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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEarly Churches Panel Group 05Interviewee: Joe Buser A &M Church of Christ Oral History Project - Memory Lane - Churches/Synagogues 1. What was your first church or synagogue facility like? first permanent building in College Station the cadets were required to attend chapel 2. What temporary facilities were services held in? (Ex. a home, schoolhouses, blacksmith shop, under the trees, halls, funeral home chapels, barracks, courthouses, other buildings. Students collected $500 dollars to start a building Sylvia Sweet grew up in that area, A.D. Martin traveled around Texas raising money 3. Explain how your church or synagogue began in this area. Bessy Woodward, wife of the richest man in Houston, donated a lot of money ($35,000) Where was it located? Northgate for cadets at Church Street. Architect with Earnest Langford 4. How many times did it move locations? and where? The building expanded but ran out of room for parking so it moved across the street from A &M Consolidated High School 5. Name churches or synagogues who were organized but started as part of another church. Student Center at Thorsons Hdwe Store across from Northgate on Church Street. Georgia Belle Landis taught cadets how to set a place setting 6. How many people attended? What age groups? congregation was students -124 cadets, prior to that met in YMCA and Mrs. Woodward paid the minister, the families met at the courthouse and Carnegie Library and in the 30's built across form the utility building. Now located at Liya Church. Girls from Bryan wanted to attend church at college 7. How did they travel to get there? 8. What were the roads like? (Ex. dirt roads, gravel roads) were a few automobiles, horse and buggy on gravel road. Northgate was the business district, Holicks, Lukes and Charlie Grocery 9. How many people came together? 10. How did they get from one town to the next? (horse, horse and buggy, auto) 11. Explain experiences of your church or synagogue alternating holding services with other churches or synagogues? Edwin Martin was charged with forming education for children of faculty. They met in various empty rooms on campus. All public meetings were generally held on campus. 12. How many times a month did your church meet? once a week 13. Explain experiences of meeting in a "brush arbor "? no only for outdoor singings 14. Tell me what you know about circuit riders/priests who traveled through the area preaching. horseback evangelists, had one who traveled for two weeks through town in June of 1921. 82.50 and 360.82 in 1930 were raised annually 15. Name the denominational pioneers in this area in communities such as Harvey, Wellborn, Shiloh, Peach Creek, Old Independence, Macey, Rock Prairie Community, Millican. Church of Christ was not highly popular in these towns 16. What name changes did the congregation make over the years for your church or synagogue? No, only A &M Church of Christ name 17. What days and times were services held? Cadets services were held in Am at 10:00 am , six families, current membership about 1,200 18. Explain who built the early churches and where the suppliers came from. New England style brick, auditorium for 210 a grand building, preachers residence was the steeple, Oct. 1935 opening How did the supplies get there? sloped floor, folding chairs 19. Was there a woodshed and outside privy? No, in 1935 building there was restrooms 20. Explain indebtedness of the church and how it was handled. No, Mrs. Woodward paid for it and paid the minister until the war years 21. Explain where Sunday school education was held. no children, no Sunday school, no classes for the cadets either Did your church sponsor a mission Sunday school or Bible classes? No Where did the children meet for Sunday school? N/A What were the nursery facilities like? N/A Tell us about quilt pallets for sleepy children? N/A 22. Tell us about your church choir, how many members were there? yea, sang acapella Explain any singing conventions they attended. What was the piano like? No Was a pump organ used? What was it like? No 23. Tell us about the steeple of the church/ Tell us about the bell? Was it pulled by a rope? No When was the church bell tolled? ex. a death, to ring the old year out and the new year in, other matters of importance, to proclaim peace during the wars. 24. Tell us about the pews, were they hand sawed out of pine? chairs What was the lighting, was it kerosene lamps9 do not know How about the heat, was it by wood heaters or butane? central heat - natural gas How was it cooled, was it by ceiling fans? opened the windows Tell us about funeral parlor advertisement fans that you fanned yourself with to keep cool. 25. Tell us about any stained glass windows. no What was the outside of the building made of.? Was it white - washed? brick How was the maintenance of the building taken care of? minister 26. Explain if the congregation was pastored by student pastors. Yes, youth ministers If so, were they from Texas A &M, Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary or others. No, typically A &M students, Billy Don Russell, in 1972 Aggies for Christ Program was organized 27. Tell us about elaborate ceremonies that were observed. (ex. anniversary of the church, completion of a new building, church dedications.) Dick Herney, mayor in 1973 attended ground breaking of building edition 28. What were some early traditions of your congregation? (ex. seating men on one side and the women on the other). No, singing acapella (no music) 29. Explain circumstances when your church was destroyed by fire, storm, other. No, just outgrown our buildings 30. Tell us about how much the pastor was paid? He had a job as a telegraph operator but no salary otherwise. In 1945 a total of $4,000 for 53 Sundays was collected. Where did he live? parsonage -no rent About how old was he and did he have a large family? No, he had one daughter who was the center of attention in No Gate 31. About what was the annual budget of the church? all of the money was brought in but the Bible chair received $5 -10 from donors whose children attended A &M 32. Explain how the church met the social needs as well as the religious needs of the community didn't, it was the Lord's day and mission Tell us about the fellowship hall. none 33. Explain any revivals you attended and where they were held, ex. brush arbors, tents, baseball fields. How many weeks did they last? Only in "town" -Bryan Tell us about prayer meetings. Penny postcards were sent to the faculty on campus by the pastor. 34. Tell us about the churchyard. Explain the cemetery, and where it was located. Who could be buried there. No, we were part of the business district you had to go to Bryan to be born and buried. 35. Tell us about the Corp and A &M faculty attending your church. 36. Explain what you know about the religious services who met at the YMCA building on campus. made possible by YMCA director Mrs. Cashion 37. Explain what you know about A &M sponsored Sunday school morning worship services on campus with attendance being compulsory by the A &M students. 38. Explain the affect of WW2 and its aftermath on the college ministry. (ex. not just college aged students but military personnel and their families ) WW2 boosted enrollment in A &M and with faculty housing. Bryan Building and loan was established. WW2 had the GI bill. 39. Explain baptismal. (ex. YMCA swimming pool, rivers, baptismal font, other) The original building had a metal tub for baptisms 40. Explain wedding ceremonies. Many, fairly common. Church of Christ was an early part of A &M and student life in the 20's. The first church in A &M. 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