark, and Mrs. H. Singer soon joined. Ruling elders were Patillo and Dr. Weisiger. After years of worship in borrowed quarters, this congregation erected its first building in 1893, at corner of Fortune and Perry streets. Motte Martin, a youth who joined this church in 1894, became in 1902 one of the earliest missionaries to the Congo. Present edifice completed in March, 1918, was site of the city's service of Thanksgiving on Nov. 22, 1918, at end of World War I. Synod of Texas met here 1922. The educational building was erected in 1954; present manse, 1966. Since 1972, Marlin has been in Presbytery of the Covenant, in the Synod of Red River.