Myrtle Springs Baptist Church, BMA
Quitman, Wood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the fall of 1861, William Setzler deeded land for church purposes, and the Myrtle Springs Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, as it was originally called, was organized and led by a Rev. Coker. Initially meeting in a nearby log schoolhouse, the congregation soon built a wooden church building. Later buildings were financed by gifts including cattle and eggs. In 1964, a baptistery was added to the 1949 sanctuary. Church members were previously baptized in ponds or in Myrtle Springs behind the church. Affiliated with the Baptist missionary Association (BMA), the church has continued to grow and add new facilities. With a focus on educational and missionary programs, it serves members from throughout Wood County. (2004)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Myrtle Springs Baptist Church began in the fall of 1861, when William Setzler deeded land and a congregation gathered under a Rev. Coker, first meeting in a log schoolhouse before building a wooden church. Early members financed later buildings with gifts of cattle and eggs, and baptized converts in nearby ponds and springs until a baptistery was added in 1964. It grew into a Baptist Missionary Association congregation serving Wood County.
Why it matters
The church's cattle-and-eggs financing and spring baptisms capture the resourceful faith of rural 19th-century Texans building lasting institutions from little.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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