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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA History of Wellborn Baptist ChurchA HISTORY OF WELLBORN BAPTIST CHURCH 1890 - Present The Wellborn Community Wellborn, Texas is located seven miles south of College Station on farm to market road 2154 (originally old Hwy. 6) The best we can decipher is that the community of Wellborn was was founded in 1867 as a railroad construction camp of the H &TC. Wellborn is located in the A.M. McMahon grant and its name was derived from a well at the railroad construction camp, a foreman named E.W. Wellborn and W.W. Wilburn who owned the land in the area before the Civil War. Wellborn grew but was never incorporated as a town or city. The son's of Adam Royder of Rock Prairie were early founders of Wellborn and some of the Royder clan live in Wellborn to this day. By 1990 the community had a community center, a post - office, Wellborn Water Utilities, two grocery store /gas stations, Wellborn Baptist Church, a Masonic Lodge, and a Justice of the Peace Office and curently has other assorted businesses as well. The History of Wellborn Baptist Church (As We Know it) On February 28, 1890, one acre of land was purchased for a church site for Wellborn Baptist Church. A. Hill and his wife Anna Hill conveyed the acre of the land to the trustees of Wellborn Baptist Church. The trustees were: J.M. Atkins, P.L. Barron and George F. Lee. The Trustees paid $40 for the land in the McMahon, Stephen subdivision. (See the Benjamin Graham Map, Vol. 12, page 394 in the deed records in Brazos County). The land conveyed to Wellborn Baptist Church Trustees, is a true copy, found in the Deed of Records in Vol. 11, page 172, 173 in the Brazos County Courthouse. We have no dates when or how soon the first Wellborn Baptist Church was built after the land was purchased in 1890. At this time in history there were quite a number of stores in Wellborn. The community grew very quickly. Wellborn had a cotton gin, jail, stores, and a lumber yard which was operated by Joseph Barrow and his father Thomas Barrow. Joseph Barrow was H &TC station master. In April of 1896 Joseph Barrow was killed by a shot fired through the station window. A few months later his parents, his widow and four children narrowly escaped from their burning home in the middle of the midsummer night. Mrs. Thomas Barrow, however, inhaled a considerable amount of smoke and died of pneumonia. The Barrow family had contributed to the erection of the Wellborn Baptist Church. Mrs. Joseph Barrow had been the organist of the church. The first Wellborn Baptist Church building was destroyed by fire in 1896; the same year the Joseph Barrow home was destroyed by fire. The Barrow family moved to Bryan, abandoning the lumber yard business. It was reported that Thomas Barrow died a year later of a broken heart. The murder of Joseph Barrow, the burning of Thomas Barrows home with his family in it and the burning of the Wellborn Baptist Church were never solved. In 1910 we have recorded the official organizing (or reorganizinjof The Wellborn Baptist Church by Isiah Watson. The people of Wellborn were hard working people and immediately began saving their money to rebuild a church building. In a called business meeting on August 18, 1911 Isiah Watson was chosen as moderator. W.E. Graham as church clerk pro -tem. The Building Committee was called upon to report how much money had been collected and how much money had been subscribed for erecting a new Baptist Church in Wellborn, Texas. It was moved by George F. Lee second by W.E. Graham that the Wellborn Baptist Church authorized two of its deacons, Bro. George Gilbert and Bro. Enoch Holland to contract with Howell Lumber Co. of Bryan, Texas for material to erect a Baptist Church at Wellborn. This was done by order of the conference. The deacons appointed to negotiate with Howell Lumber Co. contracted building materials for $726.50 cash in advance. The balance of the cost was made in a promissory note at 8% interest with the total to be paid October 1, 1912. Howell Lumber Co. took a mechanics lien on the one acre of church property. These proceedings were witnessed by G. W. Gilbert and Enoch Holland and was filed in the Deed of Records, 12/11/1911 signed by W.S. Higgs, BCC, page 161 & 162. Some of the charter members of the church were: Mae Wilson Williams, P.L. Barron, Dr. George F. Lee, Mrs. Bernice Goodyear Lee, Enoch Holland, George Gilbert, Isiah Watson, Mrs. J.J. Jones, J.M. Alkins, W.E. Graham, Herbert Knox, Benjamin Graham and many others totaling 80 charter members in all. In a written statement given February 23, 1958 Gladys Dowling tells us only two charter members were living as of that date: Mrs. Lee and Mrs. J.J. Jones. Others that were part of the fellowship were Laura Wade, Thomas Harvey Royder, Jeff Royder, John Royder. Rev. J.J. Pipkin preached the first sermon in the new church. Mrs. George F. Lee played the organ. Dinner was served at the church On April 29, 1918 additional land was purchased from B.J. Lloyd for the Wellborn Baptist Church. The land joined the one acre of land purchased February 28, 1890. Trustees at that time were J.M Atkins, P.L. Barron and Dr. George F. Lee. The church paid B.J. Lloyd $100.00 for the land. (Recorded in The Deed of Records in Brazos County, Vol. 49, p. 591. On February 5, 1922 Rev. Robert Koller of Waco, Texas came to our church and Sunday School was organized