First Christian Church
Palestine, Anderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1847 under leadership of lawyer Joseph A. Clark (founder and administrator of college now T.C.U.) and John F. Taylor, a farmer. Both Clark and Taylor were followers of Campbell - Scott movement for Christian unity. Though 16 charter members were of different faiths, they successfully united through "Articles of Faith" which expressed their basic beliefs. From its very beginning, the church has been of evangelistic nature. A Rev. Mr. Jordan (relinquishing affiliation with the Baptist church) became the first pastor, ministering not only to the newly-formed congregation but to other settlements near and far. In the early 1850s, Rev. Carroll Kendrick became pastor. He too believed in the need for evangelism and pressed Joseph Clark to work with him. Clark set forth strengthening congregations already formed, establishing new churches and expounding the gospel. Interrupted only by the Civil War, evangelistic work by the church continues to this day. The first church building, erected in 1859, was located on Poplar and Fannin streets; the second on Houston and Crawford in 1884; the third, built in 1905, is now used for an educational building. The present church was constructed in 1955.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1847, this East Texas congregation was led in part by lawyer Joseph A. Clark — later the founder of the college that became Texas Christian University — and farmer John F. Taylor, both followers of the Campbell-Scott movement for Christian unity. Sixteen charter members of differing faiths bound themselves together with shared "Articles of Faith," and the church committed itself to evangelism from the start, planting congregations across the region even as the Civil War briefly interrupted the work. Four sanctuaries later, it was still serving Palestine by 1955.
Why it matters
The Restoration Movement shaped American Protestantism in the 19th century, and this congregation's tie to the founder of TCU links a frontier church to the rise of higher education in Texas.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
In 1847, Texas had only recently joined the Union, and East Texas was filling up with settlers, many from the older Southern states. Palestine was a young town in Anderson County, part of a wooded, farming region where churches, courthouses and schools were just taking shape.
The religious climate of the time was energetic and often divided. The early 1800s had seen waves of revival across the country, and many new movements appeared. One was the movement led by figures such as Alexander Campbell and Walter Scott, often called the Campbell-Scott movement or, more broadly, the Restoration Movement. It called on Christians to set aside denominational divisions and return to what its followers saw as the simple faith of the New Testament.
For a frontier town drawing people from many backgrounds, that call to unity had obvious appeal. Settlers arrived as Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and more, and small communities could not easily support a separate church for each group.
The Civil War later disrupted religious life across the South, as men left for the army and communities struggled. This church's history reflects that interruption, and its recovery afterward.
People & events
The church was organized in 1847 under two leaders from different walks of life. Joseph A. Clark was a lawyer, and John F. Taylor was a farmer. Both followed the Campbell-Scott movement for Christian unity. Clark is remembered for more than this church. The marker credits him as founder and administrator of the college that became Texas Christian University. That college's early name, AddRan, honored his sons, Addison and Randolph Clark, which shows how much the institution was a family undertaking.
The sixteen charter members did not share a single religious background. They came from different faiths, and they united by writing shared "Articles of Faith" setting out their basic beliefs. In its small way, that document put the movement's ideal of Christian unity into practice.
The congregation was evangelistic from the start. Its first pastor, a Rev. Mr. Jordan, had given up his Baptist affiliation, and he preached not only to the new congregation but also to settlements near and far. In the early 1850s the Rev. Carroll Kendrick became pastor. He shared that missionary zeal and urged Joseph Clark to work alongside him. Clark set out to strengthen existing congregations, start new ones and preach.
Only the Civil War interrupted this work. Over the years the congregation built a series of churches: the first in 1859 at Poplar and Fannin streets, a second in 1884 at Houston and Crawford, a third in 1905 that later became an educational building, and the present church in 1955.
Its place in the American story
The Restoration Movement was one of the most important religious movements born in the United States. Its heirs include the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ and the independent Christian churches. Congregations like this one in Palestine are where that national movement took local form.
The church's link to Texas Christian University connects frontier religion with the growth of higher education. Across the nineteenth century, many American colleges were founded by religious communities that wanted educated ministers and citizens. The Clark family's college is a Texas example of that pattern.
The Articles of Faith that united sixteen people of different backgrounds reflect something distinctly American: the frontier habit of building institutions by agreement rather than inheritance. With no established church and no single dominant tradition, settlers often had to work out their shared beliefs themselves.
Finally, the church's four buildings over about a century trace the steady growth of a small Southern town and the congregation that grew with it.
If you visit
Palestine is one of the older towns of East Texas, set among the piney woods and rolling hills of Anderson County. It makes a good stop for travelers interested in the region's nineteenth-century history and its historic downtown.
At the marker, keep in mind that the congregation has moved through four buildings. The 1955 church is the current home, and the 1905 building has served as an educational building. The earlier sites on Poplar and Fannin and on Houston and Crawford are part of the same story, so following the street names can turn the visit into a small walking history of the congregation.
The Texas Christian University connection gives the stop more weight. A lawyer who helped found a frontier congregation in 1847 is also tied to one of the state's best-known universities. It is a reminder that big institutions often begin in small places.
Since this is an active congregation, be respectful of services and church activities, and ask locally before expecting to go inside.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · Joseph A. Clark
- · John F. Taylor
- · Carroll Kendrick
Themes & tags
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