Westminster Presbyterian Church of Beaumont

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Westminster Presbyterian Church of Beaumont. Now settle in, because this is a story that starts small, real small, and ends up touching nearly every corner of Jefferson County and beyond. It begins, as so many Texas stories do, with somebody ridin' through.

Traveling preachers led Presbyterian worship services in this area long before there was a building, a congregation, or even a name on a deed. Just the Word and the road. Then came the Rev.

S. F. Tenney and the Rev.

W. C. Wallace, and on February 28, 1880, those two men organized the First Presbyterian Church of Beaumont.

Seven charter members. Count 'em, seven. They met where they could, the county courthouse, a rented hall, with the Rev.

Wallace serving as supply preacher. Seven people and a borrowed room. You wouldn't bet the ranch on it, would you?

But keep watchin'. In 1881, this lot was purchased. The next year, a frame building went up right here.

Still modest, still finding its footing. Then in 1896, the Rev. F.

E. Robbins became the first pastor. Membership grew.

The congregation grew. And by 1909, that original frame church building was relocated to serve a local mission, which itself became the second Presbyterian church in the area. A church that plants a church.

Meanwhile, a whole new sanctuary was completed right here in 1911. Now here's where the story takes a turn that most churches never get to take. A sister congregation called Central Presbyterian Church had developed from that same First Presbyterian root.

Two branches off the same old tree, growin' side by side. And then, on May 8, 1921, those two congregations came back together. Four hundred and eighty-four charter members united under the leadership of the Rev.

F. S. Henderson, and Westminster Presbyterian Church was born.

Four hundred and eighty-four people walking through one door. That's not a reunion. That's a revival.

And Westminster didn't stop there. Not even close. From this one fellowship, missions spread out across the Beaumont area, Amelia, Pioneer, Robbins Memorial, St.

Andrews, Second, Silsbee, Sour Lake, and Vidor Presbyterian churches, all of them begun as missions of this congregation. Fourteen ordained ministers and two directors of Christian education have come out of this fellowship. Seven charter members in a rented hall.

That's where it started. Everything else, well, that's what seven people and a little faith can do.

What the marker says

Presbyterian worship services were led in this area by traveling preachers until the Rev. S. F. Tenney and the Rev. W. C. Wallace organized the First Presbyterian Church of Beaumont on February 28, 1880. The Rev. Wallace served as supply preacher for the seven charter members who met in the county courthouse and a rented hall. In 1881 this lot was purchased and a frame building erected the next year. The Rev. F. E. Robbins (1867-1918) became the first pastor in 1896. Membership increased and the frame church building was relocated in 1909. It served a local mission which became the second Presbyterian church. This sanctuary was completed in 1911. The Central Presbyterian Church developed from First Presbyterian. The two congregations reunited on May 8, 1921, when 484 charter members under the leadership of the Rev. F. S. Henderson (1883-1936) established the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Many Beaumont area fellowships including Amelia, Pioneer, Robbins Memorial, St. Andrews, Second, Silsbee, Sour Lake, and Vidor Presbyterian churches have begun as missions of this congregation. Fourteen ordained ministers and two directors of Christian education have come from this fellowship.