DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about St. Stephen's Baptist Church in Donley County. Now, some stories start before the story starts — and this one's no different.
Clarendon relocated along the railroad in 1887, and when a town moves, people follow. The African American population began to grow, and by the 1890s, folks were lookin' for their own place of worship in that growing community. For a time, they made do with what they had — gatherin' in private homes, or meeting under a shade tree to read Bible verses.
Picture that. A congregation without walls, held together by nothing but faith and the open sky of the Texas Panhandle. Now here's where the story gets its legs.
A young African American cowboy named Matthew "Bones" Hooks — born in 1867 — was riding the combination train into Clarendon when he met a man named Reverend Sid Stephens. Bones Hooks persuaded Reverend Stephens to help organize a church for the African American population. That's it.
That's the moment. A conversation on a train that changed things. In 1897, a location was found — an empty shelter — and Reverend Stephens gave the new church his name and stayed on as pastor.
Bones Hooks stayed too, long enough to help build St. Stephens, before he married and moved on to Amarillo. He'd done what he set out to do.
The church grew under a line of pastors — Reverend Stephens, Reverend L.G. Farley, and Reverend A.G. Monagram among them.
And then came May of 1918, and a massive flood destroyed the church building. Massive. Gone.
But here's what you need to know about this congregation: under the leadership of Reverend Pickford, they found a new location, and in spite of declining membership, the church remained strong. Some institutions bend. This one didn't.
In 1930, Reverend J.J. Hayden organized the first choir — singers who performed at church services and took the music public on special occasions. Then in the 1940s, a building was physically moved from Lelia Lake all the way to Clarendon to serve St.
Stephens. Over the next thirty years, the congregation held fundraiser after fundraiser to support the church and celebrate its heritage. An old schoolhouse was purchased to serve as the pastor's home.
A baptistery was added to the church. St. Stephens Baptist Church — the first African American church in the Panhandle — has survived for more than a century.
Not by luck. Not by accident. The marker says it plainly: by the determination of the congregation and the community.
A shade tree, a train ride, a persuasive young cowboy, and a reverend who left his name on something that outlasted them all.
What the marker says
Following the relocation of Clarendon along the railroad in 1887, the African American population began to grow. By the 1890s, African Americans were searching for their own place of worship in the growing community. For a time, they gathered in private homes or met under a shade tree to read bible verses. While riding the combination train into Clarendon, a young African American cowboy, Matthew "Bones" Hooks (1867-1951), met Reverend Sid Stephens and persuaded him to help organize a church for the African American population. A location was found in an empty shelter in 1897 and Rev. Stephens gave the new church his name and stayed on as pastor. Bones Hooks also remained in Clarendon and helped build St. Stephens before he married and moved to Amarillo. Pastors included Rev. Stephens, Rev. L.G. Farley and Rev. A.G. Monagram. In May 1918, the church building was destroyed by a massive flood. However, under the leadership of Rev. Pickford, the congregation found a new location and in spite of declining membership, the church remained strong. In 1930, Rev. J.J. Hayden organized the first choir who sang at church services and performed for the public on special occasions. In the 1940s, a building was moved from Lelia Lake to Clarendon to be used by St. Stephens. During the next thirty years, the congregation held many fundraisers to support the church and celebrate its heritage. The old schoolhouse was purchased for the pastor's home and a baptistery was added to the church. As the first African American church in the panhandle, St. Stephens Baptist Church has survived for more than a century due to the determination of the congregation and community.