DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, out of Harris County, Texas. Now, every great institution has to start somewhere — and this one started in a backyard. The Rev.
Samuel Grantham established Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, and before there was any building to speak of, he was holding services right there on his own property. When the members finally did put up a structure, they built it out of wooden boxes. Wooden boxes.
And on account of how that looked, folks took to calling it the baking box church. That's not an insult — that's a congregation making something out of whatever they had. But they didn't stop there.
In 1872, the members formally established the church and raised up a more permanent sanctuary, this time in Houston's Fourth Ward. That congregation included former slaves — men and women who had not long before been denied the most basic dignities, now gathering together to build something that would outlast all of them. And outlast them it did.
Over the years, Good Hope grew into one of Houston's leading community and spiritual institutions, and the people who called it home were not small figures in the story of this state or this nation. Consider the Rev. Albert Anderson Lucas, one of several prominent pastors in the church's history.
He was simultaneously serving as pastor here and as president of the local chapter of the NAACP. That is not a man who kept his faith separate from his sense of justice. Then there was Dr.
Lonnie Smith, a member of this very congregation, who became the plaintiff in a case that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court — Smith v. Allwright. That case led to minority voting rights in primary elections.
One man, one church, one case — and the whole country felt it. And then there's Barbara Jordan. The first African American U.S.
Congresswoman from the South. A member of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Started in a backyard.
Built out of wooden boxes. And from those humble, handmade beginnings came pastors, plaintiffs, and a congresswoman who made history for a nation. The marker says the contributions of its leaders and members have had a positive impact on African Americans in the city of Houston — and on men and women throughout the nation.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can build is a place where people belong.
What the marker says
Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church was established by the Rev. Samuel Grantham. The pastor first held services in his own backyard before members built a structure out of wooden boxes. Because of its appearance, this first building was called a baking box church. In 1872, members formally established the church and erected a more permanent sanctuary in Houston's Fourth Ward. The church became an important place of worship for African Americans in Houston, and early members included former slaves. Since that time, the church has developed into one of Houston's leading community and spiritual institutions. Several noteworthy Texans have been members of this church. The Rev. Albert Anderson Lucas is one of several prominent pastors in the church's history. He simultaneously pastored here and served as president of the local chapter of the NAACP. Dr. Lonnie Smith, another member, was the plaintiff in the significant U.S. Supreme Court case of Smith v. Allright, which led to minority voting rights in primary elections. Barbara Jordan, the first African American U.S. Congresswoman from the South, was also a member of the church. Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church has continued in its service to the community through a variety of outreach programs. Over the years, the church has become an essential part of Houston's progress. The contributions of its leaders and members have had a positive impact on African Americans in the city of Houston and on men and women throughout the nation. (2006)