South Union Missionary Baptist Church
Palestine, Anderson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1893, the Rev. Richard Henry Boyd (1843-1927), a native of Mississippi, organized the South Union Baptist Church of Palestine with 31 charter members. Boyd, known as the "Cowboy Preacher," had established churches around Texas, including Palestine's West Union congregation. The South Union Church, named for its geographic location within the city, met in a two-room building on Royall Street until moving to Dorrance Street in 1911. In addition to uniting communities through the formation of congregations, Boyd aspired to create Christian literature for the nation's African American churches. After working with the Southern Baptist Convention Sunday School board in Nashville, Boyd held a conference at South Union Church to discuss religious education with other Black leaders. He later moved to Nashville to publish religious materials. The South Union congregation, which built a larger sanctuary in 1948, has continued to offer its facilities to community groups for meeting and educational purposes. Its pastors have led parishioners in a variety of outreach and educational missions, including radio and television ministries, as well as a library. The congregation has reflected the trends in the community, with the membership roll including a large number of railroad employees in the early 20th century and numerous local and statewide leaders throughout the church's history. The church became South Union Missionary Baptist Church in 1986. Today, it is a long-standing Palestine institution, recognized for its service to the community and for its important history. (2004)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1893 the Rev. Richard Henry Boyd—a formerly enslaved Mississippian known as the "Cowboy Preacher"—organized South Union Baptist Church in Palestine with 31 charter members. Boyd founded churches across Texas while pursuing a larger vision: creating Christian literature for the nation's African American churches, work that eventually drew him to Nashville as a religious publisher. The Palestine congregation grew from a two-room building into a larger 1948 sanctuary and long opened its doors to community and educational groups, its rolls reflecting the railroad workers and civic leaders of Black Palestine.
Why it matters
South Union links a local congregation to Richard Henry Boyd's nationally significant Black publishing movement, which put religious and educational materials by and for African Americans into churches across the country.
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Related people
- · Richard Henry Boyd
Themes & tags
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