Pleasanton Church of Christ
Pleasanton, Atascosa County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Records show that a Church of Christ congregation has existed in Atascosa County since at least 1858, when a congregation met at the head of Lucas Creek. A group of Pleasanton women, led by Texana (Holder) Brite, began holding Church of Christ services in their homes around 1910. As church membership increased, services were held on the grounds of the former Atascosa County Courthouse, vacated when the county seat moved from Pleasanton to Jourdanton. In 1914, Martha Jane (Price) Hines, Mahalia Elizabeth (Duck) Morris and Victor Hilton Tumlinson purchased land for a church as trustees of the Pleasanton congregation. The property was located at Lot No. 12 in Block No. 1 in the Franklin Place Addition; a small frame church building was constructed on the lot in 1924. Although the women of the congregation were its driving force, they were not allowed to preach, so men from San Antonio came to town on Sundays to do so. Until the 1930s, baptisms were held in Martin's Swimming Pool, on a hill at the west end of Franklin Street. Three long-time Sunday School teachers within the congregation were Nanny Mauldin, Mrs. Morris Pruett and Iris Andrews. The church's first full-time preacher, John Lee Norris, was hired in 1935. Community and missionary outreach have been important parts of the church's activities throughout the years. A radio ministry was broadcast by the church 1952-1959. Missionaries to Guatemala were sponsored by the church beginning in 1959. A jail ministry and Vacation Bible School have also been established. Today, Pleasanton Church of Christ continues as a spiritual and community leader. (2010)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A Church of Christ presence in Atascosa County reaches back to at least 1858, but the Pleasanton congregation grew from home services begun around 1910 by a group of women led by Texana Brite. Women bought the land in 1914 and drove the church's early life, though custom barred them from preaching, so men came out from San Antonio on Sundays to lead worship. A frame building went up in 1924, and later decades brought a radio ministry, foreign missions, and the church's first full-time preacher.
Why it matters
The congregation's founding underscores the central—if often unacknowledged—role women played in building the religious life of small-town America.
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Related people
- · Texana (Holder) Brite
- · John Lee Norris
Themes & tags
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