Oak Hill Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Oak Hill Baptist Church in Fort Bend County. In 1915, eighteen African American residents gathered together with a purpose. They came under the leadership of the Reverend A.C.

Ray, and what they had in mind was a congregation of their own. These were former members of Richmond's Pleasant Green Baptist Church, folks who knew what it meant to build something from faith and intention. And build they did, starting with what the land gave them.

They constructed a brush arbor right there on the oaken hill at this site. No walls, no roof to speak of, just timber and determination and the open Texas sky. While the congregation found its footing, early services were held in Alex Jackson's home.

A borrowed space, but no less sacred for it. Then in 1916, the members purchased the very site they'd been gathering near, buying it from Sam and Lizzie Jackson, and they built a sanctuary. A real one.

Something that said: we are here, and we intend to stay. Over the years, Oak Hill Baptist Church grew into something broader than Sunday mornings. Members threw themselves into church programs and into the community around them, with groups covering youth, music, mission, and service outreach.

That's a congregation doing the work on every front it can find. And here's the thing about a church built on an oaken hill by eighteen people with a brush arbor and a borrowed living room. It doesn't fade.

Today, Oak Hill Baptist Church continues to play a central role in the lives of its members and the residents of the area. Eighteen people started it. The hill is still there.

What the marker says

In 1915, eighteen African American residents met under the leadership of the Rev. A.C. Ray to organize Oak Hill Baptist Church. Former members of Richmond's Pleasant Green Baptist Church, they constructed a brush arbor on the oaken hill at this site and began a congregation of their own. Early services were held in Alex Jackson's home until members purchased the site in 1916 from Sam and Lizzie Jackson and built a sanctuary. Over the years, members have been active in various church programs and in the community, with groups including youth, music, mission and service outreach. Today, Oak Hill Baptist Church continues to play a central role in the lives of its members and area residents. (2005)