New Hope Missionary Baptist Church

Duane's take

The official marker's the source here, and I'll do my best to honor what it says. This is Duane, tellin' the story of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Gregg County, Texas. Now settle in, because this one goes back a ways, and it matters.

After emancipation, the former slaves of Texas set about buildin' something that was bigger than any single building. When they organized churches, they weren't just raising a roof for Sunday mornings. They were building the economic, political, and social center of the whole community.

That's the foundation this story stands on. In 1893, some of the members of Saint James Missionary Baptist Church, out in the Red Rock Community near Gladewater, made a decision. They moved downtown, seekin' employment opportunities.

And when people move, they bring their faith with them. Reverend Louis Holoway and seven others founded a church congregation. Now, I want you to hear these names, because they earned the tellin': Peter Lee, Matt Perry, Elnora Turner, Della Perry, Celia Johnson, Lou Johnson, and Mollie Daniels.

Those are the founding members. And where did they hold this new congregation? Under a brush arbor.

No walls, no steeple, just sky above and determination all around. Around 1896, the first church building went up. A small one-room building, erected near the fork of the old Tyler highway, on what is now South Main Street.

One room. Think about everything that happened inside it. Worship, yes.

But also the first African American school in Gladewater was held right there in that building. The children of that community got their education under that same roof where their families prayed. In 1911, the first church building was torn down, and the congregation relocated to its present location on Roden Lane.

And from that spot, they grew. Renovations came in 1934, then 1950, then 1968. Sunday worship services expanded.

Radio broadcasts went out across the air, reachin' folks who couldn't come through the doors. Foreign ministries, local ministries, community outreach, assistance, disaster relief. The church kept stretching its arms wider.

More than a century of that. More than a hundred years of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church standin' as what the marker calls a beacon of hope to the community. It started under a brush arbor, with eight people and a reverend who believed it was worth building.

These east Texas pioneers made it possible for the African American community to worship and gather. That's not a small thing to leave behind. That's everything.

What the marker says

After emancipation, the organization of churches by former slaves formed not only a house for worship but also a center for the economic, political and social aspects of the community. In 1893, some of the members of Saint James Missionary Baptist church in the Red Rock Community (near Gladewater) moved downtown seeking employment opportunities. Soon, reverend Louis Holoway and seven others founded a church congregation under a brush arbor. The founding members were Peter Lee, Matt Perry, Elnora Turner, Della Perry, Celia Johnson, Lou Johnson and Mollie Daniels. Around 1896, the first church building, a small one-room building, was erected near the fork of the old Tyler highway (South Main St.). In 1911, the first church building was torn down and the congregation relocated to its present location on Roden Lane. In addition to religious priorities, education of African American children was also important to the church. The first African American school in Gladewater was held in the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church building. Over the years, the congregation and the church expanded with renovations in 1934, 1950 and 1968. In an effort to broaden their reach, additional Sunday worship services were added as well as radio broadcasts. Through community outreach, assistance, foreign and local ministries, and disaster relief, the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church has been a beacon of hope to the community for more than a century. These east Texas pioneers made it possible for the African American community to worship and gather.