DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Jefferson County. Now settle in, because this story starts the way the best ones do — with a handful of people, an unlikely meeting place, and a whole lot of faith. Early in 1906, the Rev.
Mr. Stevenson, Nancy Copeland, Laura Herbert, and Sharlit Bill gathered together and organized what would become something lasting. As the local African American population in Port Arthur grew, eleven more people joined that small group.
They called the Rev. A. D.
Hendon as pastor, and on August 12th, 1906 — the marker makes sure you know that date exactly — they officially established the first Baptist church for African Americans in Port Arthur. They named it New Hope Baptist Church. That name was going to be put to the test.
But we'll get to that. The church took shape with Professor A. J.
Criner heading up the Young People's Union and chairing the deacon board, and W. M. Richardson serving as Sunday School superintendent.
And where did this congregation hold its early services? A horse stable. Members cleared it out on the weekends and made it a place of worship.
There was also a woman's home mission society among the church's programs — community was being built from the ground up. In 1909, during the pastorate of the Rev. J.
E. Nelson, the congregation erected its first real building. And then the storms came.
That first building was destroyed by storms and flooding. So they built again. And the second building met the same fate.
Along with it, many of the early church records — gone. Now, the marker is careful to say this was a common problem before the seawall was built in Port Arthur. This congregation wasn't uniquely cursed; they were facing what the whole area faced.
But they kept building. Through all of it, New Hope cultivated a strong relationship with nearby Israel Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the two groups occasionally sharing facilities — different traditions finding common ground. And between 1910 and 1920, another close bond was forged with West Tabernacle Baptist Church of Beaumont, when the Rev.
J. W. Williams served both churches simultaneously.
One pastor, two congregations, a road between Beaumont and Port Arthur. The church thrived throughout the twentieth century, calling pastors, repairing worship structures as needed, sponsoring community service efforts, and hosting several community organizations. Then in 1982, a new sanctuary was dedicated.
New Hope Baptist Church — organized in a horse stable, rebuilt more than once from the wreckage of storms, its early records swallowed by floodwaters — still stands. And its members continue to worship in the traditions of the founders who first cleared out that stable and said, this is a good enough place to begin.
What the marker says
This congregation was first organized in early 1906 by the Rev. Mr. Stevenson, Nancy Copeland (Coplan), Laura Herbert and Sharlit Bill (Beal). As the local African American population grew, eleven more people joined the group. They called the Rev. A. D. Hendon as pastor and officially established the first Baptist church for African Americans in Port Arthur. They named the church New Hope Baptist Church. Church officers were Professor A. J. Criner, head of the Young People's Union and chairman of the deacon board, and W. M. Richardson, Sunday School superintendent. Early services were held in a horse stable which members cleared out on the weekends for church use. Other church programs included a woman's home mission society. The congregation erected its first building in 1909 during the pastorate of the Rev. J. E. Nelson, but it was destroyed by storms and flooding. The second building met the same fate, and many early church records were destroyed. This pattern continued for many years and was a common problem before the seawall was built in Port Arthur. The congregation cultivated a strong relationship with nearby Israel Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church and the two groups occasionally shared facilities. Another close bond was forged with West Tabernacle Baptist Church of Beaumont between 1910 and 1920 when the Rev J. W. Williams served both churches simultaneously. The church thrived throughout the 20th century, calling pastors and repairing worship structures as needed. The congregation sponsored many community service efforts and was host to several community organizations. In 1982 a new sanctuary ws dedicated. New Hope Baptist Church members continue to worship in the traditions of their founders. (2000) Incise on base: Officially Organized August 12,1906