St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, in my own words. You know, some churches don't just hold a community together. They build it from the ground up, out of nothing but faith and determination and free hands finally free to work for themselves.

That's the story the marker tells about St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church, right here in Burleson County. Founded by freed African American men and women after the Civil War, Saint Matthew Colored Baptist Church was organized sometime in the 1870s to 1880s.

Think about what that took. And leading those early efforts was the Reverend Riley Williams, born in 1812, who lived all the way to 1912. The church he helped shape was never just a Sunday morning affair.

It supported the upliftment of the community, including local education efforts, because the people who built this place understood that a church's work doesn't stop at the door. Then in 1893, a man named M.J. Phegley conveyed one acre of land for a church site.

One acre, deeded over, and the foundation got a little more solid. Around 1918, the Reverend Benjamin Harris led the church to build a new sanctuary, set northeast of Cedar Creek. A new building for a congregation that had already been growin and servin for decades.

And the work didn't stop there. The Reverend Horace Nunn came along and undertook major building upgrades, making sure the place was fit for everything the community needed it to be. And every year, on the fourth Sunday in August, St.

Matthew holds homecoming and family day. Same Sunday, same tradition, year after year. That kind of consistency is its own kind of sermon.

For over a hundred and thirty years, St. Matthew has served the spiritual needs of the surrounding community. Started by people who had just stepped out of bondage and into freedom, and still standing.

What the marker says

Founded by freed African American men and women after the Civil War, Saint Matthew Colored Baptist Church was organized in the 1870s-1880s under the leadership of the Reverend Riley Williams (1812-1912). The church supported the upliftment of the community, including local education efforts. In 1893, M.J. Phegley conveyed one acre of land for a church site. Around 1918, the Rev. Benjamin Harris led the church to build a new sanctuary northeast of Cedar Creek. The Rev. Horace Nunn undertook major building upgrades. Annual traditions include homecoming and family day the fourth Sunday in August. For over 130 years, St. Matthew has served the spiritual needs of the surrounding community. (2023)