Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Madison County. Now settle in, because this one carries some weight. It starts in 1885, when the Reverend N.

C. McCloud organized this church and stepped in as its first pastor. And the people who filled those first pews, many of them had lived the worst of what this world can offer.

They were former slaves, finding their footing in freedom, and they came together in faith. For a time, they held their services in the local school for African Americans, the only space they had. That went on until 1902, when this congregation did something remarkable.

They built their first church building, right here at this site, on their own ground, a place they could call their own. Decades rolled by. Around 1940, they added educational facilities, growing the ministry beyond Sunday mornings.

Then 1950 brought a new sanctuary and, for the first time, a full-time minister was called to lead the flock. Two years on, in 1952, additional land and a parsonage were acquired, the church putting down even deeper roots. What Reverend McCloud started in 1885 with a gathering of people who had survived unimaginable hardship, well, it never stopped growing.

Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church continues to serve the African American community of this area to this day, with outreach programs reaching out in every direction. Some things, once built on ground that hard-won, just don't quit.

What the marker says

The Rev. N. C. McCloud organized this church in 1885 and served as its first pastor. Many of the congregation's initial members were former slaves. Early services were held in the area's school for African Americans until 1902 when the congregation built its first church building at this site. Educational facilities were added about 1940. In 1950 a new sanctuary was built and the first full-time minister was called. Additional land and a parsonage were acquired in 1952. The church continues to serve the area's African American community with a variety of outreach progams. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 - 1995