Notes from Norman

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.


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.

posted by Norman @ 7:26 PM