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| Concord Missionary Baptist Church |
SESQUICENTENNIAL
| 1857-2010 |
| 150 YEARS of SERVING GOD |
| Jesus said, "...I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18 |
History of Concord - 150 + Years |
| Concord is one of the older settlements in the Northeast Texas area. Permanent settlers (other than Caddo Indians) such as the John W and Nancy P Cherry family arrived about 1832 . In 1843, Mr Cherry was elected Pastor of the Baptist Church of Bethlehem, which met in the homes of the members and in the Morris County school buildings. Brent Coffey, a settler from Adair County, Kentucky, lived on a farm in the Concord community just north of the Jesse Ball farm. He donated land for a community meeting place, which was later used as a school. Later, the building served as a church. The members named it Concord because of the peace and harmony it gave to the community. The church set aside the 1st Sunday in May as Decoration Day. The workers brought lumber by wagon from Jefferson, Texas. The one-story wooden structure was located close to the center of the community. The one-room auditorium was also used for Sunday School classes. Different groups met in the front, the middle and the back. Lacking an indoor baptistery, the church baptized new members in nearby pools and ponds Two favorite places were the S.I. Beasley pond and the Jesse Ball pool. In 1857, Rev. CD Meyers preached the first sermon in the Concord Meeting House. Concord only held church services twice a month. They paid the pastor $15 a month for the two services and some times they would get behind paying that salary. For many years people came to church on foot or in buggies or wagons. During night services and revival meetings, people close could enjoy the sounds of the gyms as part of the worship. What an inspiration! The attempt to start Sunday School in the late 1920's was unsuccessful. However, as some members were fishing in the creek, they discussed trying it again. Concord's education program has remained active since then. The Concord Church and Meeting House was established about 1857 and has been the focal point of community activities since. Concord has served as a school, music school, voting site, community center and most importantly - a place of Worship. |
Conner Stone of 1st Church
Front of Church in 1960
