First Baptist Church of Pecos City
Pecos, Reeves County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Rev. Sumner Battle Callaway (1852-1952) led the organization of this Baptist church in 1885 and served as its first pastor. Callaway had come to Texas from Georgia and had been Gov. Richard Hubbard's private secretary and a lawyer before entering the ministry. The eight charter members included Callaway, A. M. and Sallie Harris Walthall, and Mrs. Colvin. The congregation's first church building was completed in 1887. A larger sanctuary was built in 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. J. B. Cole (1858-1947). The First Baptist Church of Pecos City was a member of the Sweetwater Baptist Association from 1886 until 1902, when the El Paso association was organized here. It later became part of the Pecos Valley association. Over the years, the fellowship has been served by a number of prominent pastors, including the Rev. L. R. Millican who preached on the west Texas frontier for more than 50 years. The First Baptist Church of Pecos City has been active in home and foreign missionary work and has placed a great emphasis on community service.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Rev. Sumner Battle Callaway—a former Georgia lawyer and gubernatorial secretary turned minister—organized this Baptist congregation in 1885 with eight charter members and served as its first pastor. A first building went up in 1887, replaced by a larger sanctuary in 1910, as the church moved through a succession of West Texas Baptist associations. Among its later ministers was L. R. Millican, who preached across the frontier for more than fifty years.
Why it matters
The congregation's founding marks how organized religion followed settlement onto the West Texas frontier, binding scattered communities together as the railroad era opened the region.
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Related people
- · Sumner Battle Callaway
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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