Avalon Missionary Baptist Church
Avalon, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Originally known as Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, this congregation was organized on July 6, 1879, by elders Josiah Leake and S.C. Talley and 16 charter members: J.C., Isabel, and Sarah Martin; W.L. Pierce; J.P. and M.F. Giles; William Hendricks; William and N.L. John; M.E. Ratliff; M.K. Yarbrough; R.F. and M.E. Lattner; M.C. Steward; Alice Godfrey; and Melvina Kiley. Early worship services were held in the Muscrat School and under an arbor. A sanctuary was built in 1924-25. Sunday school facilities and a parsonage were added later. This church has served Avalon for over 100 years.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized on July 6, 1879, as Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, this Ellis County congregation began with two elders and sixteen charter members. Early worship took place in the Muscrat School and beneath a brush arbor before a sanctuary rose in 1924–25, followed later by Sunday school rooms and a parsonage. Renamed Avalon Missionary Baptist Church, it has served the community for well over a century.
Why it matters
Rural congregations like this one anchored frontier Texas communities, providing the schoolhouse, gathering place, and continuity that turned scattered settlers into a town.
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Related people
- · Josiah Leake
- · S. C. Talley
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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