Redland Baptist Church
Lufkin vicinity, Angelina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Liberty Baptist Church, established in the Redland community in 1859, became Redland Baptist Church after reorganizing in 1895. Worship services were held in a local schoolhouse until 1924 when the congregation built its first sanctuary. A new church building was erected in 1939, and in 1942 the first full-time pastor was called. Growth in church membership resulted in the construction of new facilities in 1960 and a larger sanctuary at this site in 1976. Redland Baptist serves the community with a variety of programs and supports a wide range of missionary work. (1994)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The roots of Redland Baptist Church reach back to 1859, when the Angelina County community organized Liberty Baptist Church, reconstituted in 1895 under its present name. For decades the faithful gathered in a local schoolhouse until they raised their first sanctuary in 1924, followed by new buildings in 1939, 1960, and 1976 as membership grew. The congregation called its first full-time pastor in 1942.
Why it matters
Rural congregations like this one were the social spine of frontier and post-war East Texas, binding scattered farming families into a community long before other institutions arrived.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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