Pilgrim Predestinarian Regular Baptist Church
Elkhart, Anderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in Crawford County, Illinois by Elder Daniel Parker in 1833 with the following charter members: Daniel Parker, Pheby Parker, Patsey Parker, Julious Christy, John Parker, Rachel Christy, Salley Brown. The first Baptist church in Texas. First meeting held in Stephen F. Austin's Colony, January 20, 1834. First log church built in 1839.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Elder Daniel Parker organized this Predestinarian Baptist congregation in Crawford County, Illinois, in 1833, then carried it whole into Mexican Texas — a clever way around the colony's restrictions on organizing new churches. Its first Texas meeting was held in Stephen F. Austin's Colony on January 20, 1834, and a log meetinghouse followed in 1839. It is remembered as the first Baptist church in Texas.
Why it matters
The congregation's migration marks the arrival of organized Protestant church life in Anglo Texas, a foundation stone of the state's religious and community history.
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Related people
- · Daniel Parker
- · Stephen F. Austin
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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