with 25 charter members. Mrs. George F. Lee was the Sunday School Superintendent and W.E. Graham assistant Superintendent. The Wellborn Baptist Church has always supported the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the 1930's the church sent gifts to an orphans home at Thanksgiving: -- September 28, 1931 the church sent 33 chicken hens - -In 1932, 33 chicken hens and 3 quilts - -In 1933, 30 chicken hens and 5 quilts valued at $25 Through the years the church had W.M.U., G.A.'s and R.A.'s. Some of the members that attended the church in the 1930's were: Beatty and Verna Ferguson Barron, Rosie German, Guy and Eulalior Neelley, Mae Foster Yager, Mary Frances Yager, Katie Robinson Hensarling, Miss Ruth Smith, Mr. & Mrs. C.E. Hudnall, Thomas Yager Jr., Martha Williams Bullock, Pearl Eden Arrington, Thomas Wade, Elaine Redman, Mrs John Koerth (Gladys German), Otha and Essie Williams, B.T. Yager, Curtis and Velma McCu11oCH Williams, J.H. Wade, Dorothy Wade, Thelston Williams, Louise Glenn, Wingate and Byrdie Chenault Cooner, Milton Williams, Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Cody. The church building was a big one room auditorium heated by a big wood heater in the winter and cooled by raising the church windows in the Spring and Summer. The members also used cardboard fans furnished by a Bryan business for advertising purposes. The church was lit with gasoline lamps until 1937 when the church was provided with electricity. There were no Sunday School rooms. Classes met in different places in the large church room. Later the church put in sliding cloth curtains hung on a cloths line to section off classes. The church had a faithful woman member who walked through pastures with her children to church (five miles one way) every Sunday. In the Winter they brought sack lunches and would stay warm by the big wood heater until the evening services. Church members would take turns carrying them home after the evening services. On May 20, 1945 ten people and Pastor Ed Smith went to Peach Creek to help organize a Sunday School called "The Wellborn Baptist Mission ". The organization was formed and set to work. The following were elected for officers and teachers: Mrs. H.L. Allen - Superintendent Mrs. L.S. Barker - Secretary Treasurer Mrs. Tom Barker - Teacher Junior Class - 6 enrolled Mrs. H.L. Allen - Teacher Primary Class - 8 enrolled Mrs. Crenshaw - Teacher Adults - 8 enrolled Mrs. Greer - Teacher Young People - 1 enrolled There were 10 visitors present from Wellborn and an offering of $7.63 plus $4.00 for song books was collected. Mi$S Francis Dowling contributed $5.00 for the mission. The church minutes show that the mission secretary- treasurer will handle all the funds. On July 22, 1945 Wellborn Baptist Church voted to extend its support to the Peach Creek Mission. Mr. and Mrs. Jim Barker were received for church membership by statement. Mr. and Mrs H.L. Allen came for baptism. The church approved Louis Barker for baptism and afterward into church fellowship. (The baptizing in those days was done in stock tanks and rivers because the church did not have a baptistery) In 1945 a propane gas system was installed in the church building for heating. Some of the members in the 1940's were: Hugh and Gladys Dowling, Mr. & Mrs. L.F. Blair, Lucille Haste Alexander, Mr. & Mrs. Jimmie Parsons, Mr. & Mrs. A.N. (Bob) Carroll, Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Nolan, Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Redman Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Neelley Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Guy Neelley, J.D. and Minnie Williams, Dan Williams, Milton Williams, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Norwood, Mary Jane Norwood Ryan, Mrs. Lorene Robinson Calvin, Clyde & Catherine Royder Ubernosky, Mack & Lurleen Cooner and J.O. and Nan Ingram Alexander as well as many others... In the year 1950 the church voted to give 10% of the total offerings to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. The church also purchased new pews for $2700. Church members paid for the pews by purchasing a pew in memory or honor of a loved one and the names were put on the pews and remain to this day. In the early years of the 1950's Jesse Fletcher was pastor and because of church growth and space was needed for more Sunday School an education facility was built on the north side of the church. A large Fellowship Hall, nursery room, kitchen, bathrooms and more Sunday School rooms. The space had air conditioning and heating installed when the building was built. The Church had a large church bell on a tall post in the church yard. The bell was rung fifteen minutes before church services to remind all members from the community of worship. In the year 1958 Ray Head was pastor and again because of growth in the church, it was voted by the church members to tear down the church building that was built in 1911- 1912 and build a new church building with a larger sanctuary, a pastors study, a library room, and more Sunday School spaces, a choir loft, central air conditioning and heating as well as an indoor baptistery. Members of the church and community people tore down the building, cleaned up the lumber and stacked the lumber that could be used in the new church building. They met under the trees in the church yard to accomplish this project. The church materials were furnished by Woodson Lumber Company. The new