New York Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the New York Baptist Church in Henderson County. Pull over if you need to. This one's worth a listen.

Now, Davis Reynolds was born in 1800, and his wife Catherine Tuggle Reynolds in 1802, and by 1856 they had made up their minds that Georgia was behind them. They packed up their children, their children's families, and their slaves, and they headed for Texas. Settled right here.

And if you know anything about devout missionary Baptists, you know they don't stay quiet for long when it comes to worship. With no church building to speak of, the Reynolds family did what folks do when the faith is bigger than the building. They met in private homes.

Just gathered where they could, and that was enough to keep the thing alive. The first church building in the New York community went up right beside the Reynolds family's cemetery land. And then in 1865, the church was formally organized, with the Reverend M.

H. Jones as pastor. That's according to the records of the Saline Baptist Association, so it's in the books.

Now, Davis Reynolds had passed in 1869, and Catherine in 1871, but the family wasn't finished building. John Harrison and Nancy Walker Reynolds deeded five acres to church trustees in 1873 for the New York Baptist Church and a school building. Five acres.

And what went up on that land was a two-story structure that had something for just about everybody. The New York Baptists worshipped there. Area Methodists came through.

The school held classes. The Masonic Lodge met. That one building was doing a lot of work for the community.

In 1886, John Harrison and Nancy Walker Reynolds deeded more land, this time land adjoining the Methodist church and the New York Cemetery, for the use of the Baptist church. A one-room box structure went up, and then, as the congregation kept growing, additional buildings were constructed as needed. By 1915 the congregation joined the Southern Baptist Convention, and they dropped the word "Missionary" from their name.

Just New York Baptist Church from then on. And the life of that congregation. Revivals.

Singing. Baptisms performed at Maggie Branch, at New York Creek, and in other locations scattered across the countryside. That's not a congregation sitting still.

That's a community in motion. In 1947, the church trustees made a move that had a certain symmetry to it. They bought the Methodist church property right next door, the same property that John Harrison and Nancy Walker Reynolds had once deeded land alongside, and they built a new Baptist church on the site of that former Methodist church.

Descendants of the founders of the New York Baptist Church are still at it. Still carrying the traditions of worship and community service forward. Started in Georgia, took root in Texas, and it's still here.

Some stories don't end. They just keep going.

What the marker says

Davis (1800-1869) and Catherine Tuggle (1802-1871) Reynolds came to Texas from Georgia in 1856, settling here with their children, their children's families, and their slaves. Devout missionary Baptists, the Reynolds family soon established a community of worship, meeting in private homes. The first church building in the New York community was situated beside the Reynolds family's cemetery land. The church was organized in 1865 with the Rev. M. H. Jones as pastor, according to the records of the Saline Baptist Association. John Harrison and Nancy Walker Reynolds deeded five acres to church trustees for the New York Baptist Church and school building in 1873. The two-story structure was used by the New York Baptists, area Methodists, the school, and the Masonic Lodge. In 1886, John Harrison and Nancy Walker Reynolds deeded land adjoining the Methodist church and New York Cemetery for the use of the Baptist church. A one-room box structure was erected; additional buildings were constructed as needed to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1915 they joined the Southern Baptist Convention, dropping "Missionary" from their name. Revivals and singing were popular. Baptisms were performed at Maggie Branch, New York Creek, and in other locations. In 1947 New York Baptist Church trustees bought the Methodist church property adjacent to their own and built a new Baptist church on the site of the former Methodist church. Descendants of the founders of the New York Baptist Church continue in the traditions of worship and community service. (1998)