Post Oak Christian Methodist Episcopal Church

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of the Post Oak Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, out in Gregg County, Texas. During Reconstruction, African Americans living in the area formed communities and churches. Many of those churches did double duty, serving not only as a house of worship but as the political and social center of the community.

That matters, when you think about what Reconstruction meant and what those people were building from the ground up. In 1878, near the town of Easton, a group of African American Christians joined in fellowship to form the Post Oak Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. The original founders included Bros.

Jeff Portley, Jessie Daniels, Sr., and Daniel Bradford. The first member on the membership roll was a man named Charlie Lucas, recorded from 1880. The congregation first organized under the pastorate of Reverend M.

Butler, and over the years the church was guided by Reverend Eli Johnson, Reverend T. H. Randall, and Reverend V.

McCalister. Now, in the beginning, they worshipped in a log cabin. That was their church.

And it held them, until the membership grew enough that something more was needed. Between 1896 and 1899, a building went up, fourteen by twenty-eight feet, built to last. Then in 1912, several acres were purchased from County Judge E.

M. Bramlette, and the church had land beneath its feet. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, a newer framed building was constructed.

And by the 1970s, community growth enabled the church to build a larger, modern brick structure. In May 1954, the church changed its name to Post Oak Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. There's something else worth noting.

From its very inception, church services were only held once a month. Once a month, the community gathered. By the 1960s, the members desired to meet every Sunday, and that desire tells you something about the kind of congregation this was.

The Post Oak Christian Methodist Episcopal Church stands today as a reminder of the history and heritage of a community and a church created by African American landowners and residents of Easton and Gregg County. They built it in fellowship. They kept building it, decade after decade.

And it's still there.

What the marker says

DURING RECONSTRUCTION, AFRICAN AMERICANS LIVING IN THE AREA FORMED COMMUNITIES AND CHURCHES. MANY OF THESE CHURCHES SERVED AS A HOUSE OF WORSHIP AND AS THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY. IN 1878, NEAR THE TOWN OF EASTON, A GROUP OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHRISTIANS JOINED IN FELLOWSHIP TO FORM THE POST OAK COLORED METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. ORIGINAL FOUNDERS INCLUDED BROS. JEFF PORTLEY, JESSIE DANIELS, SR., AND DANIEL BRADFORD. THE FIRST MEMBER ON THE MEMBERSHIP ROLL WAS CHARLIE LUCAS FROM 1880. THE CONGREGATION FIRST ORGANIZED UNDER THE PASTORATE OF REVEREND M. BUTLER. OVER THE YEARS, THE CHURCH WAS GUIDED BY REVEREND ELI JOHNSON, REVEREND T. H. RANDALL AND REVEREND V. McCALISTER. A LOG CABIN SERVED AS THE FIRST PLACE OF WORSHIP UNTIL THE GROWTH IN MEMBERSHIP LED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING BETWEEN 1896 AND 1899 MEASURING 14 BY 28 FEET. SEVERAL ACRES WERE PURCHASED FROM COUNTY JUDGE E. M. BRAMLETTE IN 1912. IN THE LATE 1930s AND EARLY 1940s, A NEWER FRAMED BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED. IN THE 1970s, COMMUNITY GROWTH ENABLED THE CHURCH TO BUILD A LARGER, MODERN BRICK STRUCTURE. THE CHURCH CHANGED ITS NAME IN MAY 1954 TO POST OAK CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. FROM ITS INCEPTION, CHURCH SERVICES WERE ONLY HELD ONCE A MONTH. BY THE 1960s, MEMBERS DESIRED TO MEET EVERY SUNDAY. THE POST OAK CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF A COMMUNITY AND CHURCH CREATED BY AFRICAN AMERICAN LANDOWNERS AND RESIDENTS OF EASTON AND GREGG COUNTY.