First Baptist Church of Lytle
Lytle, Atascosa County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Dr. J.V.E. Covey and 16 charter members organized this church in April 1893 and held their first meeting under a stand of oak trees. A small frame building was later built, becoming their first permanent church building. Early baptisms were performed in the Medina River. Over the years the church has erected new and larger buildings to serve its growing congregation. The church has been instrumental in initiating additional congregations in Natalia, Atascosa, LaCoste, and Castroville. The church continues to be active in the community as it has for over 100 years. (1996)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Dr. J.V.E. Covey and sixteen charter members organized this Baptist congregation in April 1893, holding their first meeting under a stand of oak trees and baptizing early converts in the Medina River. A small frame building followed, and over the decades the church raised ever-larger structures for its growing flock. It also helped launch congregations in nearby Natalia, Atascosa, LaCoste, and Castroville.
Why it matters
It reflects how rural Texas churches, born under open sky, seeded and sustained the religious life of a whole region.
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Related people
- · J.V.E. Covey
Themes & tags
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