The Spears Chapel Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Spears Chapel Methodist Church in Newton County. Now settle in, because this one goes back a ways. All the way to 1839.

That's when the Rev. Moses Spear organized a congregation out here, and they named the church after him. The first building they put up was a log structure, sitting on a one-point-seven-acre site owned by a man named William McMahon.

Modest beginnings. But don't let that fool you about the company they were keeping. The leading charter member of this little log church was the Rev.

Henry Stephenson, and that name carries some weight. He was the man who had founded the first permanent Methodist church in Texas, McMahan Chapel, over in Sabine County, back in 1834. Five years before Spears Chapel even existed.

So when Henry Stephenson signed on as a charter member, he wasn't just filling a pew. And he brought nearly his whole family with him. His wife, Ruth Cox Stephenson.

His son John and John's wife, Luvicy Beard Stephenson. Son Felix and his wife, Sarah Hyler Stephenson. Son Ira and his wife, Harriet Goode Stephenson.

His daughter Mary and her husband, that same William McMahon who owned the land the church was sitting on. His daughter Betty Ann and her husband, A. F.

Allbright. Granddaughter Lunetta and her husband, John C. Hall.

And granddaughter Margaret and her husband, Thomas Booker. That is a family that showed up. Rounding out the charter membership were John Byerly, Amos and Tobitha Dubose, and Sarah Rutledge.

Now, that original log church served the community for decades, right up until 1883, when it burned. They replaced it with what the marker calls a rough box structure. Not the grandest building, but it kept the congregation together.

The cemetery began when James H. Kerr died on November 2nd, 1890. Then in 1905, the present church building was erected.

The site, by then owned by J. P. McMahon Senior and Thomas Booker, was deeded to the church in 1906.

And services continued here, with only a few years off just before 1920, all the way through 1939. One congregation. One piece of ground.

Organized in 1839 by a man named Spear, anchored by a man named Stephenson, and held together, through fire and years and everything in between, by the families who kept coming back.

What the marker says

Organized 1839 by the Rev. Moses Spear, for whom it was named. First church, a log building, was erected on a 1.7-acre site owned by William McMahon. The leading charter member was the man who had founded first permanent Methodist church in Texas (McMahan Chapel,Sabine County, 1834), the Rev. Henry Stephenson. Charter membership came mostly from his family: Including his wife, Ruth Cox Stephenson; His son John and wife, Luvicy Beard Stephenson; son Felix and wife, Sarah Hyler Stephenson; and son Ira and wife, Harriet Goode Stephenson; also his daughter Mary and husband, William McMahon; his daughter Betty Ann and husband, A. F. Allbright; granddaughter Lunetta and her husband, John C. Hall; and granddaughter Margaret and husband, Thomas Booker. The other charter members were John Byerly, Amos and Tobitha Dubose, and Sarah Rutledge. Original church (About 25 feet North) burned in 1883. It was replaced by a rough "box" structure. Cemetery was started when James H. Kerr died on Nov. 2, 1890. The present church building was erected in 1905. Site, then owned by J. P. McMahon, Senior, and Thomas Booker, was deeded to the chuch in 1906. Except for a few years just prior to 1920, services were held here continuously until 1939.