Palestine Missionary Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Palestine Missionary Baptist Church in Victoria County. Now settle in, because this story starts the way the best Texas stories do: with people who had every reason to give up, and didn't. Twenty-one former slaves gathered together on June 27, 1868, at the corner of Convent and Depot streets in Victoria County.

Twenty-one people, standing at a crossroads in more ways than one, and they did something that takes more than just faith. They organized. They formally organized the First Colored Baptist Church in Victoria County.

That name wouldn't stand for long, though. Before summer had even let go of the calendar, on September 11, 1868, the congregation renamed itself the Palestine Missionary Baptist Church. And that same month, something else happened at that corner of freedom: property was conveyed for the town's first freedmen's school, named Brauns Colored School.

Early worship services were held right there in Brauns school, and also at Frazier Colored Methodist School, over at the corner of Convent and River Streets. They were building something, piece by piece, in whatever space the world would allow them. Then came the Rev.

Mitchell Harrison. Under his leadership, the members of Palestine Missionary Baptist Church built their very first sanctuary, and they did it between 1871 and 1873. That's a church raised by hands that knew what it meant to build something that was truly yours.

By 1886 the congregation had grown enough that they needed something bigger, and a larger structure went up on the corner of Convent and Navarro Streets. And then in 1953, a new brick church building was erected back at that original corner, Convent and Depot, right where twenty-one people had first stood together and said: this is where we begin. Over the years this church kept its emphasis on educational, social, civic, and missionary responsibilities.

Its members played important roles in the community. And here's maybe the finest measure of what Palestine Missionary Baptist planted all those years ago: four additional congregations were formed from its fellowship. Twenty-one people at a corner in Victoria County, and look at everything that grew.

What the marker says

Twenty-one former slaves gathered together at the corner of Convent and Depot streets on June 27, 1868, and formally organized the First Colored Baptist Church in Victoria County. It was renamed Palestine Missionary Baptist Church on September 11, 1868. That same month property was conveyed for the town's first freedmen's school, named Brauns Colored School. Early Baptist worship services were held in Brauns school and at Frazier Colored Methodist School at the corner of Convent and River Streets. Under the leadership of the Rev. Mitchell Harrison, the members of Palestine Missionary Baptist Church built their first sanctuary between 1871 and 1873. It was replaced in 1886 with a larger structure built on the corner of Convent and Navarro Streets. A new brick church building was erected at the corner of Convent and Depot streets in 1953. Throughout its history, this church has maintained programs with an emphasis on educational, social, civic, and missionary responsibilities. Members of the church have played an important role in community activities, and over the years four additional congregations were formed from the Palestine Missionary Baptist Church fellowship. (1991)