New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Gladewater, Gregg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
After emancipation, the organization of churches by former slaves formed not only a house for worship but also a center for the economic, political and social aspects of the community. In 1893, some of the members of Saint James Missionary Baptist church in the Red Rock Community (near Gladewater) moved downtown seeking employment opportunities. Soon, reverend Louis Holoway and seven others founded a church congregation under a brush arbor. The founding members were Peter Lee, Matt Perry, Elnora Turner, Della Perry, Celia Johnson, Lou Johnson and Mollie Daniels. Around 1896, the first church building, a small one-room building, was erected near the fork of the old Tyler highway (South Main St.). In 1911, the first church building was torn down and the congregation relocated to its present location on Roden Lane. In addition to religious priorities, education of African American children was also important to the church. The first African American school in Gladewater was held in the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church building. Over the years, the congregation and the church expanded with renovations in 1934, 1950 and 1968. In an effort to broaden their reach, additional Sunday worship services were added as well as radio broadcasts. Through community outreach, assistance, foreign and local ministries, and disaster relief, the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church has been a beacon of hope to the community for more than a century. These east Texas pioneers made it possible for the African American community to worship and gather.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1893, members of a nearby congregation moved into downtown Gladewater seeking work and founded New Hope under a brush arbor, led by Reverend Louis Holoway and seven others. Like countless Black churches born after emancipation, it became far more than a house of worship—the first school for African American children in Gladewater met within its walls. Rebuilt and expanded across the 20th century, it has anchored its community for well over a century.
Why it matters
After slavery, the Black church was the one institution formerly enslaved people fully owned, doubling as school, meeting hall, and refuge—the foundation of African American community life.
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Related people
- · Louis Holoway
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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