History of the Churches of Christ in Texas (5)
Book Review (5)
Eckstein, Stephen Daniel, Jr.
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas: 1824-1950 Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House. 1963. hardcover 378 pages.
BEGINNINGS OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN WEST TEXAS
The numerical strength of Churches of Christ in West Texas is impressive. Some of the largest churches in the world are to be found in that area of wide-open spaces, little rainfall, and areas so barren of vegetation that it would probably take a hundred acres of grassland to feed on cow in certain areas.
Nevertheless the settlers came, especially between the years from 1875 to 1900. Sadly the Indian population was slowly decimated, and with it the threat of violence to white settlers. The coming of the railroads made goods and services available to that region, so the homesteaders pushed father west in their search for free land.
When they came they brought their religions with them. The evangelists preached where ever they could find a place – brush arbors, court houses, schools, even on ranches and open fields. Eckstein provide dates, places and names of the early pioneer leaders during this period of time. Some of the names are highly revered in the history of the Churches of Christ – people like Jesse P. Sewell, who later became president of Abilene Christian College and Liff Sanders, who was probably the most influential evangelist on the South Plains.
From Eckstein’s perspective, by the turn of the twentieth century, the primary areas of influence were in Abilene, San Angelo, Lockney, and Lubbock. Today, two universities, that serve the interests of the movement, are to be found in that area - Abilene Christian University and Lubbock Christian University. Religion was slow to reach “Far West Texas.” As late as the 1890s the Episcopal Church had only one missionary west of the Pecos. A small congregation was begun in El Paso during the 1890s, but a visiting preacher described El Paso as a “wicked place.”
You almost need a map to read Eckstein’s chapter on West Texas. Even though I am native to West Texas, I nevertheless find it tedious to read lines like “About fifty miles to the southwest of Seminole, Gaines County near the Texas-New Mexico line, G. W. Austin made initial efforts to establish the cause.” On the other hand when he mentions places like Buffalo Gap, Tuscola and Eula, I know exactly where those places are, although I would not expect a New York reader to recognize them.
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Evangelism.
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas (4)
Book Review (4)
Eckstein, Stephen Daniel, Jr.
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas: 1824-1950. Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House. 1963. hardcover 378 pages.
CHURCH GROWTH IN THE EARLY STATEHOOD PERIOD
1845-1861
Once statehood became a reality, a flood time of immigrants rushed toward Texas. Most of them left states below the Ohio River, especially Tennessee.. As Tenneseeans poured into Texas, they brought their religion with them. It was inevitable that churches from the Restoration perspective would spring up. The movement that had gained a foothold along the Cumberland, now moved in the direction of the Brazos.
The preachers who came were often farmers and tradesman who filled the pulpit on the side. Eckstein describes them as “toiling, self-sacrificing, often unremunerated evangelists.”
During the antebellum period, itinerant evangelists preached all over the state, although West Texas was still thinly populated, and still largely controlled by Indians. The preachers usually held meetings in the summer when, “the crops were laid by.” The period between annexation and the Civil War was a time of rapid growth and church planting. However, there was a downside. One of the best-known preachers of that era was Carroll Kendrick, who moved from Kentucky to Salado in Bell County. He was so greatly concerned about the lack of corresponding spiritual growth of the new converts that he reported he was greatly satisfied when only 8 people were baptized in one particular meeting. He said he was greatly encouraged because he was primary interested in edification.
Two controversies dominated conversation during this period. The first was the slavery issue. Many church members were slave owners, and most favored secession. There were exceptions however. Eckstein reports that Solomon McKinney, an Iowa preacher, was asked to speak on “The Responsibilities of Slaves and Masters.” After delivering a sermon that he considered conciliatory, he was thrown in jail, whipped, and run out of town.
Military service was the other issue. Most able bodied members were ready and willing to fight for the Confederacy, but there were those who sided with Tolbert Fanning, editor of the Gospel Advocate, in his espousal of a the view that Christians ought to engage in spiritual warfare, and avoid engagement in carnal conflicts.
Eckstein does not devote an entire chapter to the Civil War period. Apparently spiritual interest was at low ebb from 1861 to 1865. The suspension of mail service meant they didn’t receive “the papers.” The
Gospel Advocate was actually shut down during that period. Prior to the war, the
Millennial Harbinger frequently published reports from Texas. Only two appeared between the years of 1861 and 1865. Thus the period of rapid expansion was followed by a period of spiritual indifference.
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An Era of Considerable Advancement
1865-1906
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas (3)
Book Review (3)
Eckstein, Stephen Daniel, Jr.
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas: 1824-1950 Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House. 1963. hardcover 378 pages.
THE CHURCH DURING THE REPUBLIC ERA
1836-1845
The slavery issue probably delayed Texas’ entry into the Union. After winning its independence Texans tried to make their way as a nation known as The Republic of Texas. That period lasted from 1836 to 1845.
The success of the revolution encouraged a large migration from various parts of the United States to the new republic. At first it was generally believed that the new residents of Texas were mostly societal riff-raff with little interest in spiritual matters. Although this misrepresentation was soon dispelled, many church leaders looked disdainfully on the possibility of conducting evangelistic work in Texas. As late as 1846, Tolbert Fanning indicated that he didn’t consider the Texas climate favorable to Christianity. He wasn’t talking about the weather.
Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians soon made their presence felt in the
Republic. At first there were few preachers among the Churches of Christ, but that changed over time.
Those who came to Texas with the goal of sharing the gospel faced many obstacles including
- An unstable political environment.
- Poor communication.
- A non-permanent population.
- Spiritual lethargy.
- Lack of exposure to religious periodicals.
While that last obstacle might sound like a blessing to us, the “papers” were the primary means for widespread distribution of religious ideas. They also kept frontier people connected to each other. Church leaders in Texas didn’t have them for two reasons. (1) They were too expensive, and (2) There was no stable mail service. A few reported to the
Millennial Harbinger and
Christian Messenger, but for the most part Texas church members did not receive journals promoting the Restoration Movement perspective.
Nevertheless evangelism went forward. By the end of the Republic, it was possible to identify 25 evangelists, teachers, and preachers. It had become the fifth largest religious body in Texas.
Eckstein provides some interesting stories about the formation of some of these early church communities. One of the stories involved the establishment of the Antioch church in 1836. The church built a building about four miles from San Augustine. The called it “Antioch” because “the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” They continued to meet there for the next 75 years.
The period of the Republic laid a foundation for growth that would take place after annexation.
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Church Growth in the Early Statehood Period
1845-1861
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas (2)
Book Review (part 2)
Eckstein, Stephen Daniel, Jr.
History of the Churches of Christ in Texas: 1824-1950. Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House. 1963. hardcover 378 pages.
EARLY BEGINNINGS – 1819-1836
When we use the word “filibuster,” we think of long speeches in the United States Senate, but there is another usage. The Anglo settlers in Texas came in filibustering expeditions. The filibusters were adventurers and dreamers who entered Texas illegally and attempted to settle in territory that was largely uninhabited. One of the first and best known of these entrepreneurs was Philip Nolan, who was killed in battle by Spanish soldiers in 1801. The last of the filibusters was Dr. Colonel James Long, husband of Jane Long, who is sometimes called “The Mother of Texas.” There is no record of any Restoration Movement church members coming to Texas as filibusters.
After the Mexicans secured their independence from Spain, they allowed Anglo-American colonists to settle in Texas provided they practiced the Catholic religion. Basically a colonist had three religious options (1) Embrace Catholicism, (2) Lie about their religious affiliation, or (3) Enter Texas illegally. Interestingly enough, many of the original settlers of Texas were Anglo-Americans who gained illegal entry in an area controlled by the Mexican government – our present immigration problem reversed.
Apparently the “Catholicism only” rule wasn’t strictly enforced, probably because the soldiers had to cover such a large territory. Presbyterians, Baptists, and others carried on preaching activities with mild harassment from Mexican soldiers. It is known that a few people associated with the Restoration Movement were in Texas during this period of time. Collin McKinney had embraced the teaching of Barton W. Stone in Kentucky. He settled near present day Texarkana. He was active in politics and helped draft the Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos in 1836. Although services were conducted in his home, he refused to organize a church in defiance of Mexican law.
The first known congregation was established in 1835 by a group of “immigrants” who traveled to Texas by wagon and horseback from Northern Alabama. They conducted church services on their journey and were sometimes called “The Church on Wheels.” Davy Crockett accompanied them during part of their journey to Texas. They set up a church at Fort Clark on January 17, 1836. Their leader was a man named Mansil W. Matthews, a physician, teacher and preacher. At this time all Mexican soldiers had been withdrawn from Northeast Texas. It is unlikely that anybody met them at the border to check their immigration status or religious credentials.
It was only after the beginning of the Republic that church members began coming in large numbers. As the Texas settlers slowly transitioned themselves from colonists, to rebels, to citizens of a new Republic, several significant events were playing out in Restoration History in other regions. Regrettably Eckstein gives scant attention to these events, which had enormous influence in the future development of the Restoration Movement in Texas and in the United States. In 1826 Barton W. Stone began publishing
The Christian Messenger. In the first issue he indicated a desire to resist traditional religious thinking, and advocated independent Bible study among those who profess to be Christians. He said, “If the present generation remains under the influence of the same principle, (traditional religion – NLB) the consequences must be, that the spirit of free enquiry will die….” The same independent spirit that drove Stone was deeply embedded in the early settlers of Texas.
Alexander Campbell began publishing the
Millennial Harbinger in 1830. In the first issue he announced his intent to promote the destruction of “sectarianism, infidelity and Anti Christian doctrine and practice.” He was optimistic about his prospects. He said, “No seven years of the last ten centuries, as the last seven, have been so strongly marked with the criteria of the dawn of that period which has been the theme of many a discourse, and the burden of many a prayer”
Campbell and Stone were not satisfied with the status quo. Neither were the early settlers of Texas. They were independent, self-governing, free-wheeling radicals when measured against widely accepted social and political standards of the time. It is only natural that they would come to think of religion in the same manner. Consequently, a movement predicated on the belief that we ought to “speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent” found a receptive audience.
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The Church During the Republic Era, 1836-1845
