Article written by Mrs. Minnie (Turner) Stewart

Read into church record by Sister Myra (Tolbert) Daniels

Submitted by Robert L. Haddock (grandson of Minnie (Turner) Stewart)

 

 

 

BULAH CHURCH

(Also known as Beulah Church)

 

     According to the record, this church was constituted August 30, 1890 with one Elder J. A. Norton and two deacons, Brethren J. S. Dodgen and F. B. Buster.

 

     Forming a presbytery, they gave opportunity for members and received by letters three members from Bethel church of Bell County, Texas, of the same faith and order, four members from Concord church of Falls County and three from Mt. Zion church of Alabama.

 

     These members went into conference to attend to business. First, called Eld. J. A. Norton as their pastor, and Bro. J. S. Dodgen as clerk pro-tem. They agreed to call their church “Bulah”,  and agreed to meet the first Sunday and Saturday before in each month, in a school house called “Hoolia School” on Hoolia Creek, located in Falls County, Texas five miles south east of Eddy. They soon called Bro. R. N. Jeffrey as their real clerk. They adopted thirteen “Articles of Faith”, as believed by all Primitive Baptists, together with ten “Rules of Decorum”. Bulah Church was admitted to the Little Flock Association in 1891.

 

     By the record, we find they grew and prospered rapidly, receiving members it seems almost every meeting.

 

     It was a privilege of my father’s family and a great blessing too, that we moved to Falls County, near this lovely band and soon were permitted to have a with them-my parents, sister and I.

 

     By this time, Elder T. R. Allen, who lived in the community and had been a member for a few years, had also been called as their pastor and Elder J. M. Stewart as associate pastor. Later Elder J. M. Stewart moved away and Elder L. H. Stuckey moved into the community, becoming a member from a church in Alabama, and was called as associate pastor with Elder T. R. Allen.

 

     This little church went along very smoothly, having had no troubles of much consequence, which is such a blessing to any church. At one time, there were from seventy-five to one hundred members. We had many visiting ministers all along, preaching the great truths of the Bible, most all in lovely harmony.

 

     Around the year 1910, Elder T. R. Allen having moved away, Elder J. B. Denton was called as pastor and served about three years, when he resigned and Elder Len Dalton was called in 1913 for our pastor, serving till 1916, when he, because of moving too far away, resigned. Elder T. L. Webb was called and served as pastor until 1919. Elder E. C. Mahurin was then called, but served only a few months.  Elder R. E. Wilson was called in 1921 and served till August, 1922.

 

     After releasing Bro. Wilson, we called our last, but well beloved pastor, Elder W. T. Carter of Killeen, Texas, who served us for twenty years faithfully. He was so patient to come so far, and most always present, with not much to encourage him, as our little church was failing because of so many of the members and their families moving to other localities or were taken by death. Some from other churches of our faith and order visited us and were a great help. Specially Bro. C. Loudermilk and wife were a great help and caused us to carry on longer than we would have.

 

     During this time of Elder Carter’s service as pastor, in 1930, our Association, the Little Flock and Bosque River Association, were consolidated. In 1933, we sold our church house on the Hoolia, and built a church house at Blevins, Texas (a few miles from the old location) where we had our services for quite a while at the last.

 

     Little Flock Church gave what members we had at the last of Bulah Church a with them when we disbanded, for which we are truly grateful, if  we know our hearts.

 

     Note: The remaining members of the disbanded Bulah Church, who built a Community Church in Blevins, Texas, would later merge with the Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church, located in the small community of Little Flock, in Bell County, Texas and the Philadelphia Primitive Baptist Church of Rogers, Bell Co., Texas and build a new church in Temple, Bell Co., Texas that would be known as “Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church”.