facility was finished and dedicated on November 23, 1958 in a dedication ceremony at 2:30 p.m.. Ray Head lead a revival meeting in early 1959 and 27 people (quite a few adults) accepted Christ and were baptized in the new baptistery. On October 5, 1964 a letter came from the Houston Baptist College asking for help. The church voted to send them $44.40 a year for ten years. During the 1970's the church recommended and supported James Parish and Larry Driggers as they attended Southwerstern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. They were students at Texas A &M and attended Wellborn Baptist at the time. They both felt called to special ministry and have gone on to missionary work in the home and foreign missions area. In 1972 Bill Ubernosky and his sister, Grace Ubernosky Holsomback gave the church an organ in loving memory of their parents Clyde and Catherine Royder Ubernosky who had recently passed away. In the 1970's the church bought a mobile home and place it near the church building for a parsonage. Later, it was sold because it was not satisfactory for that purpose. In the late 1970's the church bought some land, 10 acres from Mrs. R. Guy Neelley for $3,000 to build a brick house for a parsonage. This also did not prove out to be satisfactory. After that time the church voted to include in the budget a housing allowance for the pastor of the church. Between 1987 - 1990 the church was one of the first participants in the "Adopt A Highway" program. The church took a segment of Wellborn Road for a three year period. Church members volunteered on Saturdays to keep the highway clean of litter. On February 10, 1988 the church voted to help a new mission church named Southwood Baptist Chruch which would later be called Faith Baptist Church. Wellborn gave $1,000 initially and pledged $100 per month for one year. In 1989 the church members in a business meeting agreed to build a new fellowship hall/educational facility that would house a new nursery, three restrooms, a large kitchen and large fellowship hall that could be divided into six temporary classrooms. Brother Vaughn Manning, The Director of Missions for the Creath- Brazos Baptist Association came to our church in January of 1989 and directed us in using the Texas Baptist fund raising program "Giving to Grow" to raise the money for the new building. The church and its members and friends raised $98,000 in cash and pledges toward the purchase price of the new building. Much of the success of the financial campaign can be attributed to the work and management of J.O. Alexander who worked tirelessly with the finance committee. Marek Brothers construction Co. built the building at a cost of $140, 270.00. The construction and long term loan was taken from First City Bank in Bryan, Texas. The building was completed in March of 1990 and was dedicated at that time. The loan was paid off in full January 1, 1992 and the note was burned May 24, 1992. To aid in the financing the Church became incorporated on March 12, 1989. The Finance Committee for the building consisted of Matt Medlock, Roxanna Boyle, Rev. John Boyle, Florence Neelley, Mack Cooner, and Shirley Willingham. The Building Committee consisted of Evelyn Medlock, Ann Watson- Carnes, Robert Williams, Lurleen Cooner, Robert Beal and Tom Willingham with Clayton Hall as chairperson of the committee and construction foreman. On March 20, 1994 the church voted in a business meeting to aid in paying the indebtedness of Highland Lakes Baptist Encampment. The church chose to pay the equivalent of the cost of one acre of land ($3600) over a three year period ($1200 per year) In August 1994 Mack and Lurleen Cooner gave land located next to Wellborn Grocery and joining the land the Masonic Lodge owns. The lot was a gift to the church to use for church parking, activities, or whatever the church needs the lot for. The transaction is recorded in the Deed of Records, Vol.2193, page 259 in the Brazos county Courthouse. In 1996 a new sound system was purchased for the church sanctuary from donated funds. In 1997 the church sanctuary was enlarged due to the need for more room for worship. The Pastor's Study and Church Library /Secretaries office were opened into the main sanctuary and thirty seats were added. The Churches first Youth Minister was called in 1996. Jason Cupak answered the call. Our pastor at this writing is Rev. John David Boyle. His wife is Roxanna Boyle and they have one daughter, Christine Boyle House. Brother John has been at Wellborn ten years. Our Music Director is Matt Medlock. He and his wife Evelyn, who plays the piano for our worship, have three sons Tony, Alex and James. Matt and Evelyn have been at Wellborn for fifteen years. At the time of this writing we have other faithful members that aid us in worship: Mark Briles on guitar, Jett McFall on bass guitar and Ginny Hobson on flute. Wellborn Baptist gives 13.5% to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention, 3% to Creath- Brazos Baptist Association, 1.5% to Baptist Student Ministries at Texas A &M and 1% to Save Our Streets Ministries. Other mission offerings are made yearly to the Lottie Moon Offering for foreign missions, Annie Armstrong and Mary Hill Davis mission offerings. Funds are provided from private donations for kids to go to camp every year and we also take up food collections for the Brazos Church Food Pantry. 1997 This historical document compiled by Lurleen Cooner, July,