Upcoming Exhibit about Local Churches

On August 1, Madison County Museum’s most recent exhibit focused on local families closes, to be replaced with items from local churches. Such can include photos, membership directories, certificates, hymnals, Bibles, Bible School or Sunday School items, attendance charts, bulletins, sheet music, or such.

Items may be loaned or donated. Such churches may be in operation currently or possibly defunct.

Current issues of the Madisonville Meteor include on page 8 a Church Directory sponsored by local businesses. The July 24 issue’s directory lists 62 churches and for each, an address, meeting time, pastor name, and when submitted, a telephone number. If the Museum receives an item or two from even half of those, we should have a spectacular exhibit.

In Volume 1 of Madison County history, pages 54 through 72 are filled with histories of 26 local churches, so people wrote and submitted those. Madison County Historical Commission hopes for the upcoming Volume 3 to have similar or more. Submission deadline is February 1, 2025, and we can print or email you what was previously written, so folks don’t have to start completely over. Below I’ve shared a bit of information from the first four churches, and I plan more for the next several weeks.

Antioch Church’s essay on page 54 includes the fact that the name was chosen from Bible scripture, “and the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” The church was begun by former slaves on Hayes Plantation about 3 miles east of Midway, and some time after 1865, Jack Harrison paid $5 to S.F. and I.L. Wakefield, who deeded .72 acre of land to the trustees, Bob Nealey, Lopez Johnson, and Cuff Adams. The church then moved to the current site and became the Antioch Church of Christ for scriptural reasons and remains so to this day. Early preachers were Jessie Lee and George Nealey.

Bethel Presbyterian Church’s essay states that the church’s early leader, Andrew McWhorter, brought his family and some friends to the area in December of 1839, but in 1842 they moved to a site on North Bedias Creek now known as Bethel Cemetery.

That ultimately put them and that church in very northern Grimes County.

The essay for Bethlehem Lutheran Church of North Zulch on Page 55 includes the statement that three factors caused its start, including 1) an influx of German- speaking Lutherans to the area, 2) the coming of the railroad, and 3) the organization of the Southern District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and appointment at that time (1882) of missionaries-at-large. In 1890, Julius Zulch deeded 5 acres of land for the church location, and a church and parsonage were built. Men sat on one side of the church and women and children on the other side. By 1900, membership reached 128 but then it slowly declined. In 1974 it began to grow again, with attendance averaging 60 by 1976. By Volume 1’s publication in 1984, membership totaled 185.

A photo of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building at Jozye (Highway 90 South) about 1903 appears on page 56 of Volume 1. Though information supports the fact that the religion’s missionaries were active in the area as early as 1870, there was apparently no organized congregation until the early 1900s. Early families included the Beelers, Deckers, Fosters, Goodrums, Harlesses, Harpers, Stones, and Strands. Until 1957, meetings were held in a one-room frame building, but then Madisonville members were assigned to Huntsville or Bryan branches. In January 1970, the Madisonville Branch was reorganized with about 70 members. At first, meetings were held in town in rented facilities, and then in a double-wide trailer on Murry Burr’s property. The current chapel at 1205 East Main has been occupied since 1983.

THE MUSEUM NEEDS TO BORROW BIG CHURCH PHOTOS TO PUT IN THE WINDOWS!

This essay appears on behalf of Madison County Museum and Madison County Historical Commission. At 201 N. Madison, the Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10-2. We hope you will write something for Volume 3 of local history. Snail-mail it to MCHC, 101 N. Commerce, #64, Madisonville, TX 77864, or email it to stories@madisonchc. com