Getsemani Presbyterian Church
San Benito, Cameron County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the first decade of the 20th century, a number of immigrants came from Mexico and settled in the newly founded town of San Benito. Among these immigrants were individuals who followed the prinicples of the Presbyterian Church of Mexico. In 1911, Presbyterian families in San Benito organized the Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito. Anne E. Dysart, a missionary and teacher who evacuated Mexico during the country's revolution, led Sunday services and opened a school. The congregation officially dedicated the church on October 19, 1911. By 1912, the congregation gathered funds to purchase a lot at the corner of Biddle and Hull Streets to build their first church building. In 1917, the church reorganized and in 1919, it became a member of the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. That same year, the congregation moved their buildings to 140 Diaz Street. As the years passed, the congregation became largely English-speaking; to reflect the shift, the church changed names to 2nd Presbyterian Church in 1961. In 1979, the members renamed it Getsemani Presbyterian Church. The Getsemani congregation has a long history of aiding the community. The church has hosted the Texas Migrant Council's community center, run a food bank and a clothes closet, functioned as an emergency distribution center, offered English classes, and set up a benevolent fund for the indigent. The congregation has also focused strongly on area outreach, opening missions in Harlingen, Las Flores and El Fresnal. Today, Getsemani Presbyterian Church continues to be a spiritual leader in the San Benito community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
As Mexican immigrants settled the new town of San Benito in the early 1900s, Presbyterian families among them organized the Mexican Presbyterian Church of San Benito in 1911, led by missionary and teacher Anne E. Dysart, who had fled the Mexican Revolution and opened a school. The congregation built its first church in 1912 and joined the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. in 1919. Renamed 2nd Presbyterian in 1961 and Getsemani Presbyterian in 1979, it has long run food banks, clothing closets, English classes, and outreach missions.
Why it matters
The church tells the story of Mexican immigration to the Rio Grande Valley and the enduring role congregations played in serving and sustaining borderland communities.
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Related people
- · Anne E. Dysart
Themes & tags
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