Pleasant Glade Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Pleasant Glade Baptist Church, right there in Tarrant County. Now settle in, because this is a story about roots, and what grows from them when people decide they're not giving up. September 19, 1923.

Fourteen charter members gather in the historic Pleasant Glade community, and they organize a church. Every single one of those fourteen came from Pleasant Run Baptist Church, itself organized back in 1877. So right from the start, this congregation carries deep soil under its feet.

And they weren't alone for long, because several other members joined that very same day. Then a newly ordained preacher by the name of Reverend O. M.

Heflin came along and eventually became the first pastor. Now here's a detail that tells you something about these folks: they didn't build their first church building from scratch. They found an existing frame church building over at Cottonwood, northeast of Grapevine, and they moved the whole thing to their site.

That's a particular kind of determination right there. By September 24, 1924, they held their first revival meeting. Thirty people were inspired to join the church.

Thirty. From one revival. The seed was taking hold.

Then came the Depression. And this is where the story gets quiet and serious for a moment, because hard times have a way of breaking things that look solid. But Pleasant Glade Baptist Church persevered, and the congregation kept growing.

The marker notes something worth pausing on: as a rural farming community, they were better able to cope with the difficult financial times than their city cousins. The land that had always demanded everything from them, it turned out, gave something back when the rest of the economy went dark. They came through.

By the end of World War II, the church was prosperous enough to build a parsonage, and it was completed in 1947. Then through the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, they kept improving the building and adding to the land, and they continued making improvements as needed after that. On July 4, 1956, the congregation was renamed First Baptist Church of Pleasant Glade.

And just a few days after that, they started a mission church in the nearby town of Hurst. That mission flourished, and within a year it had grown into Bellevue Baptist Church, standing on its own. A modern church facility was completed in 1963.

And through all of it, the programs, the youth outreach, the community outreach, the men's and women's groups, the missionary support, the congregation has continued in the traditions of its founders. Still serving northeastern Tarrant County. Fourteen members walked in on a September day in 1923.

What they planted is still standing.

What the marker says

Pleasant Glade Baptist Church, also known as Pleasant Glade Missionary Baptist Church, was organized September 19, 1923, in the historic Pleasant Glade community. The fourteen charter members were all formerly of Pleasant Run Baptist Church (organized in 1877). Several other members joined that day, and the newly ordained Reverend O. M. Heflin later became first pastor. The congregation purchased an existing frame church building at Cottonwood, northeast of Grapevine, and relocated it to this site. Their first revival meeting was held on September 24, 1924, and inspired thirty people to join the church. During the Depression era, the congregation persevered and continued to grow. As a rural farming community, they were better able to cope with the difficult financial times than their city cousins. By the end of World War II, the church was prosperous enough to build a parsonage, completed in 1947. Improvements to the church building and additions to the land were made in the late 1940s and early 1950s and continued as needed thereafter. The congregation was renamed First Baptist Church of Pleasant Glade on July 4, 1956. A few days later they began a mission church in the nearby town of Hurst. The mission flourished and became Bellevue Baptist Church within a year. A modern church facility was completed in 1963. The Pleasant Glade Baptist Church continues in the traditions of its founders. Its programs include youth and community outreach, men's and women's groups, and missionary support. The church continues to serve northeastern Tarrant County. (2000)