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Concord Missionary
Baptist Church
Baptist Church
SESQUICENTENNIAL
| 1857-2007 |
| 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 first meeting house was a log cabin located just north of the present site. The present building was built about 1850 then remodeled in 1920, using as much of the original building as possible. When the bills were paid following the construction, only 50 cents was left. 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
| Notes from Nolan: The week of the Revival Effort, April 30 - May 5, leading up to Decoration Day 2007 will be the focal point of the year. When is the last time that you sat under a brush arbor listening to the preaching of the word of God? Well, that's to long. Not only will we be meeting under the Brush Arbor, but the location will be very special. We will be meeting just north of our present worship area. What is so special about this area? Bro. Bentley Wright showed me where Concord Meeting House had her beginning. Although we are |
| not completely certain, there are 4 corner stones still in place where the building once sat, It is close to the spring that provided water for many people passing through this area. On Saturday, May 5, we will erect a monument at this location. Is this church and pastor excited about next year? We sure are, and we want you to be a part of as many celebrations as possible. Please fill out the form provided at this link .Contact Us. To commemorate, we will offer a cookbook, a historical plate with a brief history printed on the back, and dominoes with "Concord Missionary Baptist Church: est 1857."The cost of the cookbook is $15, the palte is $15 and the dominoes is $30. I realize that I shared a lot of information with you in this article. We want you to be a part of Concord and her celebrations. REMEMBER THE FOCAL POINT IS NOT THE BRUSH ARBOR, PRAYER GARDEN, OR BUILDING. OUR FOCAL POINT IS JESUS CHRIST. "UNTO HIM BE THE HONOR AND GLORY." It is an honor to be the pastor of this great church. IN HIM, Nolan Richey, Pastor: Concord Missionary Baptist Church |